Everyone knows that dogs have a fantastic sense of smell, and can use those noses for a variety of essential tasks. However, many don’t know too much about the other senses our canine friends have. One of these lesser-known senses is hearing. How far can a dog hear? It is a popular question, and one this article will set out to answer for you.
It’s important to mention that, on the contrary to humans that rely mainly on their vision, dogs use their senses in the following order:
- Scent (Olfactory faculty)
- Hearing (Auditory faculty)
- Sight (Visual Faculty)
Therefore, a dog can be unsure when it hears his owner’s voice. It does not entirely rely on its vision or hearing faculty until the human is close enough to scent.
How Far Can a Dog Hear?
The truth about hearing is that it can be challenging to measure how far a dog can hear. It is because there are so many factors involved in the way sound travels and is heard.
With that said, the general consensus is that dogs hear 4-5 times better than the average human, which means, on average, they can pick up a sound about a mile away.
The dog’s faculty of hearing is a fascinating thing when you think about it. However, it can also raise questions for owners, such as how do I know when my dog hears something from far away?
A fantastic thing about dogs is that they are excellent at giving off body language, which is true when it comes to what they hear. When it comes to what your dog is hearing, watching their ears is the first thing you should do.
No matter what type of ears your dog has, floppy, upright, or round, there are signs you can look for when your pet is listening.
The first sign that your dog is listening to something is often a change in how his ears are placed. As well as that, it can perhaps be a tilt of his head. Or you can notice that a dog that was relaxed before, suddenly stands up and becomes attentive.
If your canine friend feels threatened by the sound he hears, you could also see him start to posture. The stance can become rigid, the tail may go erect, and the hackles can go up.
If the sound turns out to be nothing threatening, your dog will sigh and lay back down. Always remember just because you didn’t hear the sound, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.
How Can a Dog Hear From Far Away?
Dogs have very impressive ears compared to humans, and it is the anatomy of the dog’s ear that allows them to hear from far away. Every dog has 18 muscles in the outer ear that are designed to capture sound.
These muscles help to ensure your canine friend faces the right direction when it hears that sound, but it’s not their only function. Imagine you and your dog are camping, and it is a nearly silent night.
Then, all of a sudden, your dog moves his head, and his ears perk up. You haven’t heard anything, but it is clear your four-legged friend has; this is because they can catch many more frequencies than humans can.
Not only do dogs have an astonishing number of ear muscles in their outer ear, but they can also use them better than us. Our canine friends are able to change the positioning of their outer ear.
The ability to do this change allows a dog to hear something far away and to focus on a specific sound. It is indeed a great skill.
In fact, it is the ability to hear so many different frequencies that help the dog decide if that sound is something to be concerned about.
Dogs are so good when it comes to hearing from a distance, that they can learn the sound of your car over any other vehicle on the road nearby.
This talent even extends to allow a dog to ping nearly the exact location of the sound of your car.
The muscles in your dog’s ear are truly amazing and far better than the human ear when it comes to the delicacies of the air vibrations, causing the sound.
How Far Can a Dog Hear as It Gets Older?
Dogs are able to hear from far away at nearly any age, but as with humans, old age can diminish hearing. The good news is that while you may not be able to stop aging, there are things you can do to help protect your dog’s hearing.
The first and most important thing you can do is make sure your dog’s ears are checked at regular vet visits. Don’t forget you are your dog’s advocate, so you need to make sure to talk about your dog’s hearing.
A great way to do this is by following these steps:
- Talk about any concerns or problems you might have about your dog’s hearing with your vet.
- It’s essential to stay alert and monitor your dog’s hearing. Ensure you note if it seems like your dog might not be able to hear as far.
- If your dog is showing a decrease in how far it can hear, ask if your vet has any recommendations to help delay further loss of hearing.
- Ask the vet if he can give you tips on how to communicate with a dog who has issues with hearing.
Are you looking for things you can do at home to help keep your dog hearing well? Below are the tips that are very similar to how you should take care of humans aural faculty.
- Avoid loud noises whenever possible.
- Avoid noise that is consistent for more than 10 minutes.
- Stay away from high sharp noises.
- Avoid taking your dog to fireworks, shows, or other similar events.
- Allow a quiet place for your dog to retreat to during birthday parties and holidays.
- Ensure you take care of your dog’s overall health, feed him good quality food, etc.
- Always try to keep in mind, if it is a sound you don’t like, they won’t either.
Why Do Dogs Need to Hear so Far?
With the dog’s hearing significantly surpassing that of humans, many might be tempted to ask, why?
The short answer would be that dogs are descendants of wolves. A well-known fact is that predators always use every tool they have to catch a meal.
While dogs may no longer need to hunt to eat or worry about other predators, their sense of hearing has remained just as critical to them as their wild cousins.
The apparent reason dogs can hear from far away is that it helps them remain safe and keep us safe.
Dogs have evolved right alongside humans. Most scientists agree that a clear split off of gray wolves happened between 20,000 – 40,000 years ago.
Even early man could see that once feared predator had far better senses and instincts. Hence, from early on, dogs were asked to protect and alert human beings. While many things may have changed in the relationship between humans and dogs, humans’ need to be informed about danger does not.
So, dogs need to hear far away because it protects us, their human companions. Moreover, it evolutionary helps them to be in a mutually beneficial relationship.
They love us and keep us as safe as possible; we love them and take care of them as best we can as well.
What If Your Dog Can’t Hear From Far Away?
In this article, we have stressed how important it is for a dog to hear from far away, but what if your dog can’t?
Your dog has gone deaf, and you’re worried. The first thing you need to do is to take a deep breath and don’t panic. Dogs are much better at adapting to the loss of a sense of hearing than humans are.
Your dog’s other senses will improve to help compensate for the loss of hearing. Besides, you can do a few things to help your dog as well.
Those things include:
✓ Supervise outside time. Since your dog can no longer hear traffic, large groups, or other dangerous things, you need to help make sure it stays away from danger. It is best to never allow a deaf dog outside without supervision.
✓ Use visual aids to get your dog’s attention. We as humans are so used to just calling for our dog, and it can be a hard habit to break. Use a laser dot, flashlight, or another visual clue when you need your pet’s attention. Once he looks at you, you can use other visual aids to let him know what you need.
✓ Use hand signals in training. Many dogs are trained on verbal and hand clues right from puppyhood these days, but you can take it further. Dogs can learn some primary body language, which is often a great base to train new tricks and behaviours.
✓ Alert your dog when you leave. If you leave a room, try and give your canine friend a touch on the back. This way, he will know you aren’t just suddenly gone. Remember, your dog can no longer hear where you are in the house. Likewise, it would help if you greeted him when you come home, so it doesn’t become suddenly startled by you and possibly bite.
To Summarise
While we may never know precisely how far a dog can hear, scientists agree that our canine companions have far better faculty of hearing than we do.
Dogs have the fantastic ability to pick up on noise and tell if it is a threat. Most importantly, they are still man’s best friends and have evolved to use their incredible hearing to give us a helping paw.