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Fireworks again !!

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As we are no doubt going to have it now for at least another full week, I wondered what other people do to keep their animals calm?

 

My dogs have never really bothered before but this year 2 of them are absolutely terrified :( I have made a big dark tent for them to get under but only one that wasn't that bothered went under it :hihi:

 

Has anyone used Rescue remedy? or anything else? please share.

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We try to turn the tv up or radio as a distraction mu dogs dont like to hear them

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we've been keeping our cats in now as soon as it is dark for 2 weeks just in case :/

 

We're planning to use feliway this year, along with the usual curtains & blinds shut, TV up high and music on upstairs and all internal doors shut. Then it will be case of letting them run to a hiding place :/

 

Three of them are frightened to terrified ... it is such a stressful time of year for them

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I get really excited, so my dogs see it as a good thing. Tilly will bounce around and scratch at the door so we can go out and watch them together.

Dancer comes out too and tries to be excited, but she bounces around with her ears back and tail between her legs.

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My cat was frightened earlier, but she then realised I was *HERE* and curled up on my lap and watched them via the gaslight window in the front room from the safety of Mum

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My experience with cats kind of agrees with what alternageek and scozzie are saying ... if I'm calm about the bangs and crackles they will be too. Just to play safe though - this lot are grounded from first signs of going dark between a few days before Halloween to after the weekend after bonfire night. We close the curtains, leave on the lights and put the radio on loud. Catnip and Dreamies are readily available :)

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google thundershirt, we have used that on our scaredy lurcher for last couple of years and it improved things

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Thanks everyone, I am not bothered over fireworks though and none of the dogs ever were but this year weirdly they are, I think Durham kept them chilled because he was so unflappable himself, he would just go outside down the garden and look into the sky with an expression like "oh whats going on? this is not usual" but now no one to be big brave Durham :(

 

I have been trying what the link and others have said about acting all excited and it did seem to work a little bit, neighbours will have me certified, yesterday I was outside grumbling my head off about the bangs and my animals being scared...tonight I was in the house whooping away at the bangs :hihi:

 

I think that I might well look into the thunder shirt thanks kimismum, also perhaps Dap.

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Samson used to absolutely LOVE this time of year, it meant fireworks and flashing and bonfires. He loved it all and used to scream the house down if we tried to keep him in while we were outside having fun. He'd watched the sparks come off the bonfire then try and chase them :loopy: He loved standing next to the kids and watching the fireworks being set off. Miss that loopy dog :roll:

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I don't agree with that Moonbird, it didn't work for us. When we got our first dog our neighbours invited us to their busy bonfire party and allowed us to bring our pup to socialise and get used to fireworks. The pup got a lot of attention, its was very busy. He never flinched at any of the fireworks and wasn't bothered by so many people (very busy crowd). The following year, and for the rest of his life, he was very scared of fireworks. We got a second dog a couple of years later and a third the year after that. The other two dogs weren't bothered but he never got over being scared of fireworks. He wasn't as scared as some dogs are though. He was not too bad in his covered crate (used as his bed) but he wouldn't go outside. It was a struggle to get his out to go to the toilet.

 

We now have a twelve month old pup and a sixteen month old pup who was rescued at about a year old. The rescue dog isn't keen on fireworks but we played ball outside with them and acted as if we couldn't hear anything. This seemed to make him a little better. Last night he was relaxing on the floor but still puts his head up quickly if he hears fireworks. They both train with gunshot noise but we haven't got him close to gunshot noise yet.

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I get really excited, so my dogs see it as a good thing. Tilly will bounce around and scratch at the door so we can go out and watch them together.

Dancer comes out too and tries to be excited, but she bounces around with her ears back and tail between her legs.

 

That doesn't work with all dogs, unfortunately. My old greyhound was completely indifferent to fireworks and thunder, so when we first added to the pack we thought the new one would be fine too - I thought, maybe, with greyhounds being used to the noise of the race track, it wouldn't be a problem. So the first time there were fireworks neither the other dog nor humans in the house acted in a way that would make him think "danger" but nevertheless he was a wreck. Four years later and he still is. We've tried DAP and various oral supplements with no effect. The odd thing is he's completely fearless in any other situation; he's one of those dogs who normally thinks he's ten men!

 

He's sitting here now, shaking on the sofa and doing that excessive dribbling thing they do when they are anxious, despite me having the TV on full blast. Meanwhile, my other hound is laying on her back with her legs in the air and couldn't care less about the minor warfare outside :)

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