In collaboration with Tanja Benn and Johnny Bastian from SearchHouse, DogCoach has created this little mini guide to help you understand and accustom your dog to sounds as best as possible before, for example, New Year's Eve.
The guide is in 2 parts. The first part deals with what lightning fear actually is, and what you can do to prevent your dog from becoming afraid of loud noises (thunder, fireworks, noise, etc.).
The second part here deals with the time leading up to and during New Year's Eve, which for many dog owners is truly challenging.
Continue and intensify towards the New Year
When the dog is comfortable with you playing relatively loud sounds, it's time for you to generalize it. That is, your dog must now learn that the sounds can occur in different places.
Take your phone with the sound on during your walk and play it there. Remember to turn the volume down when you change the environment, and gradually increase it from there, just like you did inside. Also, be careful to play the sound outside when it's dark.
Even though we do a lot of preventative training, we still need to be very careful in the days leading up to New Year's and on New Year's Eve itself. A sudden loud noise can ruin your entire workout.
Here the level of smoke machine is turned up.... Remember never to go that far in training unless the dog is ready for it.
On the day before New Year's:
- Avoid evening walks in the dark, where you may risk being set off by fireworks. If you live in the city, keep your evening walks very short and drive out of town for some fresh air.
- Use the daylight hours to activate your dog so that he is mentally and physically stimulated. This will make your dog better able to cope if loud noises occur.
- Always keep your dog on a leash when you are outside. Every year, many dogs run away because they are scared.
- Give these supplements throughout the month of December and possibly increase the dosage right up until New Year's Eve.
New Year's Eve itself:
- Make sure your dog is well-stimulated with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation.
- Always be with your dog. Don't leave it alone at home.
- Have a good chew bone ready
- Close the curtains. Try to block out as much light as possible, as they also affect the dog.
- Turn up the TV or radio so that it blocks out the sounds outside.
- Support your dog if it needs it.
- Possibly make a cave or something else that your dog can snuggle in if it needs it.
- When it's loudest, do the search exercise that your dog knows from the preventive training.
If your dog is already anxious, or you've started too late, you can save your dog's New Year's Eve:
- Talk to your vet about some anti-anxiety medication for the evening.
- If your dog likes to drive, take a drive on the highway at midnight. Here the dog doesn't hear the sounds in the same way and you can avoid the worst time for noise.
- Find a place where there is no shooting. Examples are areas where fireworks are prohibited. Abroad or maybe even soundproof hotels such as the Hilton at Copenhagen Airport, which has made a business out of inviting dog people on New Year's Eve.
Next year, you can sign up for SearchHouse's Light & Sound courses, so you are well prepared for New Year's Eve next year 😊
We have made a playlist here where you can see how the dogs are trained at Search House.
About Searchhouse
SearchHouse is Denmark's first dog training center that specializes in special search and environmental training of dogs.
The place is located in Mørkøv and is run daily by Tanja Benn and Johnny Bastian, who have many years of experience with education and training of special search dogs used by, for example, the police and the correctional service.
The unique environmental training hall offers ongoing courses and education for all types of dog owners within search work and environmental training.
See more at www.searchhouse.dk
Mini guide: Acoustic Anxiety – Part 2
In collaboration with Tanja Benn and Johnny Bastian from SearchHouse, DogCoach has created this little mini guide to help you understand and accustom your dog to sounds as best as possible before, for example, New Year's Eve.
The guide is in 2 parts. The first part deals with what lightning fear actually is, and what you can do to prevent your dog from becoming afraid of loud noises (thunder, fireworks, noise, etc.).
The second part here deals with the time leading up to and during New Year's Eve, which for many dog owners is truly challenging.
Continue and intensify towards the New Year
When the dog is comfortable with you playing relatively loud sounds, it's time for you to generalize it. That is, your dog must now learn that the sounds can occur in different places.
Take your phone with the sound on during your walk and play it there. Remember to turn the volume down when you change the environment, and gradually increase it from there, just like you did inside. Also, be careful to play the sound outside when it's dark.
Even though we do a lot of preventative training, we still need to be very careful in the days leading up to New Year's and on New Year's Eve itself. A sudden loud noise can ruin your entire workout.
Here the level of smoke machine is turned up.... Remember never to go that far in training unless the dog is ready for it.
On the day before New Year's:
New Year's Eve itself:
If your dog is already anxious, or you've started too late, you can save your dog's New Year's Eve:
Next year, you can sign up for SearchHouse's Light & Sound courses, so you are well prepared for New Year's Eve next year 😊
We have made a playlist here where you can see how the dogs are trained at Search House.
About Searchhouse
SearchHouse is Denmark's first dog training center that specializes in special search and environmental training of dogs.
The place is located in Mørkøv and is run daily by Tanja Benn and Johnny Bastian, who have many years of experience with education and training of special search dogs used by, for example, the police and the correctional service.
The unique environmental training hall offers ongoing courses and education for all types of dog owners within search work and environmental training.
See more at www.searchhouse.dk