Diagnosis
Whenever there is a change in behavior, a dog should be seen by veterinarian for a health check-up. Medical conditions such as endocrine disorders, pain, canine cognitive dysfunction, and certain medications may exaggerate a dog's fear. Once medical problems have been excluded as a cause of the dog's behavior, a diagnosis of noise phobia usually is easy. When fear occurs consistently in response to a particular sound, the diagnosis of a noise phobia can be assumed. The problem may be missed, however, in situations in which the dog hears a noise that the owner does not. In addition, because dogs are more fearful when they are alone than when with they are with their owners, "sporadic" destructive behavior or house-soiling that occurs in during the owners' absence may not be recognized as evidence of a noise phobia.