Does your dog bark a lot and tend to get nervous? We find out if a new hearing protection method can help

The use of ear protection is becoming increasingly common for dogs that are sensitive to different sound effects that cause them to become fearful or tense. Can they really benefit?

Dogs’ ears are extremely sensitive, and they can hear sounds that we can’t detect at all. They can detect noises from four times the distance of us, and more susceptible individuals often respond to them. This can be positive in many cases, but it also has negative implications. More nervous, anxious dogs will often jump at the slightest noise and start barking wildly. But overly refined hearing can also be a disadvantage during storms or fireworks, for example.

Could the solution be to mute the sound?

Companies that manufacture various dog equipment have been putting ear protection on the market for a long time, which muffle the sound effects when they are put on. This method has been further developed so that some ear muffs can also play sound. This means that instead of the 100% silence that is unnatural for dogs, soft music can be played to soothe them.

Experts say that by completely excluding noise, owners can achieve the opposite for their dogs: they can only make them more stressed. Hearing is very important for dogs, and it can be frightening for them if it is suddenly lost completely. According to dog behaviour expert Haylee Bergeland, there is currently no research that proves that covering a dog’s head or ears will calm them down.

Myko, apparently reassured by the ear protection

The newfound popularity of the ear protector is thanks to Myko, who has shown millions on Instagram and her TikTok channel that she stops barking as soon as she puts on her donkey ears from her former Halloween costume. Myko, who was adopted, has had a difficult life and has become a very sensitive dog. He is particularly sensitive to noise, bursting out in loud barks at different noises.

These include fireworks, a fan, a deer wandering nearby or lightning.

Despite this, a happy dog with a great personality and high intelligence responds well to training. However, once he starts barking, it is almost impossible to stop him and calm him down. That’s why his owner thought it would help to put on the donkey ears of his old costume. The idea worked and Myko stopped barking. His owner has used it ever since, if the dog barks a lot, he can often just take it off and Myko will calm down and look for something else to do.

It’s very likely that Myko’s ears don’t block out sound completely. So it shouldn’t be too scary for him not to hear anything. It is also possible that at first he was just startled out of surprise, thrown off, and now his owner has fully conditioned him with reward walls to stop barking when he sees the ears.

Provides protection

Various ear defenders exist not only to filter out noise, but many are also used to control tochlings. These are typically made of lighter material, as they are not intended to protect against noise. But only to protect dogs with floppy, furry ears, often stumbling around in tall grass, from prickly false barley (hordeum morinum). However, it is extremely dangerous for dogs (especially paws and eyes) to be crawling around in the undergrowth. If at all possible, don’t take your pet anywhere where it can get up to its neck in weeds. And you won’t even need ear protection against toadstools.