It is hard to know exactly what our dogs are afraid of. Yes, we know that our dog is afraid of fireworks, thunder or a certain noise in our home, but what exactly is it that makes it scary? Is it just the sound or maybe also the flashes or the smell, or a combination of all. For thunder it could be the sound, lightning flashes, the lower barometric pressure, the smell of ozone, electrostatic charges, the boom of thunder with possible vibrations or all in a great big mix of overload of the senses, what is also called trigger stacking. When we are trying to help our dogs become less afraid we can therefor try to remove some of the triggers to decrease the fear as well as add some training to help our dogs change their perception from scary to neutral or good. 

This is also why, when helping your dog with their noise sensitivity or noise phobia there is a bit of trial and error you have to do. Below you will find many different methods on how to help your dog. Some methods might work and some might not on your particular dog. Try the ones you find most plausible to work for your dog, or that you believe might work.

It has been found though that a combination of different methods has given the best results.

It is important to note that if your dog suddenly starts to be fearful of noises or react in any way that is outside of his/her normal behaviour, then it might be due to undiscovered pain or illness and a visit to the vet is recommended to rule out any physical ailments.