Dog ear muffs are made to fit most dogs' ears, and provide protection from both low and high sounds. They're also easy to use and can be worn for long periods of time.
Most people like to know the best ear plugs for dogs. They can be very useful when your dog needs some ear protection. We've found a few on our list that are specifically meant for your dog. If you have any questions about these products, feel free to email us.
Keep reading to learn more about the best ways to protect your ears.
Dog ear muffs or other dog ear protection can be needed. This typically occurs for a few reasons. Working dog (shooting), there will be loud noises (Fireworks), Medical (ear surgery), nervous, calms them down.
Like humans, all dogs are different, and in some situations, one dog may need dog hearing protection, were as another dog will not. This article will try to guide you on conditions in which a dog made need some ear protection, and the ear protection that are available for dogs.
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I realize that there will be a lot of people who think that Dog Ear Plugs is a crazy idea. With our first dog, we never got hearing protection, and he was absolutely fine. (Hid when fireworks went off though). Our new dog is a lot more nervous, and dog ear muffs do help.
Also, different breeds of dogs have different hearing capabilities, which means that some breeds may need muffs more than others in noisy situations.
Typical situations where hearting protection for a dog may be a good idea:
So, if a sound is OK for my ears, why would it be bad for a dog? I think we all know by now that dogs have far better hearing than people do. This means that their sensitive ears will get damaged more quickly.
Damage in a dog’s ears are much like humans. When damage occurs, it is a tiny unnoticeable change that will not be reversible. This damage builds up over time, and that is why in our old age many people are hard of hearing.
Dogs do not live as long as humans, so the damage has less time to accumulate. This does not mean however that the ears of dogs can be forgotten about. Where there are sudden loud noises, or ears are exposed to prolonged noise, it can be just as essential to protect your dog’s hearing. A lot of dogs will suffer without making a fuss when a sound is too loud.
As a dog owner, you know your dog has far better hearing than you do. They will know that there is someone coming to your door and probably start barking before you have heard anything.
Dogs are in fact born deaf and do not really start hearing until they are about three weeks old. When there hearing is fully developed a few months later, their hearing is far better than yours. Compared to a human, the average dog can hear about four times further. Given that dog will not understand what the sounds they hear are, these deafening sounds, from the dog perspective, can frighten!
Dogs can also hear frequencies about twice as high as a human. Humans can hear the ranges of about 64-23000Hz, and dogs can hear 67-45000Hz, so you miss half of the noises that a dog hears.
Dogs also have 18 muscles in the ear that allow them to point their ear towards the sound. This again means that they can hear it better and louder than you do. It would be the equivalent of a human cupping their hands to their ears so they can hear better.
Some breeds of dog can hear better than others. Dogs with ears that can perk up and face the sound (e.g. German Shepard) can hear better than dog which cannot do this. (e.g. Basset Hound). So these types of dog need dog ear protection more often. (Not that your floppy-eared dog never needs dog ear muffs!)
As you cannot hear ultrasonic noises, and your dog can, how do you know if these noises are too loud? The best way is to take notice of how your dog acts, and if they show signs of discomfort. Some of these signs are:
Thunder and fireworks both scare dogs in the same way, sudden noises and flashing light. It is the noise that bothers your dogs the most. So what can you do about this? Below is a list of things that can be done to help your dog in these times.
If you expect thunder or know there is going to be a firework display, then making sure that the dog is tired would be a great start. If the dog is exhausted, there is less chance that they will alert when any noises start.
Your dog feels safer and more comfortable with his “Pack”. If possible, stay at home with them and do not make any fuss when the thunder or fireworks start.
Give the dog somewhere to hide should they want it, like a small box.
Both fireworks and thunder have a visual part and the sound. These are especially visible at night (I don’t think you ever have day fireworks!). Draw the curtains and try to make the room that your dog is in as light as possible. This will stop them from noticing the flashes, helping to calm the dog.
Play with your dog, and do the sort of things that he enjoys when inside, this will again help to distract them from the noises.
Play music or have the TV on loud during the event. The constant noises from the TV will help mask the sudden bangs from outside somewhat.
There are a few wraps on the market that are supposed to be good at calming dogs down that dislike loud noises. I have never used one of these myself, but reading the reviews, they are excellent. (Over 1,500 reviews with a rating of four stars)
These drops help to calm your pets and claim to have another host of benefits for animals. Again, this is not something that I have used myself, but the reviews give it 4.5 stars, and they have a lot of reviews!
This I have tried, and the way it works is obvious. Cover the dog’s ears, and if most of the noise from the fireworks and thunder is blocked out, then it will not frighten the dog.
This is a very different situation to the fireworks above. Your dog will be a long way from the fireworks, and while the noise will scare them, there is very little chance that it is going to damage their hearing.
If your dog is a gun dog, or you take them hunting, then they are going to be near your side when the gun is fired. The problem is not so much the dog is scared; it’s the damage to the ears. When shooting, etc. You should wear hearing protection and you should also have some sort of dog ear muffs.
Some people leave their dogs at home when traveling, and this includes taking your dog when on planes. The dog will experience the same changes in ear pressure you will when the flight is landing. It will only cause mild discomfort in most dogs.
You cannot explain to dogs why this is happening like you can with children, or tell them to swallow, or yawn to reduce the pressure difference.
What you can do is get the dog to chew and swallow. (Have some dog treats handy). You can also, of course, get some dog ear muffs.
When a dog has something wrong with their ears, after cutting it, surgery, or maybe an infection from swimming, then you may need to protect the ear from the dog who may want to scratch it. For this you would probably want a dog “hoodie”. That is basically a tube that you put over the head to cover the ears. This can be an excellent alternative to the dog cone sometimes.
These hoodies can also be useful if you have a dog that gets a lot of grass seeds, or similar in the ears when it is growing
When you are ordering dog hearing protection, there are two things you need to consider.
Dog ear plugs are not as efficient at blocking the sounds as when a human wears ear plugs. This is mainly because of the following reasons.
Please Note: Just because an ear defender is marked, for example, "Gunshot" - it will still cover other things, like "explosions"
Below are the recommended ear muffs for dogs
Last update on 2023-11-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The noise that a dog can take before it damages its hearing is the same as a human, about 80dB. That is about the same as a garbage disposal.
As mentioned before, dogs can hear higher frequencies than you can. Any noises in this range, if louder than 80dB can damage your dog's hearing But you will hear nothing!
Things that make high-pitches, shrill noises, for example, an electric drill, are making sounds that are so high you cannot register them. But your dogs can.
As humans cannot hear these sounds, nothing is done to stop them, unlike the sounds we can hear.
Dogs can hear ultrasonic sounds, and if you have any ultrasonic appliances in the house (E.g. cleaner, pest repellers or humidifier), if they are too loud they can damage your dog’s hearing.
But wait! How will you know if it is too loud? After all, you can’t hear these noises at all. (That’s why these devices seem so quiet, they are in fact noisy – you just can’t hear it!)
The best way to tell is to watch your dog’s behavior. If they show signs they are bothered by the sounds or signs of destress, then take them for a walk when the device is working. Or get them some dog ear plugs to wear.
No, most ultrasonic pest repellents are made to specifications that will not harm domestic pets like cats and dogs.
They deter rodents and similar. If you have a pet Hamster, mouse or rabbit, the noise will affect them.
Yes. If the music is too loud, then the dog will not like the noise. Loud music is more uncomfortable for them than it is for you.
Research from the University of Belfast, on 50 dogs, showed that playing classical music, like Vivaldi’s, the four seasons made the dogs clam and they laid down.
When played Heavy-Metal, they started barking and became agitated. Other types of music had no effect.
If you require more information, please check these references
Curbing the Dog: Extending the Protection of the Fourth Amendment to Police Drug Dogs , article, "heinonline.org", retrieved on, Tue 27-October-2020
Psychosocial Implications of Service Dog Ownership for People Who Have Mobility or Hearing Impairments , article, "www.tandfonline.com", retrieved on, Tue 27-October-2020
The socializing role of hearing dogs , article, "www.sciencedirect.com", retrieved on, Tue 27-October-2020
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Experience : Hi, I am Nick, and I have suffered with ear problems my whole life, mainly tinnitus. I have tried a lot of products to help protect my ears over this period, and several devices to block out the constant ringing
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