My dog howls at car horns. Is it his ears or just noise sensitivity?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dogs minimally sweat from their paws. If Mike's paws were wet then it could be from licking them or his living conditions are too wet. I would be sure he has shelter outside from the rain. It should have a roof and a floor slightly elevated off the ground and be dry. Check his feet daily for infection. Mike is likely howling because he is lonely outside, since he can not come in be sure he gets plenty of attention and exercise. Long walks twice daily and play time outside with you. Teach him basic obedience so when he starts to howl you can instruct him to go lay down in his dog house. I hope this helps! I wish you and Mike the very best!

Dogs howl at sirens for a variety of reasons. Some dogs associate the sound of a siren with a bad memory and howl at the siren to "chase" it away. Other dogs instinctively howl at sirens because to them it sounds like a pack call. Whether or not your dog howls at sirens depends on his breed, age, comfort and security and of course hearing. However, research has shown that even though dogs hear very differently from people, the sound of a siren does not in fact hurt their ears.

Hi and thanks for your post on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The cell phone sounds or rings may be loud and irritating to Buddy. It sounds like he has a noise aversion. Fortunately, there are ways to help. Next time the cell phone goes off, get his attention with a tasty treat, toy, or have him engage in another activity (such as reviewing basic commands such as sit, stay, down, etc). Doing this can help turn his attention to other things and he will learn that when the phone rings, fun and good things happen instead of fear. I hope this helps and thank you for your post!

Sounds like Mike may be a bit lonely or bored. If he's whining or crying whether inside or out, then increasing his exercise throughout the day or right before bed may help tire him out enough to sleep through the night instead. Leaving him with a toy to chew on, or a blanket/old shirt that smells like you may also help him relax at night and sleep better. If you've tried this and he's still howling, checking the environment for things that might be agitating him, such as a strange animal in the back yard, rodents in the yard, etc may help you find the cause of his distress.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. With the symptoms you are describing it, sounds as though he may have something stuck in his ear canals. If the veterinarian is unable to examine his ears with him awake, he may need to be sedated and have a more thorough ear exam to rule out a foreign body in the ear canal. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While I could not know for sure without an examination, this is more likely to not be something of concern than the opposite. I would continue to monitor her for now and have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment if this worsens. Otherwise, this may be a transient change. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be signs of some form of trauma that is causing her pain or discomfort. I do not think that you damaged her hearing. It would be a good idea to have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. It is important to check her for any signs of pain or an internal injury that she could have suffered when she was outside. Good luck! I really hope that she does well!