My pit bull is going through the same process because we moves into a new house a few months ago, so he's surrounded by a lot of new noises (and he's figuring out where his domain ends and the sidewalk begins). I taught him a rather strong "look at me" when he was a puppy. Now I use it all the time. I ask him to look at me when he hears a sound and reward him for it right away. This is teaching him to look to me when he hears something that makes him unsure and uneasy instead of just reacting. Eventually, the skill should slowly transfer outside the house as well.

My pittie is a very determined chewer. Most of his Christmas presents didn't live to see the next day. I've had a lot of luck with elk antlers and Tuffy brand toys rated 8 & up.