Noise phobia in dogs causes significant distress from fireworks, gunshots, and traffic; multimodal management significantly improves welfare.
Noise phobia causes acute fear responses including trembling, panting, attempting to escape, and self-injury that constitute significant animal suffering. The seasonal pattern of fireworks events means affected dogs may experience intense distress multiple times per year for their entire lives without intervention. Proactive management before noise season using medication and desensitisation dramatically reduces this welfare burden.