5 Tips for Playing PupPod with a Noise Sensitive Dog

by Diane Conrad May 26, 2018

5 Tips for Playing PupPod with a Noise Sensitive Dog

Does your dog head for the hills (or under the couch) when he hears loud or unusual sounds? If so, you’re not alone. This happens to be one of the most common issues dog parents face. In fact, noise sensitivity has been found in about one out of five dogs.

But does having a noise sensitive dog mean that your dog can’t enjoy the PupPod + Pet Tutor Bundle? After all, the toy can play a number of sounds as a way to encourage dogs to interact with it. And the Pet Tutor makes a sound to indicate a reward. What if these noises scare your dog away?

Well, as it turns out, we’ve already thought of that! The PupPod + Pet Tutor Bundle has been specifically designed to be fun and engaging for all kinds of dogs – whether they’re nervous, shy, noise-sensitive or even deaf or blind. All it takes are a few tweaks here and there to build your dog’s confidence. Pretty soon, he’ll be playing like a champ!

Tip 1: Turn down the Pet Tutor Volume

First, let’s start by adjusting the volume on the Pet Tutor by pressing the “speaker” button on the feeder. You can cycle through a variety of settings including mute, low, medium, and high. Choose the loudest volume that doesn’t cause a negative reaction in your dog. If that means you have to mute it, then mute it! You can always start increasing the volume once he’s made a positive connection with the PupPod toy and Pet Tutor feeder.

Tip 2: Soften the “Ping”

We’ve found a few dogs that are startled by the “ping” of the food dropping into the bowl on the Pet Tutor. If this is the case for your pooch, try mounting the Pet Tutor in the floor stand so that the rewards slide out of the shoot onto the floor rather than into the bowl. As a bonus, if you have a hard floor (like tile or wood), the food will slide across the floor, making the game even more fun and exciting for your dog as they will have to chase the reward.

Tip 3: Experiment with PupPod Sounds

Dogs react to different sounds in different ways. That’s why we’ve incorporated a variety of sound choices into the PupPod app. If you have a noise sensitive dog, try experimenting to find which one your dog likes best. We recommend initially starting with a lower frequency sound like the shaking treat bag (what dog doesn’t love a treat bag?). Or select the “Cycle Sounds” setting in the app to let your dog pick his favorite. The moment your pup starts interacting with the toy, our software will lock in on the sound they responded to.

Tip 4: Try Lights Only

If your dog just can’t handle any type of sound, the PupPod app has an option called “Lights Only,” which turns off all toy sounds and flashes lights instead. We designed this feature for deaf dogs, but it can also be useful for noise sensitive dogs.

Tip 5: Make the Toy More Enticing

If your dog is reluctant to go anywhere near the toy, try adding a dab of peanut butter or a drop of vanilla on the Wobbler. These enticing smells add a little extra incentive to explore the toy. At Level 1, your dog gets a reward for just sniffing the toy, which creates a positive first impression that might help him get over the hump!