Why use dog hearing protection
How good is a dog’s sense of hearing?
Our dogs' sense of hearing is certainly one of their most important sensory organs, along with their nose . Evolutionarily developed to be able to locate and hunt prey that is outside of their field of vision. We humans use this ability, whether it is when hunting or when guarding the house and yard. Your dog always has the advantage when it comes to hearing. Dogs hear in a frequency range of 15 - 50,000 Hz . Human frequencies are in the audible range between 20 and 20,000 Hz .
Dogs can also hear higher tones much better. The best-known example of this is the dog whistle. In addition, they have the ability to define the sounds they receive precisely. This enables your dog to distinguish, for example, the owner's car from that of the neighbor. Your dog also recognizes you by the way you walk. It is also remarkable that dogs can consciously ignore or hear certain sounds. The television is on and your dog is sleeping, but at the slightest rustle of the bag of treats, he is wide awake and jumps up.
In one respect, however, the hearing of humans and dogs is the same . Excessive or permanently high noise levels cause lasting damage to hearing. In noisy places, we humans find information signs and warnings. Sensitization to noise and particularly harmful noise is therefore definitely present. This should also apply to our dogs, especially when we consider that our dogs communicate with us a lot through their sense of hearing.
When is noise harmful to your dog?
In our modern world, which we share with our dogs, noise pollution is omnipresent. Therefore, it should go without saying that hearing protection for dogs is a useful and important piece of equipment.
- If hunting dogs wait for the next command just a few centimeters from the shot, this command should be audible to the dog even after years of hunting passion.
- Constant dog barking in a kennel or animal shelter without noise protection devices not only gets on the nerves but also damages dogs' hearing.
- When transporting in a noisy car or on the loading area and of course in an airplane or helicopter, the noise level is very high and protecting the dog's ears prevents permanent damage.
- Police, military, and rescue service dogs are exposed to far more noise sources. This begins with training for specific situations. To ensure that police dogs can continue to perform their important duties for a long time, it is essential that they can receive commands from their handlers clearly and distinctly, even after many years of service.
- Stressed dogs who, for various reasons, cannot tolerate the noise of the city and react with panic to certain sounds, such as trams, engine noises, etc., can be helped to face their environment more calmly with the Rex Specs Ear Pro by Zeteo Tech hearing protection.
- Attending events with high noise levels, such as motorsport or music events, is anything but enjoyable for dogs without hearing protection.
- When driving in a convertible (depending on the model and design), on a motorcycle or in a sidecar, the Rex Specs Ear Pro by Zeteo Tech hearing protection not only protects against loud wind noise, but also prevents flapping ears à la Snoopy.
- That leaves the classic, and perhaps the most important, use for protecting dogs' ears: the time before and after New Year's Eve, when amateur pyrotechnicians hold a competition to see who can make the loudest firecracker and sometimes even find it funny to scare dogs with it.
There are certainly a few more reasons to protect a dog's sense of hearing and not to deprive him of this extraordinary ability to hear and classify sounds that are far beyond our perception.
What should I look for when choosing hearing protection for dogs?
Hearing protection should not hinder your dog's movements and urge to act. This means, on the one hand, that it must sit securely on the dog's head and, of course, "seal" the ears. The best soundproofing material is useless if there is a gap between the ear protection and the dog's ears. On the other hand, the hearing protection must be light and flexible enough to adapt to the different head shapes of many dog breeds. The material used must be high-quality and durable, because our dogs are merciless when it comes to protecting materials. Dogs are always the best material and product testers when it comes to dog accessories. Your dog should not go through the world deaf despite hearing protection. A reduction in the noise level of around 50% allows your dog to still perceive enough of its surroundings, but still prevents hearing damage. The easy putting on and taking off prevents stress for dog and owner and increases both of them's acceptance of the new dog equipment.
How do I get my dog used to the Rex Specs hearing protection?
The Rex Specs Ear Pro by Zeteo Tech dog ear protection is designed in a similar way to a tube scarf. To put it on and take it off, you simply pull it over the dog's head and put it in position. This means that there is no need for the time-consuming and perhaps annoying adjustment and tightening of straps. As with any training with new dog equipment, your dog should always associate the ear protection with something positive. This usually works best with a treat and, of course, patience.
The well-known horse whisperer Monty Roberts preaches the phrase: “slow is fast and fast is slow”. Take plenty of time at the beginning; you will then make giant strides forward in training later on. Your dog should become familiar with the hearing protection step by step until he sticks his nose into the tube scarf for the first time, ideally with treats, for just a few centimeters. After a few attempts, which may require more or less practice depending on the dog, you can then pull the hearing protection completely over his head and ears. Once this level of acceptance has been reached, it is important to establish another positive association with the ear protection. The best thing to do is to play a short game with a favorite toy or a short search and catch game with treats. These steps are repeated several times until putting on the dog hearing protection is no longer anything out of the ordinary.
Rex Specs Ear Pro by Zeteo Tech is one of the most important pieces of equipment for some dogs on New Year's Eve to get through this extremely stressful and dangerous time for dogs safely and stress-free.
