Noise phobias, particularly to fireworks and thunderstorms, affect a substantial proportion of companion dogs and cause significant acute suffering that is underdiagnosed and undertreated.
Dogs experiencing noise phobia undergo acute terror equivalent to extreme fear in humans: elevated heart rate, hyperventilation, trembling, attempts to escape or hide, and inability to rest. Without intervention, phobias worsen with each exposure. The predictable annual occurrence of fireworks events causes suffering to millions of dogs simultaneously. Many owners regard the behaviour as normal rather than a treatable welfare problem.