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!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Does your puppy struggle with loud sounds?
On today's episode, we'retalking about how to help
desensitize them to these thingsso that they're not scared or
anxious.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible

(00:20):
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of afamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hey you guys.

(00:41):
Thanks for being here.
I appreciate it.
We are talking about loud soundstoday.
Firework season is coming up,it's summertime, there's city
celebrations, there's 4th ofJuly celebrations and people
love fireworks.
Dogs don't always love them asmuch as we do, so thanks for
being here today.
We want to make sure that ourpuppies and our dogs are able to

(01:03):
handle sounds, and some aremore sound sensitive or noise
sensitive than others.
Some are anxious and nervouswhen it comes to thunderstorms,
fireworks, sirens, or even maybeit's just the sound of a vacuum
cleaner in your house.
These everyday noises can feellike major threats to our young
puppies.
Their hearing is really good,but the good news is with a
little training and somepositive reinforcement, you can

(01:24):
help your puppy feel safe, calmand confident, even when sounds
are happening.
Now why some puppies are moresensitive to sound than others.
Let's begin by talking aboutwhy this happens.
Puppies go through developmentalfear periods, times when
they're extra sensitive to newexperiences.
If they encounter a loud orsudden sound during this time,
without proper support, they mayform a lasting negative

(01:47):
association.
Also, like people, dogs havedifferent personalities.
Some are naturally morecautious or reactive, and
sometimes sound sensitivity issimply due to lack of early
exposure, especially for puppieswho weren't raised in busy
environments.
Now, as far as me, I like itnice and quiet.
My house is pretty calm andpeaceful and I just spent the
weekend with family on a familyreunion type trip and I have

(02:11):
lots of little nieces andnephews and I forget how loud
and noisy those households canbe.
So, depending on what kind ofhome your puppy's growing up in,
they might be everything's kindof quiet and calm and you have
to create some sounds to helpget 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

(02:34):
trigger a fight or flightresponse in your dog.
It's a survival mechanism.
If a puppy doesn't know what avacuum is, for example, and it
suddenly roars to life and movesunpredictably, it's
understandable that the puppywould feel unsure or maybe even
scared.
So how do we prevent fear fromforming or help reverse it if
it's already there?
The answer is gradual exposure,using positive associations and

(02:59):
building trust.
Let's talk about the vacuumcleaner.
This is a common example, sointroducing your puppy to a
vacuum cleaner needs to be donecarefully.
Step one is start when it's off, before you ever turn it on.
Just let your puppy explore thevacuum while it's unplugged.
Leave it in the middle of theroom like any other piece of
furniture.
Let your puppy sniff it, walkaround it and realize it's not

(03:20):
scary.
Toss a few food rewards nearbyto create a positive association
.
Step two pair it with somethingpositive so you can hold your
puppy at a comfortable distance,far enough away that they're
aware of the vacuum, but notfrightened.
Then just move the vacuumslightly, a small movement and
immediately feed a high valuefood reward.
This is called classicalconditioning.
We're teaching the vacuum moves, chicken appears.

(03:42):
Repeat this a few times untilyour puppy shows signs of
curiosity instead of fear.
Never force your puppy to gocheck it out.
Step number three introduce thesound at a low volume.
So if you have a way to controlthe sound, like a robot vacuum
or using a sound recording, isgreat, or you can ask a helper
to briefly turn it on and off inthe next room while you're
feeding your puppy food rewardsin a different room.

(04:04):
That distance will make it morequiet.
So keep the volume low andsessions short.
Step number four is buildduration slowly.
We want to gradually increasehow long the vacuum is on and
decrease the distance betweenthe sound and our puppy, always
watching body language.
If your puppy ever startles,just back up a step.
Step number five is to mix itinto your normal daily routine.

(04:26):
Over time vacuum normally whileyour puppy chews on a stuffed
Kong, a freeze boner enjoys asnuffle mat.
The goal is to make the vacuumjust part of the everyday
soundtrack of life.
Now sometimes there are bigger,scarier sounds, like fireworks
or thunder.
These can be trickier since wecan't control when they happen.
That's why sounddesensitization ahead of time is

(04:47):
so valuable.
You could play recordings offireworks or storms at a low
volume while your puppy plays oreats a favorite treat.
Gradually we can increase thevolume over days or weeks.
Make sure you keep sessionsshort and you end on a positive
note.
Never force your puppy to facetheir fear and always allow a
safe space to retreat.
If they want to run away, letthem.

(05:09):
We never force them to interactwith something they're scared
of.
Now I love going to YouTubesearching firework playlist or
storm playlist.
People are very kind.
They have made hours longplaylists for you and the beauty
is you get to start it, you getto stop it.
You also get to control thevolume.

(05:30):
Now, as far as summercelebrations, keep in mind that
your puppy's probably not yetready for those.
We don't want to suddenlyintroduce them, you know, to
this fun party that's super loudand then fireworks are booming
and there's nowhere to retreatto.
So you've either got to have aplan B of I can move my puppy
far enough away that they're notbothered by these loud sounds

(05:51):
or my better suggestion is tojust leave them home for now.
So we all love bringing ourdogs to barbecues, family
reunions, parades, 4th of Julyevents, et cetera, but when
fireworks are involved, it'sactually probably best just to
leave your puppy at home in aquiet room.
Here's why Loud, sudden noisescan overwhelm young dogs,
especially if they've neverexperienced them before.

(06:11):
The result could belong-lasting fear.
We don't want to do that.
Second crowds, instantoverstimulation during summer
events can make it harder foryour puppy to settle or feel
safe.
You always have to have an exitplan whenever I'm training a
puppy so service dogs, forexample, we take everywhere we
go.
I have an exit plan of okay,loud sounds are happening, we
need to get up and move overhere Now.

(06:32):
Fireworks may trigger a panicresponse that could lead to
escape behaviors, even from aleash or fenced yard.
We want to build trust andconfidence in our dogs and that
starts in quiet, familiar spaces, not a chaotic environment.
So instead, set your puppy athome 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 thecurtains anything you can do to

(06:55):
try to muffle the sounds andleave your scent nearby, like a
worn t-shirt or something thatyou had on that day that smells
like you, if possible.
Having someone stay home withthem or check in regularly with
them can help comfort them.
Your puppy's confidence willget better over time, but they
need gradual exposure andsupportive training to get there
.
So here's a few tips forbuilding sound confidence.

(07:16):
You can use sound socializationplaylists with everyday noises
on them.
You can pair new sounds withsomething really great Treats,
toys, affection whatever yourdog loves.
Never punish the fear.
We want to let them retreat ifthey feel like they need to, so
watch their body language andbuild positive associations
instead.
Feel like they need to, sowatch their body language and
build positive associationsinstead.

(07:37):
You guys, comfort is okay.
Yes, absolutely.
You can soothe your puppywithout reinforcing their fear.
Every experience, especiallyduring puppyhood, is teaching
your dog how to feel about theworld they live in.
If we make new, strange or evenloud things, feel safe and
positive, we're building aconfident, resilient dog.
Don't rush the process.
Remember, stay patient andconsistent and celebrate the

(08:00):
small wins.
You've got this and your puppywill 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 thepuppy training podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you

(08:21):
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.