Fear of loud noises affects a significant proportion of dogs and causes intense suffering that is often underrecognised.
Noise phobia causes genuine suffering: dogs in the grip of acute fear show elevated heart rates, hyperventilation, escape attempts, destructive behaviour, and sometimes self-injury. Owners frequently misinterpret or underestimate their dog's distress. Untreated, noise phobia progresses and can generalise to other stimuli. Early behavioural intervention — systematic desensitisation starting with very low-level sounds — can prevent the escalation that makes later treatment much harder.