What is The Most Effective Way To Help a Distressed Dog With Fireworks

Hiya i am just looking for some advice i have 2 dogs who get completely distressed when fireworks go off and start shaking uncontrollably i hate to see them like this as it really upsets me what is the best effective way to calm them when fireworks go off as i am becoming distressed seeing them in such a scared way i have seen those plug in things on TV and wondered if they work?

We desensitised Old-dog (RIP) to fireworks by playing a sound-effects CD at low level in the background.

He hated fireworks (as do I) and he would get frantic in the run-up to firework night.

They do an actual collar for dogs which, I feel, is better than the plug in as it is with the dog at all times. They can be quite effective but you need to get them one now. They have to be in their system as they do not take immediate effect.

Just google D.A.P. collars and order today, they do a puppy/small dog size ok for maybe up to 10-12 kg of dog and then the larger size.

Id set up a safe space for them to retrete to. If you have a crate make sure its accessable and cover the sides. If you dont have a crate set up somewhere enclosed such as under a table and hang a long table cloth down to the floor

Some people have sucess with offering a high value treat to the dog following each noise, so the bad thing gets associated with a good thing (treat) and stops being so scary. But Ive found that when they're scared the last thing they want to do is eat

Turn the TV up to drown out as much as is posible and if your dog looks at you following a bang make sure you look as if all that noise is the most normal and boring thing in the world to you (easier said than done if you jump easierly ). Yawning is a good idea. Dogs pick up on so much from our body language and its difficult not to react when your dogs freaking out but a strong reaction (of any sort) from you is the worst thing you can do.

Good luck

Good advice from Sarah, couple that with a D.a.p collar and it should be a less stressful bonfire weekend for you all

here ya go

http://www.dap-pheromone.com/

Argh I'm not looking forward to our dog's first ever Bonfire night!

When we had thunder and lightning storms she wasn't bothered, I took her outside and after a shot time of me acting like everything was normal she just ignored the noise and light, so hoping she'll be fine, really don't want her to be firework phobic as I love fireworks!

try to socialize them throughout the year with bangs and crackles and strange noises, like a delivery van. the binmen and doors slamming shut , its not a quick fix but built up over the year it does help Alot

the worst thing you could do is to start stroking them

& cuddling them its best that you just carry on as normal

because if you start to threat & worry you are letting your dog

think that there is something wrong fern gets frantic following me all over the place i have tried to set her a place somewhere quite & even turned

tv on to drown out the sound & given her the drops etc but they don't work for her

so i asked the vet for advise & suggested that i give her some antihistamines witch she has anyway

for dermatitus & they do make her drowsy

& i did that last year & it calmed her dawn

but she still followed me about & i did my best to

not make a big thing about it

but thanks for the crate idea i think i will do that this year along with the antihistamines & see how it goes :roll:

our vet has the following advice:

- two weeks beforehand start to play music with louder bits (bangs ?) to get them used to the noise

on the night:

- close the curtains / blinds in the whole house as soon as it gets to dusk

- sit with your pet in a blacked out room (muted lighting do they mean?) for the night - having it's bedding etc may help

- have music on in the background with a strong drum beat - doesn't need to be terribly loud

- have a game to play with your pet - don't scold them for being frightened, but also don't reassure them as apparently that feeds their anxiety.

They were also offering some chemical calmer - I know it's felaway in cats, not sure about dogs.

Common sense is to make sure they've been to the toilet before it gets dark.

hope that helps - echoed in the other posts

Desensitising with cd's looks a good idea. If your dog is REALLY distressed you can ask the vet for a sedative, don't know if there is any adverse affects though if you use it over a few nights where fireworks are let off often.

Argh I'm not looking forward to our dog's first ever Bonfire night!

 

When we had thunder and lightning storms she wasn't bothered, I took her outside and after a shot time of me acting like everything was normal she just ignored the noise and light, so hoping she'll be fine, really don't want her to be firework phobic as I love fireworks!

If this is her first bonfire night then the very best thing that you can do is to act completely normally and do plenty to occupy her during fireworks. She'll feel your angst if you start getting anxious so the answer is to treat it like a totally normal day.

Have a backup plan of a dark den where she can escape the noises and flashes and play her some CDs if you think she may be upset by them, but as soon as you start making it a special situation she will feel that.

I take Molly out for a walk during the fireworks and have a little training session outdoors, just like I do most days of the week. She gets all anxious about being separated, she struggles with keeping herself contained when it comes to meeting other dogs, she has many anxieties, but fireworks don't currently seem to be any sort of threat to her and I'm doing everything that I can do to be positive about that without showing any anxieties.