What to do with noise overreaction

Dear Cathy: We rescued a miniature Shih Tzu, and have had her for over a year now. She gets extremely nervous when we use the dishwasher or our washer and dryer. Is there something we can do to help her? — Nervous Nelly’s Mom, Marysville, Washington

Dear Nervous Nelly’s Mom: Dogs can be sensitive to noise; de-sensitizing them can help them better cope. I recommendgetting a canine pheromone collar for your Nervous Nelly to wear, and maybe give her an over the-counter anxiety supplement to calm her and set the stage for the desensitization training.

For the short-term, get a sound machine and turn it on to mask the sound of the appliances when they run to reduce her reaction to them. When you turn on the sound machine, call her over to you, say a reward word, like “Bingo,” so she knows she did something right, and give her a treat. You also can give her something to do, like a Kong to chew on, if it will help distract her. Longterm, she will need to get used to the sounds she is afraid of hearing.

Use your cell phone to record the sounds of your appliances as they turn on and run. Keep the volume low to start and play the sounds for her. As you do this, say her name, say her reward word, and give her a treat. If she looks upset at any point, turn the volume down more, if possible, and add the sound machine on low. If that doesn’t work, stop playing the sounds altogether and try again later. If she tolerates or ignores thesound, that’s good.

Repeat the name, reward word, and treat every five to ten seconds building on the volume and the time in between for treats as she progresses. The goal is to get her to listen to your entire recording at a decent volume while resting quietly the entire time. She can learn to settle down around the sounds, but desensitization training takes time, so be patient.