Episode #233 Raising a Sound-Confident Puppy: Helping Your Dog Overcome Noise Anxiety

Loud sounds like thunder, fireworks, sirens, or even the vacuum cleaner can cause anxiety in young puppies—but it doesn’t have to stay that way! In this episode, Amy shares how to prevent and reduce sound sensitivity using positive reinforcement, gradual exposure, and confidence-building techniques.

Learn how to introduce your puppy to new sounds the right way, including step-by-step guidance using a vacuum as an example. Plus, discover why leaving your puppy home from summer fireworks events is the best choice for their emotional wellbeing—and how to help them feel safe and calm while you’re away.

This episode is full of practical, force-free strategies to help your puppy grow into a confident, resilient adult dog. Tune in and set your pup up for sound success!

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Sound Sensitivity
• 1:35 Why Puppies Fear Loud Sounds
• 3:01 Vacuum Training Step-by-Step
• 4:40 Preparing for Fireworks and Storms
• 6:03 Summer Events: Leave Puppy Home
• 7:15 Building Sound Confidence Tips
• 8:08 Episode Wrap-Up

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Does your puppy struggle with loud sounds? On today's episode, we're talking about how to help desensitize them to these things so that they're not scared or anxious. Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter Bella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of a family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started. Hey you guys. Thanks for being here. I appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 0:43

We are talking about loud sounds today. Firework season is coming up, it's summertime, there's city celebrations, there's 4th of July celebrations and people love fireworks. Dogs don't always love them as much as we do, so thanks for being here today. We want to make sure that our puppies and our dogs are able to handle sounds, and some are more sound sensitive or noise sensitive than others. Some are anxious and nervous when it comes to thunderstorms, fireworks, sirens, or even maybe it's just the sound of a vacuum cleaner in your house. These everyday noises can feel like major threats to our young puppies. Their hearing is really good, but the good news is with a little training and some positive reinforcement, you can help your puppy feel safe, calm and confident, even when sounds are happening. Now why some puppies are more sensitive to sound than others. Let's begin by talking about why this happens.

Speaker 1: 1:35

Puppies go through developmental fear periods, times when they're extra sensitive to new experiences. If they encounter a loud or sudden sound during this time, without proper support, they may form a lasting negative association. Also, like people, dogs have different personalities. Some are naturally more cautious or reactive, and sometimes sound sensitivity is simply due to lack of early exposure, especially for puppies who weren't raised in busy environments. Now, as far as me, I like it nice and quiet. My house is pretty calm and peaceful and I just spent the weekend with family on a family reunion type trip and I have lots of little nieces and nephews and I forget how loud and noisy those households can be. So, depending on what kind of home your puppy's growing up in, they might be everything's kind of quiet and calm and you have to create some sounds to help get them used to these things. Other homes if you have kids, your dog is probably used to loud sounds. From a behavioral standpoint, loud or strange sounds can trigger a fight or flight response in your dog. It's a survival mechanism. If a puppy doesn't know what a vacuum is, for example, and it suddenly roars to life and moves unpredictably, it's understandable that the puppy would feel unsure or maybe even scared. So how do we prevent fear from forming or help reverse it if it's already there? The answer is gradual exposure, using positive associations and building trust.

Speaker 1: 3:01

Let's talk about the vacuum cleaner. This is a common example, so introducing your puppy to a vacuum cleaner needs to be done carefully. Step one is start when it's off, before you ever turn it on. Just let your puppy explore the vacuum while it's unplugged. Leave it in the middle of the room like any other piece of furniture. Let your puppy sniff it, walk around it and realize it's not scary. Toss a few food rewards nearby to create a positive association. Step two pair it with something positive so you can hold your puppy at a comfortable distance, far enough away that they're aware of the vacuum, but not frightened. Then just move the vacuum slightly, a small movement and immediately feed a high value food reward. This is called classical conditioning. We're teaching the vacuum moves, chicken appears. Repeat this a few times until your puppy shows signs of curiosity instead of fear. Never force your puppy to go check it out.

Speaker 1: 3:50

Step number three introduce the sound at a low volume. So if you have a way to control the sound, like a robot vacuum or using a sound recording, is great, or you can ask a helper to briefly turn it on and off in the next room while you're feeding your puppy food rewards in a different room. That distance will make it more quiet. So keep the volume low and sessions short. Step number four is build duration slowly. We want to gradually increase how long the vacuum is on and decrease the distance between the sound and our puppy, always watching body language. If your puppy ever startles, just back up a step.

Speaker 1: 4:24

Step number five is to mix it into your normal daily routine. Over time vacuum normally while your puppy chews on a stuffed Kong, a freeze boner enjoys a snuffle mat. The goal is to make the vacuum just part of the everyday soundtrack of life. Now sometimes there are bigger, scarier sounds, like fireworks or thunder. These can be trickier since we can't control when they happen. That's why sound desensitization ahead of time is so valuable. You could play recordings of fireworks or storms at a low volume while your puppy plays or eats a favorite treat. Gradually we can increase the volume over days or weeks. Make sure you keep sessions short and you end on a positive note.

Speaker 1: 5:01

Never force your puppy to face their fear and always allow a safe space to retreat. If they want to run away, let them. We never force them to interact with something they're scared of. Now I love going to YouTube searching firework playlist or storm playlist. People are very kind. They have made hours long playlists for you and the beauty is you get to start it, you get to stop it. You also get to control the volume.

Speaker 1: 5:30

Now, as far as summer celebrations, keep in mind that your puppy's probably not yet ready for those. We don't want to suddenly introduce them, you know, to this fun party that's super loud and then fireworks are booming and there's nowhere to retreat to. So you've either got to have a plan B of I can move my puppy far enough away that they're not bothered by these loud sounds or my better suggestion is to just leave them home for now. So we all love bringing our dogs to barbecues, family reunions, parades, 4th of July events, et cetera, but when fireworks are involved, it's actually probably best just to leave your puppy at home in a quiet room. Here's why Loud, sudden noises can overwhelm young dogs, especially if they've never experienced them before. The result could be long-lasting fear. We don't want to do that.

Speaker 1: 6:20

Second crowds, instant overstimulation during summer events can make it harder for your puppy to settle or feel safe. You always have to have an exit plan whenever I'm training a puppy so service dogs, for example, we take everywhere we go. I have an exit plan of okay, loud sounds are happening, we need to get up and move over here Now. Fireworks may trigger a panic response that could lead to escape behaviors, even from a leash or fenced yard. We want to build trust and confidence in our dogs and that starts in quiet, familiar spaces, not a chaotic environment. So instead, set your puppy at home in a crate or calm room with calming music, white noise, maybe leave them with a frozen freeze bone or a stuffed Kong. Close the windows, close the curtains anything you can do to try to muffle the sounds and leave your scent nearby, like a worn t-shirt or something that you had on that day that smells like you, if possible. Having someone stay home with them or check in regularly with them can help comfort them. Your puppy's confidence will get better over time, but they need gradual exposure and supportive training to get there. So here's a few tips for building sound confidence. You can use sound socialization playlists with everyday noises on them. You can pair new sounds with something really great Treats, toys, affection whatever your dog loves.

Speaker 1: 7:27

Never punish the fear. We want to let them retreat if they feel like they need to, so watch their body language and build positive associations instead. Feel like they need to, so watch their body language and build positive associations instead. You guys, comfort is okay. Yes, absolutely. You can soothe your puppy without reinforcing their fear.

Speaker 1: 7:48

Every experience, especially during puppyhood, is teaching your dog how to feel about the world they live in. If we make new, strange or even loud things, feel safe and positive, we're building a confident, resilient dog. Don't rush the process. Remember, stay patient and consistent and celebrate the small wins. You've got this and your puppy will thank you for it. You guys, have fun this summer. Keep your pups safe and happy. Happy training. We'll talk soon. Thanks for tuning in to the puppy training podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online. Until next time, happy training.