Noise Phobias in Dogs: An Evidence-Based Framework to Reduce Fear of Sounds
11.00 am (UK Time) - 18th May 2026 - Webinar and Q&A - Once purchased, you will have a minimum of 12 months access to the recording.
About this Webinar:
Few cases are as frustrating for trainers and behaviourists as dogs who panic at fireworks or thunder. Even though you follow the protocols, set up the desensitization and counterconditioning carefully, and coach the owner through every step, the dog may still panic at the next bang.
The reason for this is not only that noise phobias are incredibly complex, but also that most of what we've been taught about noise phobias is missing a crucial piece.
In this webinar, I want to show you what the latest science actually says about what's happening inside a dog with noise fear, both psychologically and physiologically. You’ll understand why one dog in the household panics while the other sleeps through. Why some cases just don’t progress. And why so much of the advice still circulating online, even from well-meaning trainers, is making things worse instead of better.
We'll go through the seven biggest misconceptions about noise phobias. Some you'll recognise immediately. Others might surprise you, because they're still being taught as good practice.
And then we'll get to the part I think really changes how you work: the role of cognition. Lasting recovery happens when you work with the way a dog thinks, predicts, and interprets the world around them. I'll share the three-step framework I use to help dogs feel more emotional safe during sounds, so that we can improve their quality of life.
By the end of the masterclass, you'll have a clear, evidence-based way of approaching noise fear that you can apply in your own practice.
Meet your Instructor
Else Verbeek
I'm Else Verbeek, an Associate Professor of Anima Welfare with a deep fascination for what's going on inside a dog's mind and body. Alongside running Amazing Animal Minds, I work as a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, where I study animal emotions, cognition, and stress physiology. I love doing both, because the science keeps sharpening practice, and the practice makes me ask better scientific questions.
What drives me is the gap between what we now know about dogs and what's still being taught in the field. A lot of advice still circulating, often given with the best intentions, isn't holding up against the current evidence. My work, through masterclasses, courses, and webinars, is about helping behavioural specialists and dog trainers to close that gap, so they can support dogs with a real understanding of why their approach works, not only how to apply it.
