Dog owners tend to underestimate their furry friends' anxiety when it comes to indoor noise pollution
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himA new study from a University of California has shown that dog owners tend to underestimate their four-legged friends' anxiety when it comes to indoor noise pollution
Researchers at the Davis University of California have found that many people cannot tell if their dog is stressed in the presence of normal household noises. In fact, while it is now established that loud and sudden noises - such as thunder, fireworks, alarms - can cause anxiety and dismay in the dog, a new study now shows that even more common and less intense noises, such as the centrifuge of the washing machine or vacuum cleaner, can pose a threat to our dog's serenity.
We know that many dogs have a strong sensitivity to noise, but so far we have underestimated their fear in the presence of noises considered "normal" because we have not been able to fully read the body language of our animals - he explains Emma Grigg, author of the study. - Our research has shown that intermittent and high frequency noises cause more anxiety in dogs than continuous and lower frequency ones, but it is not certain that even this second category of noises cannot be problematic for our animals.
(Read also: The noise of human activities is devastating for sperm whales, whales and dolphins. The report)
If the dog curls up, hides or begins to tremble, it means that he is afraid of something, but there are even more subtle and hidden signs with which the dog manifests his anxiety. For example, the animal may begin to pant, moisten its face with its tongue, stiffen; sometimes it can prick up its ears, or hide its head under its front legs. This is why pet owners must pay particular attention to any minor changes in the dog's behavior. Researchers conducted a study of 386 dog owners to analyze their pets 'responses to house noises.It found that humans not only underestimate their four-legged friends' fears, but they also react with amusement rather than concern. to the manifestations of fear and anxiety of dogs.
Dogs have much more sensitive hearing than humans, that's why some sounds or noises that we don't care about dogs can be a real torture. Minimizing the exposure of animals to these noises (for example by vacuuming only when the dog is not present in the room, or closing the room where the washing machine is present when it is in operation) can prove to be the key to greater psychological well-being of our animals.
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Fonte: Frontiers in Veterinary Science
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