Pet Acoustics: We're All Ears!

The Dog Who Followed His Best Friend

Welcome to We're All Ears, where we explore the remarkable world of hearing wellness and the profound role sound plays in the lives of animals. Today's story begins with two dogs. One was thirteen years old. The other was seven. They had spent their lives together—eating together, walking together, sleeping near each other. The older dog was confident and independent. The younger dog followed his lead everywhere. To their pet parent, they seemed inseparable. Then one day, the older dog passed away. As the family grieved, something unexpected happened. The seven-year-old dog seemed lost. He wandered the house. He didn't come when called. He didn't respond when his name was spoken. At first, everyone assumed he was mourning the loss of his best friend. But as the days passed, something didn't add up.

The Ones Who Know First: A Pet Mother’s Day Reflection

Welcome to We’re All Ears—where we explore the world as animals experience it… through sound, behavior, and the subtle signals that shape their well-being. Today’s episode is a quiet one.  A reflective one. Because this is about a kind of care that often goes unseen…  but is deeply felt. To every woman who has sat on the floor with a sick animal at midnight… Not rushing.  Not reacting.  Just… present. Watching.  Listening.  Trying to understand what can’t be said. To the one who has driven to the veterinarian on a feeling—  not because something was obvious…  but because something was different. A shift.  A hesitation.  A change in how her animal responded to the world. She always knows first. Happy Mother's Day!

Separation Anxiety: What Pets Feel, What We Feel, and How to Support Them

Welcome to We’re All Ears, where we explore the emotional and sensory lives of animals—and how they experience the world around them. Today we’re talking about separation anxiety. Not just from the pet’s perspective, but from the pet parent’s as well. Because separation is never one-sided. When a dog or cat is left alone, it isn’t simply “quiet time.” It’s a sudden shift in their entire sensory world. The familiar sounds disappear. The subtle rhythms of the home change. The presence of their person—arguably their strongest sense of safety—is gone all at once. What remains can feel unpredictable. For many animals, this triggers a stress response. You may see pacing, vocalizing, destructive behavior, or even withdrawal. These responses are often misunderstood as disobedience or lack of training, but they’re not. They are biological. Animals are wired to stay connected to their environment, and especially to the sensory cues that signal safety.

Why Cats Fear the Carrier and How to Change the Experience

Hi everyone, I’m Janet Marlow, founder of Pet Acoustics, and welcome to We’re All Ears—where we explore the science of how sound shapes the emotional lives of animals. Let me start with a question. Why is it… that the moment a cat sees the carrier, everything changes? You can have the calmest cat…  and suddenly they disappear.  They hide.  They resist.  Sometimes they panic. And many people think…  “My cat is being difficult.” But that’s not what’s happening. Your cat is responding to a prediction. Cats are highly sensitive prey animals. Their nervous systems are wired for survival, and their hearing is far more acute than ours. So when the carrier appears, it’s not just an object… It’s a signal. A signal of confinement.  Loss of control.  Unfamiliar environments.  And critically… sound. The sound was unpredictable.  The environment felt exposed.  And their instincts said—don’t move forward.

When One Dog Loses Another: Helping Your Dog Through Grief

Hello, and welcome to We’re All Ears, where we explore the emotional lives of animals through the lens of sound, behavior, and connection. I’m Janet Marlow, Certified Sound Behaviorist and founder of Pet Acoustics. Today, we’re talking about something deeply emotional— and often overlooked… What happens when a dog loses their best friend? Dogs form profound bonds. Not just with us—but with each other.  They share routines, energy, communication… even silence. So when one dog is no longer there, the other doesn’t just notice… They experience a real sense of loss.