Sound Sensitivity

[scomona]

We were doing the laundry tonight and as we shook out the clothes Shiloh got soooooo nervous! We stopped and then tried to call him over but he wouldn't even look at us. So I brought out some treats and put the pair of pants down on the ground and called him over, he sniffed them got the treat and went back to hide. We continued and used our happiest voices to try to encourage him to come over and laid a few treats out around the laundry basket.

 

Once we were done I called him over again and he ignored me- so I used his correction sound and he came with his tail between his legs. I tried to play with him and his favorite toy and we was just too nervous. I tried to encourage him with pats and a happy voice- but I wondered if it was a bad idea to continue with the sound that caused the fear while encouraging him to come out AND using his correction sound for cowering away.

 

It's been about 30 minutes and he has come out of the corner but is still acting a bit shy. Any idea what we could do to help this fear?

 

I don't know if it matters- but he did have his rabies and vaccines yesterday.

[Root Beer]

Once we were done I called him over again and he ignored me- so I used his correction sound and he came with his tail between his legs. I tried to play with him and his favorite toy and we was just too nervous. I tried to encourage him with pats and a happy voice- but I wondered if it was a bad idea to continue with the sound that caused the fear while encouraging him to come out AND using his correction sound for cowering away.

 

So . . . he was in the midst of a fear response and he gave you the best he had and actually came when you called him and then you corrected him. Sounds like a great way to sensitize him further to the sound that frightened him in the first place.

 

I know you see it differently, but from the dog's perspective, that is very likely the more accurate perception. There is no way he could know that he was being corrected for "insufficient attention", especially while still experiencing fear.

 

When a dog is in the midst of a fear response, the best thing to do is forget your own expectations (like a certain type of play or a certain level of attention) and let the dog work through it mentally. If he needs to hide, let him hide. He'll come back when he feels safe again. And then you will want to reward heavily.

 

I've been down this road and I made some dumb mistakes, like trying to get the dog to play before he was ready and continuing to expose him to the sound that caused the fear in the first place and doing the "HAPPY!" thing. I made things a lot worse before I learned how to make them better. And I'm still doing repair work on some of those mistakes a couple of years later. I found that things started to get better when I started to let the dog show me when he was feeling safe again and when he is ready to resume normal play levels.

 

Personally, I wouldn't push it with the laundry thing. I'd keep some treats handy and any time I saw him approach the laundry area voluntarily, I would casually reward. (No "HAPPY" voice, although quiet and sincere praise would be fine). In the meantime, I would shut him up in another part of the house while shaking out laundry so as not to sensitize him further.

 

I wish you the best. Sound sensitivities are tricky.

[Olivia]

I too have a dog that is scared of laundry! She hates and is so scared of the sound of clothes being shaken out before being folded. After several years I have decided that it's not an issue I care to fight. When I do laundry she now just gets up and leaves the room. When I'm done she'll reappear in about 5-10 minutes slinking around. I give lots of pets and laugh about the evil laundry and she perks up and is back to her old self.

 

She is also very thunder phobic and generally noise sensitive. Of all the noises to work on I didn't deem laundry high on the list. She doesn't hurt herself or do anything inappropriate, she just wants to leave and not be part of it. That's fine with me.

 

Olivia

[Frogs & Dogs]

Hmm, are you sure it's the sound? Laundry can be full of static electricity, and I'd bet dollars to donuts that he's actually reacting to that. Olivia's post got me thinking about that because many dogs that fear thunder storms are reacting to the static electricity in their fur. This happens more in long-haired breeds like your typical rough-coated BC. Try a dryer sheet next time and see if that doesn't solve the problem (although of course by now he's probably associated laundry with bad things).

[scomona]

Rootbeer:

 

I see what you mean. For some reason I felt that I should try to encourage him to see laundry time as "super fun" time so he wouldn't be so nervous. I guess I was thinking that he should face the fear...etc.. instead of learning that it was ok to hide or cower when he didn't like something (but obviously that is much better then forcing him to face it, which could lead to other problems if he felt he needed to protect himself)

 

We will try it another way next time. I do want him to adjust to regular house hold sounds, but I don't want to make things worse.

 

The weird thing is that he is generally not afraid of sounds. We live in a huge city and he hears sirens and honks and more on a daily basis..... so I will also think about the static thing too..

 

Thanks for the help everyone-

Simona

[jvw]

My Seamus is now almost 7 years old. He's always been afraid of laundry. Never could get him over it. As fears go it could be way worse.

 

Jennifer

[Olivia]

I know in Carlie's case it is definitely the sound, not the static electricity. I always use dryer sheets and she'll still do it. I think there's something about the flapping sound that is strange and unnerving.

 

Olivia

[Samsonsworld]

Never been around a dog that didn't run from the washer/dryer, vacuum cleaner or hair dryer. Though, I've always been able to get them used to the hair dryer because they associate it with warmth after a bath. The first 2-3 times using one on them can be interesting though. Maybe I'm cruel but I just sit on them and make them deal with it.

 

Heck I have one now that runs from a tape measurer. Still not 100% sure how tall she is. By time I catch her, she's rolled over and limp. Somewhere between 21 and 22", I think. Pretty good size for a 7 month old pup. Her sister is only 18".

[ejano]

Interesting...not had a problem with laundry, but (typically) the pups avoid the vacuum cleaner. At first they both ran to a hiding spot; now Robin hangs about and watches while Brodie watches from behind the recliner. I make a game of it, at least in the TV room. I pick up all their toys and put them in the basket and as they take them out, I toss them around while I'm vacuuming. if I don't make a big deal of it, they'll get used to it eventually and its okay if they're not underfoot while I'm vacuuming as long as they're not fleeing in fear.

 

Liz

[pansmom]

Interesting...not had a problem with laundry, but (typically) the pups avoid the vacuum cleaner. At first they both ran to a hiding spot; now Robin hangs about and watches while Brodie watches from behind the recliner. I make a game of it, at least in the TV room. I pick up all their toys and put them in the basket and as they take them out, I toss them around while I'm vacuuming. if I don't make a big deal of it, they'll get used to it eventually and its okay if they're not underfoot while I'm vacuuming as long as they're not fleeing in fear.

 

Liz

 

^This. This is the way I handle sound reactivity for Vala. And I see the same pattern. A slow and gradual process of getting over the fear. Vala is not afraid of laundry (or the vacuum or blow dryer) but she is afraid of thunder, sci-fi TV, and electronic music (as opposed to Bob Dylan, and me singing, which she seems to like, ha). All these noise related fears have gotten a lot better over the past few months as she got used to her new home. At first - it's about three months we've had her now - she would *run* when we turned on Stargate Universe. All we did was ignore her when she did it (ensuring the door was open so she could leave and go hide in her kennel or the bathroom) and she would leave us watching TV hanging out calmly with the cats. After a month or so of running from this weekly ritual, she started coming out for brief intervals, tentatively, and we always pet her and praised her and let her go running back when the technology on the show made weird noises. Now she has learned - by watching our and the cat's non-reactions to the sounds - that scifi TV is fine, and has taken to lying in a corner of the back room where our TV is and will stay there while we're watching Stargate Universe because she prefers to be near us. I'm anticipating that within another three months she'll be on my lap during the whole show. I think the key is to not react at all to the fear and model whatever emotional reaction you want the dog to have. If the dog is super sensitive, you might have to do some desensitization but for most dogs you can just let the dog have access to their safe place and they'll get over it on their own time. And really who cares how long it takes for your dog to get over his fear of laundry. I'd say just roll your eyes and laugh, silly dog. Even Vala's thunderphobia isn't as bad as it used to be, and we've done nothing for it other than always have a safe dry place available to her to nest in and love on her during storms.

[Mariji]

You have to remember it will not respond to you, not because he doesn't want to, but because he CAN"T. It is so scary he just can't focus.

http://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup#p/search

This is a great video explaining the way i would teach my pup that it is ok. I have issues with my girl when it is dark and she can't see properly everything is scary.

Good luck and remember be sensitive, the poor dog is just terrified.

[urge to herd]

Ahhh, the dreaded flapping of the laundry. Sami, being pretty hard of hearing now, could give a hoot about either the laundry flapping or the hair dryer. When she was younger and still keen of hearing, anything like that sent her off in back of the couch. It's one of the advantages of deafness.

 

Shonie is still scared of it. We're working very slowly to accustom her to the noise of the dryer particularly. Forcing an issue has never not once worked with my scaredy girls. Shoshone taught me to be choosy about picking my battles. It's not a big deal to me that she leaves the room.

 

Ruth

[BorderCollieSam]

Sam doesn't like our hoover, will run upstairs whenever its switched on and lay underneath the bed.....

[MicheleS.]

Chase was terrified when I shook the laundry. I chose to ignore it and let him keep his distance. He slowly started being a brave boy on his own and coming closer and closer when I would do the laundry. I took notice of that and made a fuss over him for being a "brave boy". He now stands right next to me and doesn't even flinch when I flap the laundry

We're still working on the blow dryer. He will come over and touch it when it's off and will stand right next to me when I'm using it. Occassionally I'll bend down and ask for a touch or ask him to come see it when it's on and he's within a foot so far. He used to run to another room and hide. That's progress!! It sure would be nice if I could use the blow dryer to dry him off after a bath, especially in the winter.

None of my dogs, including Chase, ever had a problem with the vacuum. In fact, I used to vacuum my shepherds (with the hose, obviously) and they loved it so much they would follow me around while I was vacuuming. I always ended up vacuuming the dogs too! Shepherd hair makes you do weird things

[BustopherJones]

Annie goes into hiding whenever DW starts cooking dinner. She hears the pots and pans rattling, takes off for her "den", and is reluctant to come out until dinner is actually served (at which time she mysteriously appears under the dining room table). The vet believes that Annie may be sensitive to the harmonics given off by the particular brand of electric stove we have; this theory is of some consolation to DW, who thought at first it might have something to do with her cooking...

[ziggzmom]

We continued and used our happiest voices to try to encourage him to come over and laid a few treats out around the laundry basket.

 

Hi,

 

In situations like this sometimes our 'happy' voice is actually a high pitched tense voice. We see the dog is stressing which makes us get anxious. Try to just act confident and like it's no big deal. Dogs pick up on our confidence=)

 

Janet

[geonni banner]

Don't know if this would help or not, but I used this to get my dog (a rough collie) used to thunderstorms. I bough t CD of thunderstorm sounds and started playing it at a very low volume, gradually increasing the volume until it was nearly as loud as the real thing. We have thunderstorms very rarely here, and I didn't want his first experience of them to be frightening. It's possible that his first real thunderstorm would have been a non-event anyway, but for sure he never turned a hair when the actual storm did arrive.

 

I did the same thing with a dog that was brought to me for desensitization to the noise of a vacuum cleaner. I made a tape of the vacuum running and started him at barely audible volume and began tossing yummy cheese where he could see it bounce past him. In three days a full-volume vacuum tape had no effect except causing him to lick his chops in anticipation. Then I started bringing the vacuum cleaner in to our tape sessions. Then switched it on and off - more bouncing cheese. Then I put cheese on top of the power-head and he cautiously took it off and ate it. After several reps I did the on/off and he took the cheese. Gradually extended the time that the vacuum was on. The whole process took a week, four sessions a day. This was a dog that would try to claw through the screen door to get away from the sound of a vacuum. When his owners came to pick him up, they asked, "Well, how is he doing?" I brought out the vacuum, turned it on and Sneaker placed his forepaws on the power-head and stood wagging his tail in anticipation of cheese. I had them phase out the cheese rewards over the next few weeks, and he was fine from then on.

 

I wonder if you could make a recording of the sounds of laundry being shaken out and play it at low volume to see how your dog reacts. If he doesn't freak I'd start playing when he's eating his supper. It might be good to set an open box/jug of the laundry soap you use to add verisimilitude to the "re-enactment." Maybe put a freshly-laundered towel under his bowl if he does well with the tape and the soap smell.

 

I don't know how you would deal with the static electricity component of the scenario, (except using dryer sheets as one poster suggested,) but I do know that it could be a big factor. I've seen dogs with chronic carsickness anxiety completely turned around by hanging a short piece of chain from part of the frame under the car so it just touches the ground. The theory is that the chain bouncing on the roadbed helps to discharge the static field that builds up in a moving vehicle - especially in dry, windy weather. Sometimes the chain works right away all by itself. Sometimes you have to do a more gradual approach and give the dog positive experiences in a stationary car first, and then do short trips with lots of reinforcers.

 

Anyway, sorry your pup is afraid of the laundry. Hope something here can be of help.

[scomona]

Thanks for all of the feedback- I appreciate it!

 

Im doing laundry tonight and am going to just leave him be! I like the idea of getting him used to the sound by taping it and playing it softly- my husband will think Im crazy, but hopefully it will work.

[Root Beer]

Im doing laundry tonight and am going to just leave him be! I like the idea of getting him used to the sound by taping it and playing it softly- my husband will think Im crazy, but hopefully it will work.

 

I hope you have success with it. My noise-o-phobe absolutely knows the difference between recorded sound and real sound. I think that the way the sound waves hits his ear on a physical level differs. In any case, he can tell the difference.

 

Hopefully you have better luck with it!

[Stanzi_and_Molly]

I don't know if it matters- but he did have his rabies and vaccines yesterday.

My BC has always been sound sensitive. Just this year she started reacting to the military jets screaming overhead, and thunder. I don't know what to do about that. I'm noise sensitive as well.

 

I did think it was interesting what you said about the vaccines. Molly, that's my BC because quite snappish after her annual shots this past February. She even bit me when I was trying to get her out of the car when we got back home.