Dogs are doing more with their humans these days! They are going hunting, going to rock concerts, and visiting other super noisy locations. Choosing the right hearing protection for your dog can be a bit tricky. Do you choose in-ear hearing protection (dog earplugs) or over-the-ear hearing protection (dog muffs)?
Why Dogs Need Hearing Protection
Dogs have super sensitive hearing. It has to do with their ability to hunt. A dog’s hearing is geared toward being able to hear small prey in the wilderness. Just imagine the sounds of a mouse or a squirrel rustling around in the forest.
Dogs can hear sounds that are too quiet for our human ears to hear and too high pitched for our human ears to hear (source). They can hear sounds as quiet as -15 dB (humans can hear at as low as 0 dB), and as high pitched as 67,000 Hz (humans can only hear up to 20,000 Hz). Sounds that are loud and percussive can be damaging to dog’s hearing – especially when repeated over time. Both in-ear hearing protection and dog muffs address a dog’s special hearing, but which has the most protection for a dog?
The Advantages of In-Ear Hearing Protection
In hear hearing protection for dogs (dog earplugs) can provide a number of advantages over dog muffs. Let’s take a look at just a few of them.
- Convenient to carry
CrittEar dog earplugs are small enough to carry in a purse, a pocket, or a glove compartment. Very little weight and bulk to carry around. - High dB protection level
The Noise Reduction Rating of CrittEar Calm dog earplugs is 31 dB. This means that our dog earplugs can help buffer down a loud noise to the level of a quiet conversation. - Difficult to knock out
Since dog earplugs are in-ear hearing protection, they sit mostly on the inside of the dog’s ear canal. Just a tab sticks out. When properly inserted, our dog earplugs won’t be knocked out of place if your dog rubs their head near an object. - Repels water
When properly inserted, our dog earplugs expand to fill your dog’s entire L-shaped ear canal. This helps to repel water away from your dog’s ear canals. They can be bathed, go swimming, or dive into water without fear that they will get waterlogged ears.
The Problems With Dog Muffs
Dog muffs have their advantages, but there are 3 big problems with them. First is that the hearing protection that they provide is based on getting a good seal around dog’s ear. The seal must be tight for dog muffs to provide reliable hearing protection. What things can cause a break in the seal?
- Hair
The hair surrounding your dog’s ears can make it difficult, if not impossible to get a good, tight seal between the dog muffs and your dog’s head. - Glasses
If your dog is wearing sunglasses, goggles, or any other protection devices around their head, the straps can interfere with getting a good, tight seal. - Getting knocked off
Sadly, dog muffs can be knocked around pretty easily. If your dog rubs their head against anything (a wall, a tree, etc), the seal between the dog muffs and your dog’s head can be broken.
Secondly, wearing the dog muffs can be hot for your dog. If your dog needs to wear these on a hot summer day, it might be unbearable for your pup. Jumping in the water to cool down or catch a fallen waterfowl with these on is not a great idea either.
Finally, dog muffs have multiple working parts. These parts can be damaged and need replacement. Dog earplugs are much simpler as they are one solid piece.
Being Prepared for Anything
Whether you are gearing up for a great hunting trip or just hunkering down to avoid firework anxiety, our dog earplugs are there for you and your dog. CrittEar Calm dog earplugs come in a convenient 3- pack so you have your dog earplugs wherever you happen to be. Keep them at home, in your purse, and in your car for all of those loud noises on the go. Don’t let loud noises stop you from enjoying your adventures with your dog this summer!
