Dogs hear sounds with a volume of -15 decibels, which are inaudible to humans. The reason why they hear louder is largely due to their larger auricle and their ability to perfectly align their ears with the sound source.
Basically, the loudness of a sound is measured in decibels. Sounds with a volume of 0 decibels or less cannot be heard by us humans.
The difference between 0 and -15 decibels, on the other hand, is huge. Because the decibel scale is logarithmic. So 20 decibels is twice as loud as 10 decibels.
Dogs are therefore said to be able to hear around four times further into the distance. In reality, however, the hearing distance depends massively on the respective frequency.
In addition, dogs may hear louder than humans, but we can perceive deeper sounds better and localize sound sources more precisely.
Statements like “Dogs hear X times better than humans” are therefore nonsense. Here you will learn in which areas dogs are better and where they are not: Hearing sense of dogs vs. humans.
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Why do dogs hear louder than people?
For anatomical reasons, dogs' ears act like an amplifier. What sounds quiet to us is already too loud for many dogs. There are three primary reasons for this:
#1 Larger ear cup
The auricle of an adult human usually measures between 6.1 and 7.2 cm. The international average here is 6.3 cm. [1]
In dogs, however, the values vary from 3.2 to 34.5 cm depending on the breed. So you have an ear cup that is up to 5.5 times larger.
Since the auricles act as “funnels” for sound waves, significantly more sound waves reach the dog’s ear.
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The effect is comparable to enlarging your own ear with the palm of your hand.
#2 Bending and rotating function of the ears
In humans, the ears are rigidly fixed to the side and slightly curved forward. Although we have over 6 muscles to align our ears, the effect is minimal.
Sounds from the side (70°) are therefore best heard by us. That's why we instinctively turn our heads to the side to hear something louder.
Dogs, on the other hand, have a whopping 18 muscles in their ears. This allows them to rotate, raise, lower and bend their ears to perfectly align them with the sound source.
In contrast to humans, they can also control both ears completely independently of each other in order to precisely perceive several sounds at the same time. [2]
Only cats, with their 30 muscles, can beat dogs here.
#3 Location of ears
Humans' ears are located on the sides and are level with the middle of the head. In dogs, the ears are on the head instead.
However, there is a reason why solar systems and satellite dishes are usually installed on the roof and not to the side. The reception is simply the best there.
In combination with the rotating function, dogs can easily hear at a 360° angle. Humans, on the other hand, hear noises loudest at a 140° angle.
Sounds from behind, i.e. at 180°, are therefore the hardest for us to perceive acoustically.
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As paradoxical as it may sound at first, people are still better at localizing a sound. A whopping 8 times better, to be exact. [3]
However, this is not due to the ear itself, but rather to the signal processing in the brain. Our “computing power” is simply many times greater than that of dogs.
Dogs hear louder than humans because they have larger ears and their position and muscles allow them to be aligned frontally to the sound source. It allows you to hear sounds that are inaudible to the human ear.
How much louder do dogs hear than humans?
On average, dogs hear between 1.6 and 2.4 times louder than humans. However, these multipliers can also fluctuate greatly under certain conditions.
Because the perceived volume depends on the following 7 factors:
Dogs with floppy ears generally hear worse than dogs with protruding ears. Instead of funneling the sound waves, they block the entrance to the ear canal. [4]
The length of the ears only plays a role if they are erect ears. Because then more sound waves can be concentrated due to the additional length.
Even though the Bloodhound is the world record holder among dogs with its floppy ears, which are almost 35 cm long, its hearing is comparatively poor. [5]
Humans can only hear sounds with a frequency of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Dogs, on the other hand, can also hear sounds between 67 Hz and 45 kHz. [6]
So you hear significantly higher, but slightly less deep tones. Incidentally, they inherited this from wolves – their ancestors.
Because it is essential for them to be able to perceive supersound, both to protect themselves from foreign predators and to hunt rodents. So frequencies above 20 kHz.
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Dogs hear frequencies between 4 and 16 kHz loudest. Humans, on the other hand, are most sensitive to sounds between 2 and 5 kHz. [7, 8]
This also has evolutionary reasons. Because wild animals and other prey animals usually make noises in this frequency range.
Between 85 and 255 Hz, men's and women's voices are therefore relatively difficult for dogs to hear. [9]
In both humans and dogs, hearing ability declines with age. Both the volume and the audible frequency range decrease.
For comparison: While children can hear up to 20 kHz, adults usually only hear around 15 kHz. [10]
Guard dogs and sheep dogs generally hear the loudest. Because they have been specially trained in the past to listen carefully.
By the way, the following breeds hear best:
#1 Labrador Retriever#4 American Cocker Spaniel#7 Chihuahua#2 German Shepherd#5 Golden Retriever#8 Miniature Pinscher#3 Poodle#6 Boston Terrier#9 Schnauzer [11]
Basically, the fewer sensory organs a living being uses, the sharper they are. Dogs with smell or vision problems therefore tend to hear louder.
Dogs are statistically around 3.4 times more likely to be deaf than people. To be more precise, around 10% of all dogs and only 3% of all people are said to be affected. [12, 13]
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According to studies, some dogs are particularly likely to be deaf from birth. The following 8 breeds are statistically most commonly affected by this:
Dog BreedDeaf on one sideDeaf on both sidesTotal deafLouisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog17%22%39%Dalmatian21%7%28%Dogo Argentino21%6%27%Australian Cattle Dog12%3%15%English Setter10%2%12%Bul Terrier10%1%11%Boston Terrier5%4 %9%Jack Russell Terrier5%3%8%[14]
It is now clear at the latest why general statements about volume are nonsensical. In order to get a rough assessment, the following test can help.
On average, dogs hear up to 2.4 times louder than humans. However, the actual volume depends on the ear shape, ear length, frequency and age. Race, sensory perception and genetics also play a central role.
Self-test: How loud does your dog hear?
To get a feel for your dog's actual hearing performance, the following self-test can help.
To do this, go through all 4 categories step by step and add up the points.
Category20 points25 points30 pointsAge> 10 years5-10 yearsBreedOtherGerman ShepherdGuard dogEar length5-15 cm>15 cmEar shapeFloppy earsMixtureRound erect ears
If you did the math correctly, you should have come up with a number between 80 and 120. You can see how much louder your dog hears in the following table.
Total ScoreMultiplier801,6851,7901,8951,91002,01052,11102,21152,31202,4
Important: These numbers are average values. The actual volume depends massively on the respective frequency.
Alternatively, you can also do a so-called “BAER” test at the vet. This means that hearing ability can be tested completely painlessly using small electrodes.
By determining age, breed, ear length and ear shape, dogs' hearing ability can be roughly assessed. However, for a more accurate result, there is no way around a BAER test.
Is loud music harmful to dogs?
In humans, the acoustic pain threshold is 140 decibels. In dogs, however, this is already reached at 85 decibels. [15]
When we humans perceive music as “loud”, it often exceeds the pain threshold of dogs and leads to permanent hearing damage.
The following table compares perceived loudness between humans and dogs:
DecibelFor peopleFor dogsExample-15inaudibleAlmost inaudibleRunning beetle-10inaudibleaudiblemovement of a snake0inaudiblequietfalling leaf10Almost inaudibleQuietBreathing20AudibleWell audibleRustling leaves30Very quietWell audibleWhisper40Very quietWell audibleRain50QuietWell audibleFridge60QuietLoudHuman voice70Well audibleUncomfortably loudCar80Well audibleExtremely loudTruck85LoudPain thresholdViolin90LoudPermanent hearing damageDrill machine100Uncomfortably loudPermanent hearing damageJet jet110Uncomfortably loudPermanent hearing damageChainsaw120Extremely loudPermanent hearing damagePolice siren130Extremely loudPermanent hearing damageThunderstorm140Pain thresholdPermanent hearing damageFireworks150Permanent hearing damagePermanent hearing damagePistol shot160Permanent hearing damagePermanent hearing damageShotgun170Permanent hearing damagePermanent hearing damageRocket launch180Permanent hearing damagePermanent hearing damageVolcanic eruption
The table above also explains why New Year's Eve is often torture for dogs. Because the volume of the fireworks is beyond the threshold of pain.
Since the decibel scale is logarithmic, most everyday household appliances are too loud for dogs.
In dogs, the acoustic pain threshold is already reached at 85 decibels. In humans, this is 140. Loud music not only causes acoustic stress in dogs, but can also lead to permanent hearing damage.
How do dogs behave when noises are too loud?
Noises louder than 85 decibels are painful for dogs. Fortunately, the signs of this are clearly visible. Typical physical symptoms here are:
In addition, noises that are too loud often have behavioral consequences:
- Dog is hiding
- Avoiding eye contact
- Constant barking
- Wild running around
- Howl[17[17
If you experience these symptoms, you should reduce the noise level (if possible). If that's not possible, you can…