I hear ya

Howdy blogaroos! Squirmy here on this – the last day of May. And did you know that on this very day in 1976, some band – Who knows what their name was – set the record for the loudest concert ever – 120dB at 50 meters. Just so you have an idea about how loud that was – prolonged exposure to noise over 70dB can injure your hearing – and noise over 120 can cause IMMEDIATE damage to your ears. Hearing protection is recommended for noise exposure over 85dB. For example, your average lawn mower is 90dB. Now while you may not hurt your ears if you mow once a week, if you mow lawns for a living – you better be wearing ear protection.

Probably as a result of that crazy concert, today, according to the crazy calendar is known as Save your Hearing day.

We dogs have much better hearing then you two-leggeds. We can hear pitches that you can’t. So when it’s dark at night, and we start barking – it’s because we hear something. Or we just want to freak you out. That’s possible too.

Here’s a short article with some facts about canine hearing:

https://www.thewildest.com/dog-behavior/7-amazing-facts-about-dogs-ears

And this article talks about how, just like humans, we dogs can lose our hearing as we get older:

https://www.connecthearing.ca/blog/hearing-and-hearing-loss/5-common-signs-of-deafness-in-dogs/

One sure-fire way to test hearing in a PON is to open the treat jar. While we might blame our occasional behavioral brain farts (like not coming when called) on the fact that we didn’t HEAR you, chances are it’s what’s called “selective hearing.” But I never told you that.

Meanwhile, it’s highly likely that the Warden suffers from canine-induced hearing loss. The average dog can bark anywhere from 80-100dB. But when you add to the chorus with multiple dogs – you can be looking at the danger zone of 120dB. Personally, I think the Boss does 120 all on his own. And he’s persistent. We’re all going to need hearing aids. And yes, we dogs can wear hearing aids…

https://www.starkey.com/blog/articles/2022/03/hearing-aids-for-dogs

The Warden said nobody in this house is getting one. Probably a wise decision, seeing as we rip out each other’s barrettes and have been known to restyle them so they no longer function to hold hair. In fact, after a few chews, they have no function whatsoever. So hearing aids would not be a good idea.

I had a good GBH yesterday. Came home with another dozen. The Warden is thinking about throwing some around our property in the woods. Could be fun.

Speaking of which, it’s almost time to suit up. Let’s see if I can top yesterday’s total….

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.