To provide a happier, quieter environment

If there’s one universal truth about soundproofing anything it’s this — every situation is a little bit different and to achieve the desired results, you have to tailor the solution to the noise problem. Dogs have universal truths too — one of which would definitely be a strong dislike for loud noises.

If your dog is anything like Oliver and Sadie (our Team Second Skin dogs), the loud crack of thunder during a storm will send them fleeing for cover. Nobody in their path is safe. Worse yet is any amount of fireworks. My goodness was there a mess in the kitchen to clean up after this past New Years. Having a soundproofed location for these moments can help if the noise is too much for your dogs to handle. Less sound will:

• • • • • Alleviate stress and anxiety
        • Allow your dog to have a safe place, especially if you’re not home
        • Help relax dogs feeling overstimulated and expressing that by barking

What it comes down to is this: many dogs are sensitive to sound and can react in ways you’d rather they didn’t. We go into some helpful tips below for reducing sound below, but if you suspect your dog is experiencing a lot of stress or anxiety, we’d recommend the first thing you do is consult a veterinarian about addressing all possible factors in your pet’s anxiety.

To Stop noise (Barking) from escaping the dog's crate or kennel

Anyone who has crate-trained a puppy knows that it takes time for the dog to get used to sleeping in a crate. Barking, whining, or crying is usually a sign that the dog needs or wants something. In the case of sleeping in a crate for the first time, we’re going to go out on a limb and say they want something too – probably for you to come let them out. While they get used to their new sleeping arrangements, you, your family, and maybe the whole neighborhood might find it hard to get some shuteye! We get it. That’s why so many people are looking for soundproofing.

For kennel owners, constant dog barking can be a problem, too, both for the well-being of the animals and the staff. The sound of many dogs barking at once can reach well over 100 decibels— easily enough to be “bothersome” to everyone in the vicinity. The last thing you want is a consistent string of noise complaints. Taking a few soundproofing steps reduce the noise and make things more quiet, and comfortable for everyone.

As we mentioned, it’s impossible to completely soundproof a dog crate. Soundproofing is achieved when you combine heavy, MLV materials with the elimination of air gaps in a defined space. That solution is not advised for dog crates — your pet needs air to breathe! The physics of soundproofing also explains why some of the other common “soundproofing” methods don’t actually do anything to solve the problem.

Step One: Calm the Dog with Sound Masking

If your dog is bothered by the sound of a distant storm, consider using a white noise machine that produces a sound slightly louder than the storm. Eliminating the unwanted noise by covering it with a steady, gentle noise can be very soothing for a dog.

Step Two: Soundproof the room

While soundproofing a dog crate is impossible, soundproofing the room they're in is not. Check out our step by step guide to soundproofing a room for details.

You'll want to start by soundproofing any doors that lead in and out of the room and soundproofing any of the windows, and potentially soundproof the walls and ceiling if significant noise reduction is needed.

As we mentioned before, consult your vet for help with stress or anxiety affecting your dog. We can provide practical sound related solutions, but your dog may need medical help and none of us went to vet school.

Step Three: Don't Use Foam or Moving Blankets for "Soundproofing"

1. Acoustic foam. If you read the garbage on anyone selling you soundproofing for a dog crate, you’d think acoustic foam for a dog’s crate is a magic bullet for noise. Do not put acoustic foam in or around the dog’s crate. It is a terrible idea. Acoustic foam is not dense enough to block sound. It’s a sound absorption material, so it simply absorbs reverb and echo. The net result will be a dog bark that’s just as loud as before (maybe with better acoustics!). If you don’t hear your dog barking, it’s likely because they’re taking a break to gnaw at the foam.
2. Weighted blankets. We’ve also heard of dog owners draping weighted blankets or moving blankets over the crate. This is one step better than acoustic foam, because at least the barrier has a bit of density. You may notice a slight difference in sound, at most about 3 decibels. The only caveat here is this — some dogs prefer a darker environment and will actually bark less. If your dog is calmer with the lights off, they may react positively to this solution and bark less. If your dog stops barking… then soundproofing achieved!

There’s a certain amount of noise everyone expects when bringing their dog to the local pet daycare, boarding facility, groomer, or vet hospital. However, the barking dogs themselves are not the only reason the facilities are so loud. These buildings usually have lots of hard surfaces — concrete, brick, metal, etc. – and large rooms prone to reverberation issues.

The best solution to your problem primarily depends on the problem.

1. Are you having problems with sounds exiting or entering the space? For sound traveling between spaces, we will be focused on sealing up gaps and adding better barriers.
2. Are you trying to modestly quiet down inside the space or need to reduce reverb and echo? For reduced sound inside a space, we'll be adding acoustic materials to the ceiling and/or walls.

dog kennel Soundproofing for a room

1. Treat the ceiling. If your kennel is in a standard commercial building, you may have a dropped ceiling. That’s your first problem. Though generally good for acoustics and inexpensive, drop ceilings are completely useless when it comes to soundproofing. We recommend backing your tiles with CelluZorbe ceiling tile backer panels so that you can put a lid on the room. These easily-installed panels add density and create a barrier above your dropped ceiling.
2. Treat the walls. Soundproofing walls requires a bit more work than ceilings, but the results are drastic. If your dog kennel has exposed concrete walls, you’ll need to add studs, batt insulation, RSIC clips, 25 ga hat channel, and ⅝” drywall over the concrete. If you already have drywall up, we recommend using RSIC-1 Retro Clips and an additional layer of ⅝” drywall which will save you the effort of removing the existing drywall. In either case, finish the job by sealing the perimeter of your walls and around any penetrations with acoustical sealant.
3. Replace the door. If you don’t already have a solid core door, get one. Couple that with a door seal kit for an excellent final touch on your soundproofed room.

Adding Acoustic panels to a soundproof dog kennel

If the echo and reverb within your dog kennel are driving you mad, you need some acoustic material. The best solution is our BlocknZorbe acoustic panels, which are easy to clean, easy to install, and sound absorbing. These waterproof panels have no trouble with pet hair and can be sprayed down when you clean the kennel.

By installing the right amount of panels in the kennel, you’ll cut out all the echo and reverb, while making the space 30-40% quieter. There isn’t a better choice than BlocknZorbe for acoustic treatments in a dog kennel, grooming facility, or pet hospital. If you have questions about your specific situation, reach out and we’d be happy to discuss your specific situation.

As we’ve said before, every soundproofing crisis is a bit different. If you’re encountering an issue we haven’t covered, get in touch! At Second Skin, we’re happy to come up with a custom solution for your dog crate or kennel soundproofing needs.