Helping Your Dog Cope With Unexpected Sounds
Stephie Guy 
Support your dog through sudden sounds like fireworks or national alerts with gentle, practical tips to reduce stress and aid recovery.
Sudden noises can catch even the calmest dog off guard.
Fireworks, kitchen clatters, doorbells, or phone alerts often seem harmless to us, but to many dogs, they are unpredictable and overwhelming. And with the UK emergency alert scheduled for Sunday 7th September, it’s worth thinking ahead about how your dog might respond, and what you can do to help.
Not every dog struggles with sound, but for those that do, the impact can be intense. A sharp sound can startle the nervous system, trigger a rush of adrenaline, and leave your dog feeling unsure or unsafe. Some dogs bark, pace, or hide. Others go still, flatten their ears, or seem disconnected. Recovery might take minutes — or it might linger for days.
Sound sensitivity isn’t always about fear
While fear is one reason dogs might react to sound, there’s often more going on. Many sound-sensitive dogs are also dealing with:
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Chronic pain or muscle tension that makes startle movements uncomfortable
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Past trauma, such as loud noises during a frightening or painful event
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Sensory overwhelm, especially in busy or unpredictable environments
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Lack of control, where they feel trapped or unable to move away
When a dog flinches, freezes, or bolts in response to sound, they’re not being dramatic or disobedient. They’re doing their best to cope with a moment their body and brain weren’t ready for.
How can we help?
Rather than trying to prevent the reaction, we can focus on helping the dog feel safe again afterwards. This means supporting recovery, not forcing resilience.
If your dog is sound sensitive, try this:
1. Watch for early signs
Start by noticing the smaller signals your dog gives before things escalate. These might include:
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A shift in weight or posture
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Quick glances towards you or the source of the sound
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Pacing, sniffing, or licking
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Sudden stillness or refusal to move
The earlier you notice, the more easily you can support without overwhelming.
2. Model calm recovery
Your dog will take cues from you. If you tense up, rush to fix things, or flood them with attention, it can confirm their sense that something’s wrong. Instead:
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Breathe slowly and calmly - the physiological sigh is an excellent way to reset the nervous system and you can find out more about that in The Shouty-Barky Dog-Cast here,
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Move gently, avoiding sudden shifts,
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Speak in a normal factual tone of voice, or not at all. Your body will say more than your words.
You don’t need to “do” a lot. Just being calmly present is often enough.
3. Use Free Work for decompression
Free Work offers your dog a chance to explore, sniff, and move in a way that feels safe and self-guided. After a sudden noise or in preparation for a known stressor, Free Work can:
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Help your dog reset through natural movement
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Encourage soft, curious engagement with the environment
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Offer sensory support through textures, smells and release the hormones required for longer term recovery
Set up a Free Work area with:
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Licky mats, snuffle mats towels or blankets
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Low boxes or cushions to raise some items (no higher than elbow height)
Snuffle cloths and scent pots
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Familiar smells and objects your dog already feels confident around
Keep it low-pressure. Let your dog choose whether to interact or rest.
4. Plan ahead for the emergency alert
The UK-wide emergency alert is due to sound on Sunday 7th September. Most mobile or cell phones will emit a loud noise even if they are on silent. For sound-sensitive dogs, this could be distressing, especially if there are multiple mobile or cell phones in the house.
To prepare:
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Place your phone in a drawer under blankets or cushions to muffle the sound without turning the alert off
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Set a reminder for ten minutes before hand to give yourself time to settle the environment
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Let others in the house know what to expect
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Avoid planning high-energy activities that day
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Prepare a retreat space with low lighting and soft bedding, where your dog can go if they feel overwhelmed
You might also offer a short Free Work session earlier in the day to help your dog feel more grounded before the alert.
5. Support recovery, not performance
Your goal is not to train your dog out of reacting. It’s to help them feel safe again. That means:
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Giving space without isolation
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Offering quiet companionship
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Allowing your dog to rest, move or disengage without pressure
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Letting go of expectations about how long recovery “should” take
Each dog is different. Some need a nap, some need a walk, some just need to sit next to you. Trust their process.
Gentle reminder
Sudden sounds can have a lasting effect on the nervous system, especially in dogs who already find the world a lot to cope with. You don’t need to solve or prevent every reaction. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stay beside them, breathe, and give them the space to find their way back to calm.
These gentle steps can help your dog feel safer, more in control and better able to recover when life gets loud.
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