Dogs Trust Harefield is sharing one more way that local dog owners can help keep their dogs calm and safe during fireworks. The Sound Blanket is a research-backed collection of sounds meant to mask the sound of fireworks and is available for free on YouTube and Spotify. Dogs Trust partnered with the University of Salford to research the acoustic science behind fireworks sounds to build the Sound Blanket.
Every year, many dog owners find the period from Bonfire night through to New Years to be a stressful time for their dogs and themselves. In this year’s National Dog Survey by Dogs Trust, 29% of dog owners across the UK, rising to 32% of dog owners across Uxbridge, Harrow, and West London, reported their dogs experienced sound sensitivity to fireworks in the past 12 months.
London and the southeast is home to a number of fireworks displays celebrating, Bonfire Night, Diwali, and New Year’s Eve which bring increased noise and flashing lights that can be distressing for dogs. Across the region people build traditions and memories around these events, but for our four-legged companions it can lead to difficult and frightening nights.
Dogs Trust approached Salford University to see if they could help create something that dog owners can use during local fireworks events to alleviate the stress dogs experience year after year. After the team completed their research, some of which was completed at Dogs Trust Harefield, they developed the Sound Blanket, a collection of nine sounds that were created to mask the noise created by fireworks. Additional testing and research by Dogs Trust found that 99% of dogs tolerated the Sound Blanket and did not exhibit adverse reactions.
Katey Anderson, Dogs Trust Research Officer, said: “We developed the Dogs Trust Sound Blanket in collaboration with the University of Salford to give dog owners another way to help their pets cope with fireworks. Through our collaborative study, we found that compared with dogs that remained relaxed during fireworks, dogs showing signs of stress, from panting and yawning to more extreme behaviours such as hiding and trembling, were exposed to fireworks noise containing more low-frequency sounds. These are sounds we might recognise as deep, bassy noises or the booming element of fireworks. In comparison, dogs that remained relaxed were exposed to less of these low-frequency sounds. To create the Sound Blanket, we embedded those low frequencies in a noise similar to white noise to create nine specially shaped sounds designed to mask fireworks noise.”
“The idea is that when two sounds compete, we tend to focus on one over the other. How easily we hear each sound depends partly on its loudness and frequency. Sounds with overlapping frequencies can mask one another, making one harder to hear when both are played at the same time. We also overlayed the shaped sounds with the sound of moving water, as research suggests natural sounds can have a calming effect on humans, and a calmer owner can help create a calmer dog. Fireworks noise is very sudden which makes it more noticeable than a steady noise of similar loudness. Using organic, changeable water sounds help to make the fireworks noise stand out less.
“By playing the Sound Blanket, we hope its sound will help make fireworks less noticeable to dogs, giving owners another tool to support their pets during celebrations such as Bonfire Night, Diwali, and New Year’s Eve. Dog owners can access the Sound Blanket completely free of charge on the Dogs Trust website, on Spotify and on YouTube. We’re keen for owners to try it and share feedback on their experience so we can continue to improve the support we offer dogs during fireworks season.”
Owen Sharp, Chief Executive of Dogs Trust, said: “As a dog lover, I know fireworks season is something a lot of owners dread every year. If your dogs are afraid of fireworks, the sight of them trembling in fear and not feeling like you can comfort them is devastating.
“We wanted to give owners back some sense of control during fireworks – you can help your dog in lots of ways. Create a safe, comfortable space at home, close curtains and windows, provide enrichment activities, and now you can also try out our free sound blanket as another tool to help your dog.”
Dogs Trust Harefield is not immune to the struggles of dog owners, with 65 dogs currently in its care, the charity is always looking for ways to keep the dogs calm and safe during fireworks.
Karla Haines, Operations Manager at Dogs Trust Harefield, said: “At Dogs Trust Harefield, we play music and other sounds around the clock to help drown out noises that could be frightening for the dogs in our care, from classical music and pop and rock to the sound of football. These sounds also help our dogs get used to background noise, ahead of them being rehomed which will hopefully help them smoothly settle into their forever home. This fireworks season, we’re planning on trying the new Dogs Trust Sound Blanket with our dogs and are optimistic it could be another useful tool to help them feel more settled.
“As a rehoming centre, we’re fortunate to have facilities like soundproof kennels designed with dog welfare front in mind, but we know that fireworks can be challenging for dogs at home, too. There are simple ways owners can help, such as walking their dogs before dark, creating a quiet, cosy space for them to retreat to and closing the curtains to block out flashing lights. Playing background noise or trying the Sound Blanket can also help mask the sound of unexpected bangs. Every dog is different, so follow their lead and see what combination of approaches works best for them. If your dog struggles with fireworks, speak to your vet for advice ahead of the season, and remember that our Behaviour team is always here to help.”
With the Sound Blanket, Dogs Trust is offering one more way for owners to help keep their dogs safe this season and encourages owners to start preparing for fireworks events now.
