Tips for Dogs Afraid of Sirens

If you live in the city, you and your dog are probably pretty used to screaming ambulance and police sirens sounding off near your home. However, it’s not uncommon for dogs afraid of sirens to run, hide, or even howl at the ambulance. As a pet owner, it’s your responsibility to teach your puppy or newly adopted dog that sirens are harmless. You can train puppies, newly adopted dogs and dogs afraid of sirens to not fear the sound with these dog training tips below!

When You Hear Sirens, Give Your Dog a Treat

Many years ago, we lived in a quiet subdivision where the loudest sounds were chirping birds. We moved to downtown Nashville, which then took us a couple of weeks to teach our dogs sirens were harmless. When we brought Sobek, who was a puppy at the time, to our home, I immediately paired food with sirens to prevent fearful behavior. Now, ambulances and police cars can blare sirens in our back alley and all of our dogs completely ignore it. Here’s how we handled sirens.

Puppy’s or Dog’s First Time Hearing Sirens

If this is your puppy’s or dog’s first time hearing sirens, it’s best to pair siren sounds with a super yummy treat. We assume puppies and dogs will get used to the sound over time, but it’s almost a 50/50 chance your dog will learn to ignore the sound or react to it. Personally, I’d rather be proactive by teaching puppies and dogs that sirens are harmless than try to fix fearful behavior.

When pairing dog treats with sirens, your dog learns sirens make good things happen, such as the appearance of yummy cheese or hot dog chunks. When sirens go away so do the treats. By pairing something good with something scary, you’re changing the way your dog reacts to something scary.

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Dog is Already Afraid of Sirens

Scared dogs will usually flatten their ears against their head, tuck their tails in, widen their eyes, and either freeze up or run away to hide. Usually, it’s the siren sound that scares dogs, especially if an ambulance siren is screaming close to your home. Some dogs will even react to the red and blue flashing lights. Whatever is scaring your dog, it’s important to teach your dog siren sounds are harmless.

If your dog has learned to be afraid of siren sounds, still pair treats with the sound. Keep in mind, it may take a bit longer for your dog to stop being scared, as your dog has already learned to fear the sound.

Some dogs howl at sirens whether they’re close up or at a distance, as dogs have excellent hearing. Howling doesn’t dictate fear; however, it’s always best to watch your dog’s body language when this happens. If he displays the above fearful body language, then I would most certainly pair food with siren sounds. If your dog is not fearful, but just loves to chime in, I wouldn’t worry. For apartment dwellers, it’s best to teach your dog to ignore sirens by pairing food with the sound.

Changing Behavior, Time to Practice

You’ll need quick access to super yummy treats to train your dog properly. I hide treats in plastic bags near my recliner and next to the front and back doors to reward good behavior. Dogs love fresh food just as much as we do, so grab half a cheese stick and keep it next to your chair every night. If you don’t use it for siren sounds, then reward your dog for calm behavior (i.e. sleeping calmly).

Here Come the Sirens!

When introducing dogs to sirens, start tossing treats toward your dog the moment you hear sirens in the background–preferably before flashing lights appear. Once your dog has eaten the treat and sirens continue your way, keep tossing treats toward your dog until the sirens have disappeared.

If your dog is already afraid of siren sounds, you’ll need to start tossing treats the moment your dog hears sirens. Remember dogs can hear much better than us. What usually happens is your dog will sit up the moment he hears sirens, so it’s important to start tossing treats sooner than later. If you’re too late, your dog will run and hide. You can still follow him and toss treats, but he’s probably so scared by then he won’t eat treats. Start tossing treats the very moment your dog responds to the siren. Sooner is always better.

Continue Pairing Treats With Sirens

Over the next two weeks, keep pairing yummy treats with sirens. By now, puppies and dogs that haven’t heard sirens in the past will totally ignore sirens. It may take an additional week or two for scared dogs to tolerate the sound, meaning no more running and hiding. Take your time and move at your dog’s speed. As always, if you’re stuck, reach out to a professional dog trainer for any questions you may have.

Being proactive is key. Start pairing food with siren sounds immediately.

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