by Pat Gray

Created on: May 09, 2009

As with a dog's other senses, canine hearing is geared toward hunting, a social lifestyle and survival in general. Compared to humans, dogs hear higher frequencies, are better able to identify sounds, locate the source of sounds and are better able hears sounds from a greater distance.

- How Canines Use Their Ears

Dogs hear a greater range of frequencies than humans do, and their hearing is superior to humans at higher ranges (above 20,000 Hz), but about the same at lower frequencies (65 to 2,000 Hz). The ability to hear higher frequency sounds are a survival mechanism which allowed the modern dog's ancestors to successfully hunt small game. In the modern world, this ability may be detrimental and may explain why your dog reacts fearfully or aggressively to a hair dryer, vacuum cleaner or lawn mower.

The ability to identify sounds even distant sounds are why your dog detects your arrival before the humans in the house do - although it may seem like a form of ESP. This ability not only allowed early dogs to hear game, but to keep track of each other during the hunt.

The shape of a dog's head allows him to locate the source of a sound - just the difference in the time the sound waves take to reach either side of the head are enough to allow a dog to identify the source within eight degrees of separation. When a dog begins to loose their hearing, the loss of this directional ability may be the first symptom.

- Hearing Problems

White, roan or piebald dogs are more likely to suffer from congenital hearing problems; for example 30 percent of all Dalmatians are born with some hearing loss. Dogs also suffer from hearing loss due to old age, injury to the ear (e.g. gunshots) or exposure to solvents. A reduction in hearing may also be caused by ear mites, infection or blockage of the ear canal.

Although hearing loss in dogs does present some special problems, these can be overcome by training with hand signals, using a vibrating collar and keeping a dog on a leash when appropriate to keep them safe. Often other pets in the family can act as "ears" for the hearing impaired dog, insuring they don't miss out on dinner or opportunities for barking at interesting noises.

Experts in dog behavior and in sound are beginning to identify another hearing problem modern dogs suffer - too much noise. In the modern world, the sounds caused by ultrasonic devices or even motors that are out of alignment may be distressing to many dogs. Stereos, DVDs and electronic games (often blaring simultaneously) create a cacophony that the dog's brain cannot cope with and some experts believe that the general noisiness of the unnatural urban environment may be the source of many dog behavior problems.

- How Dogs "Listen" to Us

Most people train their dog's with voice commands, and most of us speak to our dogs in complex sentences rather than in brief phrases. Although there are dogs that can tease out the meaning, most dogs are confused by their human's reliance on communication through sound. In fact, many dogs may be ignoring the words altogether and may be reading the subtleties of our body language or eye movements rather than listening to us babbling on.

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Understanding how your dog hears (or can't hear) the world around him may give you valuable clues in how to help your dog live a happier life - and you may enjoy the peace and quiet too!

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