Dogs are often frightened by loud noises such as fireworks and gunshots because most have such sensitive hearing.
Now the Ford Motor Co. has come up with a prototype for a so-called quiet kennel, a space where loud noises are muted allowing distressed dogs to relax.
The idea was inspired by the company’s noise-canceling technology used in its high-end vehicles in Europe where the sound of the engine is off-set by sound waves from the vehicle’s audio system.
"We wondered how technologies we use in our cars could help people in other situations," Lyn West, Ford's brand content manager for Ford of Europe, said in a press release.
The quiet kennel, which is still just a prototype and not in production yet, is also soundproof with an automatic door.
West said the New Year’s Eve holiday helped inspire the doghouse and he said more designs from the auto company are on the horizon.
“Making sure dogs and their owners could enjoy a stress-free New Year’s Eve seemed like the perfect application for our Active Noise Control system,” he said.
“We have a few more ideas in progress as to how our everyday lives might benefit from a little Ford know-how.”
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