Training Guide

What is sound desensitization?

Sound desensitization is a gradual process of exposing your dog to a trigger sound at very low volume, then slowly increasing it over days and weeks. The goal is for your dog to learn that the sound is no big deal.

Dogs react to sounds in different ways. Some respond with fear — trembling, hiding, or trying to escape during thunder or fireworks. Others react with excitement or over-arousal — barking, rushing to the door, or spinning when the doorbell rings. Desensitization can help with both.

This technique is recommended by veterinary behaviorists and professional dog trainers as one of the most effective ways to reduce sound-related reactivity.

How to use SoundSettle

1. Choose a trigger sound that your dog reacts to. If there are multiple, start with the mildest one.
2. Configure your session — start with shorter sessions (5–10 minutes) and fewer triggers (3–5).
3. Download the MP3 and play it on your preferred device or speaker.
4. Start at very low volume — so low that your dog barely notices the sound. This is the most important step.
5. Stay nearby and observe. Watch your dog's response so you can pause or stop if needed. Some owners like to reward calm responses with a treat to build a positive association. This works well for some dogs but isn't required.
6. Gradually increase volume over multiple sessions. Only increase when your dog has been consistently calm at the current level.

Progression guide

Speaker recommendations

For thunder and firework sounds, use an external Bluetooth speaker or home sound system. Phone and tablet speakers typically can't reproduce frequencies below 400 Hz, so the low rumble that makes thunder and fireworks triggering for dogs simply won't play through phone speakers.

Doorbell, knocking, and siren sounds work fine through phone speakers since they are mostly in the higher frequency range.

For an extra step, try placing the speaker where the sound typically comes from. Put it near the front door for doorbell sounds, or by windows for thunder. This helps your dog generalize the training to real-world conditions.

When to pause or stop a session

• If your dog shows any sign of stress — even subtle ones like lip-licking, yawning, turning away, or becoming still — pause the session.
• If your dog shows excitement — barking, rushing toward the speaker, alert posture, whining — this also means the volume is too high for where they are in training.
• Lower the volume significantly for the next session.
• Always try to end sessions on a calm, neutral note.
• Multiple short, successful sessions are better than one long, stressful one.