If you enjoy your music loud but also have a dog, it might be time to lower the volume. Loud music can stress dogs out and even be harmful to them, according to studies. This article will discuss why it’s best to keep dogs away from loud music and other noises that could harm their ears and, in some cases, their mental health.
Is loud music bad for dogs?
Just like humans, dogs can experience hearing loss if they are exposed to loud noises like music for long enough. A report in the journal âTopics in Companion Animal Medicineâ revealed that loud noises could hurt the delicate structures that are in a dogs inner and middle ear.
Dr. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Kari Foss, a veterinary neurologist and professor of veterinary clinical medicine who worked on the study, explained that noise-induced hearing is typically caused by “damage to the hair cells in the cochlea that vibrate in response to sound waves.” Furthermore, extremely loud noise may harm the eardrum and the tiny bones inside the inner ear known as the ossicles. “.
Dog owners can research various decibel levels even though it may be difficult to determine exactly how loud is too loud. For instance, a dog’s bark will be at least 60 decibels loud. A rock concert is about 120 decibels louder than a lawn mower, which is about 90 decibels louder than a typical conversation. Generally speaking, sounds louder than 85 decibels can be dangerous depending on how long you are exposed to them and whether you are wearing ear protection.
How loud should music be around dogs?
Sadly, no studies have been done to determine the safe level of noise for dogs. Instead, human guidelines are recommended for dogs. Given that dogs’ hearing is more sensitive than humans’, the threshold for damage may be lower in canines.
The simplest way to comprehend decibels is to consider how loud various activities are. Regular human conversation and dog barking is 60 decibels. Although it sounds much louder on a quiet Sunday afternoon, a lawn mower is only about 90 decibels. Yelling into someone’s (or your dogs) ear is 110 decibels. At 140 to 150 decibels, fireworks are on the louder end of the spectrum.
A rock concert typically has music at a volume of around 120 decibels, though this varies depending on where you are. Phones, laptops, and headphones used for personal entertainment range in volume from 105 to 110 decibels.
Hearing loss in humans can start to happen at just 85 decibels. In general, if you are exposed to the sounds for an extended period of time at this level, hearing damage develops.
When noise levels reach 90 decibels for eight hours, serious hearing damage may result. Noises that are 140 decibels or louder can hurt and damage your ears right away.
According to a study on rodents, they start to show signs of distress at 100 decibels. Again, we are unsure of where dogs fall on the spectrum, but it is safe to assume that they are susceptible to ear damage at least as easily as humans.
There are three things that increase the risk of hearing loss:
Hearing loss is more likely to affect both you and your dog if the noise is louder, closer to you, or is heard for a longer period of time.
How loud a sound is, is measured in decibels. Humans can hear down to about 0 decibels (dB). Dogs however, are much more sensitive. They can discern sounds down to -15 decibels. Since most dogs naturally avoid loud noises, it makes sense to take the same precautions with their hearing as you would with your own. Do you know any dogs who enjoy thunderstorms, the vacuum, or fireworks?
Any sound that is louder than 85 decibels is thought to have the potential to permanently impair human hearing. The likelihood that sound will harm you increases with proximity to the source and duration of exposure. It’s crucial to exercise caution because many common sounds might be louder than you think!
FAQ
Can loud music damage my dogs ears?
Like in people, dogs’ middle and inner ears are sensitive structures that can be harmed by loud noises. According to Foss, damage to the cochlea’s hair cells, which vibrate in response to sound waves, is the main cause of noise-induced hearing loss.
Can music be too loud for dogs?
How to Tell If Your Dog Is Bothered by Loud Music If you notice that your canine companion cowers, howls, or frequently leaves the room whenever you have loud music or a movie playing, you should probably turn it down.
How sensitive are dogs ears to music?
Dogs’ ears are much more sensitive than ours when sounds are between 3,000 and 12,000 Hz in frequency, claims Coren. On average, those sounds can be heard when they are between -5 dB and -15 dB. As a result, sounds that are too quiet for human ears can be heard by dogs.
Are dogs ears sensitive to loud noise?
Dogs’ ears may be sensitive to certain noises because they have a wider range of hearing, such as extremely loud or high-frequency sounds, according to Grigg.