Skip to content

7 Noises That Dogs Are Terrified Of


Have you ever seen your dog cower in fear after a certain noise goes off? It’s not very nice seeing poor Fido show signs of pure terror, especially when we can’t do much about the noise that’s causing their distress. We humans tend to hate the sound of things like loud alarms, drilling and big bangs.

Well, dogs don’t really like these noises either, especially as their ears are far more sensitive. But there are some noises that really set dogs off. And they probably sound much louder to our pooches than they do to us.

Did you know dogs can hear sounds four times the distance humans can? Dogs can hear higher pitched sounds and can detect a frequency range of 67-45,000 Hz, compared to a human range of 64-23,000 Hz. Which means that clap of thunder sounds way worse to them than it does to us.

Most dog lovers will recognise some of the following noises that send dogs hiding under the sofa or shaking in their bed.


  1. Fireworks

Probably the most common thing that dogs are scared. And why shouldn’t they be? Fireworks are basically a series of loud bangs, our pooches have absolutely no idea why all these bangs, cracks and whizzes keep going off.

And fireworks don’t just last for two minutes, they tend to go on all night, especially on the 5th November, and fireworks displays intermittently fill the skies throughout November/December and January. This also makes it really hard for dog owners to try and help their dogs, and can be very stressful for all involved.

But don’t despair, there are some things you can do to ease their fear and suffering. You can stock up on some s, shut your curtain, blinds and windows and keep Fido distracted.


  1. The vacuum cleaner

Oh boy, the vacuum cleaner really is a dog’s worst enemy. To them, it’s a sort of alien robot thing that makes a horrendous noise and chases them round the room. And the suction thing, our poor pooches just don’t get it. So many dogs will run a mile as soon as they hear a vacuum start up. Others will try and bite at it and some will bark, not really knowing what to do. Let’s face, vacuums don’t make a particularly nice noise, so it’s easy to see why it upsets our pooches ear canals.


  1. Bubble wrap

Have you ever found some bubble wrap in your house or unwrapped a present and started popping away, only to discover your pooch is hiding in the corner looking like they’ve seen a ghost? We might enjoy popping bubble wrap because we feel like a kid again, and it’s just, well, fun. But dogs really really hate it.


  1. Balloons

There’s something about the static feel of balloons that makes dogs super uncomfortable. And that’s before they start popping. No human likes to have a balloon popped near them, especially when they are unaware it’s going to happen. At least when we decide to pop a balloon to let it down, we know what’s coming. Dogs don’t understand, all they hear is a piercing pop in their ears, poor things.


  1. Thunder

Similar to the effect fireworks has, many dogs just can’t cope with the sound of thunder. If you’re totally honest with yourself, you probably don’t enjoy the ominous sound of thunder clapping in the distance. And again, dogs don’t see where it’s coming from or understand that it’s happening in the sky and it’s just a part of nature. No, to them it probably sounds like the world is going to end.


  1. Emergency service sirens

Police, fire, ambulance, whatever it is, they don’t like it. We may not exactly love the sound of a loud siren, but at least we know it’s important and it has to happen in order for the emergency services to get places quickly and safely. Fido just hears a horrible nee naww neee naww sound, and understandably, it freaks them out.


  1. Washing machine

And last but not least, the dreaded washing machine. If you’ve got an ancient washing machine, the chances are it makes an awful noise. And if this noise annoys you, it just might do the same to your dog.


