SCIENCE

Is your furry friend looking forward to the Fourth of July as much as you? Maybe not, if he or she suffers from noise anxiety. What causes it, and how can you help? (New York Times)

How did dogs evolve to become such good best buddies? Use our resources to find out.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.

Discussion Ideas 

• Are all dogs afraid of loud noises?
  • Yes, to some extent. Just like humans, it’s normal for dogs to jump when they hear a surprising or loud sound. Many animals experience a temporary increase in heart rate before returning to normal.
    • But around 40 percent of dogs suffer from “nose anxiety,” which can be likened to a phobia or even a panic disorder. These dogs are unable to settle back down for some time after hearing the loud noise.

 

• What is physically happening when a dog reacts strongly to thunder, fireworks, or other loud noises?
  • According to Dr. Melissa Bain, an associate professor of clinical animal behavior at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, dogs may experience a flight response.
    • Dog brains—like human brains—have a hypothalamus that produces hormones to govern things like hunger, sleep, and body temperature. In response to a startling trigger, the hypothalamus directs certain systems to release stress hormones such as epinephrine (adrenaline) to help the body deal with a perceived threat.
      • When these hormones are released, they can cause physical reactions like increased heart rate and blood pressure, tense muscles, and dilated pupils.

 

• How do some dogs respond to their flight response?
  • Sadly, many of them may have the impulse to “take flight” and will try to run away from the perceived threat. Some animal shelters say July 5th is their busiest day of the year for taking in lost dogs.
  • In some cases, dogs have also gotten stuck in small hiding spaces, gnawed on door handles, or even broken through windows.

 

• Why isn’t my cat afraid of fireworks, too?
  • Cats can experience noise anxiety, but it is less commonly reported.
    • Experts theorize that because cat behavior is generally understated and independent, their fear response may go unnoticed. A cat hiding under the bed may not track as strange to its owner.

 

• How do veterinarians and behavior specialists recommend caring for frightened dogs this Fourth of July?
  • The issue of whether owners should comfort their canines is somewhat fraught. Some experts say owners should act normal and unruffled to show that the environment is not threatened. Others recommend snuggling the dog and staying with it in a windowless room.
  • It may be helpful to muffle the noise with quiet music.
  • Some vets prescribe sedatives, but these do not treat the underlying phobia and could potentially exacerbate it by making the dog feel like “someone having a nightmare in which he or she cannot run from danger.”
  • This spring, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug specifically created for canine noise aversion. Sileo works by inhibiting norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter and hormone associated with fear.
  • The best case scenario? Catch the phobia early and desensitize the dog by paring recordings of the offending noise with positive reinforcements.

 

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

New York Times: A New Treatment for Dogs Scared by Thunder and Fireworks

Washington Post: For dogs terrified of fireworks, new drug aims to take the edge off of the Fourth of July

Nat Geo: Family Tree

How Stuff Works: How Fear Works

Psychology Today: Which Emotions Do Dogs Actually Experience?