Dogs, fireworks and Halloween

Aye Bosun

Hi Folks, I know it a bit early to be worrying about Halloween just yet but after a recent Leaving Cert party close to my house where fireworks where been set off, it got me thinking about it.

Basically my dog Benji is terrified of fireworks, poor little lad is racing around the place barking, shaking, peeing himself the whole works. He's normally a grand little lad, who lets out a few barks at the birds invading his garden etc but nothing excessive these days, he used to be a barker when i first got him from the rescue but has chilled over time.

I have a thunder-shirt, which is great if he's feeling a little anxious but when it comes to fireworks it's useless.

I spoke to the vet about this the year before last after my first Halloween with him, as i was very concerned about him having a heart attack or something..poor little lads heart is jumping out of chest so fast, it's really scary.

So this Halloween just gone the vet gave me sleeping pills to knock him out for the night as he was bit worried too. But they did nothing,he never slept, just kept barking and shaking and peeing himself until about 5am in the morning. His legs where going from under him, eyes blood shots but still freaked out by the fireworks.

He's inside for the night (of course) and all i can do to try and give him a minutes peace is to hold him tight and gently pet him, but as soon as another firework goes off he looses the plot again.

Anyone got any suggestions to help me? I'm at my wits end with this now and terrified something bad will happen to his heart if I can't work something out.

Nody

Find a remote pet shelter to take him to (or a cottage you can visit)? Ear plugs + loud music + sound insulated room (i.e. egg shells on walls of a small dog house, blankets over windows etc.?

Trying to be creative here for you but honestly if he's that scared the first option is probably your best bet while the second is easier to set up.

DBB

The vet should not have prescribed those "sleeping pills" to you op, assuming they're ACP (small yellow pills).
ACP has been de-licensed for use on noise-phobic dogs, and vets have been warned to never use it for this purpose. ACP causes the body to become sedated, but not the brain. So, the dog can still hear the fireworks, and still feel terror at them, but is unable to move his body to take evasive action... And ACP does not affect memory, so the dog remembers the helpless terror he felt before, and the fearful behaviour is even worse than before.
There are drugs available for noise-phobic dogs but they must, must, must be used in conjunction with a behaviour modification program, so perhaps a consult with a properly qualified behaviourist would help.... I'm always warning people to take care when engaging a behaviourist and to make sure they're genuinely and properly qualified, but this advice is so much more important when psychoactive drugs are to be used as part of the treatment.
You're looking at a program of slow, steady desensitisation to the noise (now's a good time of year to start!), providing your dog with a safe, sound-proof (as far as possible) safe zone (radio on good and loud, soft blankets to hide under, black-out curtains, DAP diffuser plugged in beside bed, Thundershirt on... It can't work on its own either), a nutraceutical to reduce anxiety such as Zylkene, and possibly, psychoactive drug therapy.
Sending your dog to stay in a quiter area as Nody suggests is a good option, if it's one that's open to you and your dog... If he hates to be parted from you it may be a problem!

Sulla Felix

How practical would it be to condition the dogs to the noise? I assume hunting dogs and working dogs (especially law enforcement and military dogs) are trained in such a way that they don't freak out.
Since it's probably an issue that every dog I have for the rest of my life is going to face on a yearly basis, it'd be good to know I could mentally protect them. Probably have to start at puppy age though or something?

DBB

Yes, getting pups used to noises is the best way to deal with the problem... Prevention rather than cure. Having said that, many a gundog pup is ruined before they ever get started by their over-zealous breeders/owners doing too much to quickly, and frightening the bejayjus out of an unprepared pup!
With a naive pup, it's a matter of habituating them gradually to ever-increasing noises, with pleasant consequences such as food treats or play with a favourite toy following immediately after the noise.
However, once a dog has been badly frightened by a loud noise, they have become sensitised to the noise, and this fear generalises to other noise very easily. Sensitised, fearful dogs are difficult to convince not to be frightened, so a long, careful process of desensitisation has to be carried out.
Habituation is hugely easier than desensitisation! In other words, prevention really is better than cure!
Some breeds are more sound-sensitive than others too, whilst others are more reactive to noise.

Pretzill

Fireworks are illegal here and can only be used with a licence at an event. I know halloween brings all sorts out and I also know it's a worrying time for pets - my best advice is to try and not show your own nervousness as pets can pick up on this. And try and mask the outside noises with tv or music or take a breakaway to a more rural setting for the holiday. Bangers and fireworks are a few and far between in the country areas, still though I've had to call the gaurds more than once because the sounds can drive large animals, horses, cattle etc into dangerous situations.

are you serious

I got both my dogs used to fireworks by playing youtube videos of fireworks...

Low volume on repeat over and over, then eventually louder until it was as loud as the laptop will play it...

Just an idea.

nocoverart

are you serious wrote: »

I got both my dogs used to fireworks by playing youtube videos of fireworks...

Low volume on repeat over and over, then eventually louder until it was as loud as the laptop will play it...

Just an idea.

Are you serious?

deise08

Probably not practical, but when there are fireworks around, if people are setting off a few, I get the dog into the car, she loves her spins, turn up the radio and drive around for a bit she's delighted she's a spin and totally unaware of the fireworks I of course have her on her lead getting in to the car.

are you serious

Yes I am serious.

I have given this advice before on the same topic either last year or the year before.

Both my dogs now get annoyed when fireworks go off and the run out to the back garden to bark at them lol

ShaShaBear

It's a tough one OP, coming from someone who has tried everything, including conditioning. 10 years old and he will still self-harm, scream (yes, scream - not bark or howl or cry), tear at walls, climb behind furniture, pee and poop himself and exhibit fear-based aggression. We've tried calmers (plug-ins, scents and orals), a thunder shirt, playing the sound all year round, sedation (pills and injection) and finally kennelling. Because Shadow is also terrified of other dogs, kennelling was almost as bad, except that he settled and got used to the other dogs within half an hour, but he NEVER gets used to the fireworks. Problem here in Monaghan is that they will usually start going off around the end of September/start of October, and can still be going off mid to end November, so kennelling isn't practical. It did help for NYE though. Now all we can do is remove all the furniture from the room, all wires and sharp things etc, set up large cardboard boxes with blankets over and in them, and have the TV up full blast. It doesn't really make much of a difference, but at least we feel like we are doing something