We’ll soon have the joy of welcoming a little White Swiss Shepherd puppy into our home.
My boyfriend DJs from time to time (once or twice a month), mostly at outdoor events, and we’d like to take her with us as much as possible.
For these outdoor gigs, she’d stay close to him. However, we’re worried about her little ears and are thinking of protecting her from the decibel levels with some dog ear defenders.
I’ve just seen that these exist and that they’re used more by the military and the police for aviation work and so on.
Of course, this isn't for right away as her ears haven't pricked up yet!
I’d love to hear from anyone who has used these devices, particularly if there are any downsides.
Many thanks
Translated from French
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The bag idea is a good shout! Cheers. I’m trying to avoid any stress as much as possible—I’ve had several dogs before, so it’s not a case of just ‘chucking’ my little one into a crowd. I’m thinking more of approaching busy spots gradually. They say a puppy’s safety zone is about 7 metres.
Just out of curiosity, what’s the zone you mentioned in your post? :-)
I’m trying to avoid any trauma as much as possible – I’ve had several dogs before, so it’s not a case of just "chucking" my little pup into a crowd. I’m thinking more about approaching busy spots gradually.
They say a puppy’s safety zone is around 7 metres.
How old will she be?
I think a dog carrier, like a backpack or a front carrier, is a great shout for her first experiences with crowds. I reckon it'd be a disaster to put a puppy on the ground in a moving forest of legs; how can you expect her not to feel completely overwhelmed? Especially for such a nervous breed...
I've taken adult dogs to outdoor concerts before without any issues, but they knew how to walk to heel and were confident in themselves and in me. Mind you, I had one dog who lost me while getting off a boat because there were just too many people around. When I finally spotted her a few minutes later, she was about to jump off the quay to follow the boat as it pulled away, and she wasn't even the type to panic easily.
(When she was a pup, I used to take her everywhere in a sort of shopping trolley, as you really shouldn't be making a puppy go on long walks anyway.)
Hi @mel1,
Thanks for your advice. I also found a video on YouTube about how to get your dog used to wearing ear defenders, specifically for dogs who are sensitive to Bonfire Night and thunderstorms.
Hi @Jean-Yves,
I completely agree with you—if we see she’s not comfortable, we shouldn't traumatise her by pushing her any further.
At the risk of repeating myself, there’s no way I’m taking my dog to a nightclub! :D
These are outdoor events in the afternoon, like dance battles. I wouldn’t risk putting my dog through the kind of "night out" you’re describing. Especially with the added factor of rowdy, drunk people at those kinds of events...
I’m planning to take her to an event the weekend after I get her. This one will be indoors, but there’ll be crowds and outdoor stalls, and maybe a bit of music on small portable speakers where ear defenders won't really be necessary. That way she can see the crowds and hear bits of music.
Actually, I was wondering about the effect of the ear defenders on the dog's ear cartilage.
Also, when it comes to socialising a dog, it’s quite difficult to balance short walks with outings that require a car or train journey. Do you have any advice on this?
For a puppy, a 15-minute walk is plenty, but all the socialisation opportunities aren't within a 15-minute radius of my house.
Plus, I want to get her used to public transport—cars, trains, and trams...
Thanks for the advice!
That said, depending on the dog's temperament, this kind of night out might not be their cup of tea at all. Between the crowds, the lights, the vibrations, the smells, and the thumping bass—even with ear defenders—it’s honestly not the best environment for a dog. If she isn’t enjoying herself, you shouldn't force the issue; it's better to just leave her at home.
We often have a bit of an idealised or preconceived idea of what life will be like with a new dog—the things we want to do together and the kind of personality we hope they’ll have. I really hope you find that perfect dog who can adapt easily to any situation, but things rarely go exactly to plan, and sadly, that’s often why dogs end up being rehomed or ending up in a rescue.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to take her into work with you, that’s brilliant, but you’ll need to watch out for separation anxiety and make sure she still learns how to be okay on her own.
I had no idea you could get noise-cancelling headphones for dogs – you learn something new every day!
It doesn’t seem like it’d be too hard to get a dog used to wearing them. I’ve never actually trained my dog to do it, but when I pop my own headphones on him for a laugh, he doesn't mind at all.
But since that’s your goal, you just need to put them on him every now and then so he learns to accept them; it’s basically like muzzle training, really.
The most important thing will be getting him socialised with crowds right from the day he arrives. What I mean is, don’t wait around. If you get the puppy on Wednesday, take him down to the market on Saturday to be amongst the crowds. It’s really important to do this early on because a puppy’s socialisation window is very short.
It’s not the end of the world if you miss that window, but it will make things a lot more difficult. So, you might as well get on with it now and save yourself the hassle! ;)
Hi Lorna,
We’re planning to get her as used to crowds as possible, but like I said, it would only be once or twice a month at most.
He’s a DJ for breakdance battles, and these sorts of events last three to four hours with plenty of breaks in the music; it’s not at all like a night out with loads of hyper people and so on...
If it doesn’t work out, then never mind, she’ll just stay with me :)
We’re still going to give it a go. Yes, White Swiss Shepherds are sensitive, but they’re also very attached to their owners, and we want her to be 100% involved in our daily lives. :)
