jvoyce
Well-Known Member
Helping your dog with Firework Fear
Preparation is all-important if dogs are to get through fireworks with the minimum of fear and stress. First you need to make a special place where your dog can go to get away from the sounds he fears. Prepare the refuge as far ahead of the firework event as you can.
Creating a refuge
 Most dogs will already have a favourite room, in which case all you need to do is to modify this place to make it even more suitable as a bolt-hole.
 It is best to choose a room which is naturally quiet and those located towards the centre of the house and have minimal numbers of windows are most suitable.
 The designated hiding place must be accessible to your dog all the time and it is vital that you make sure that doors are fixed so that they cannot accidentally shut and trap the pet inside or out of the room.
 Try to minimise the amount of noise entering the bolt-hole room from outside. The dog must not see the flashes of fireworks, so close the windows and use heavy curtains to make the room dark.
 Put lots of blankets for your dog to dig and burrow in. Include an old, unwashed piece of clothing like a woolly jumper, so that your dog can smell your scent and feel comforted by your indirect presence.
 Using a Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) product can also help. It produces a vapour only dogs can smell that your dogs mother emitted to calm her puppies. DAP makes dogs feel much more relaxed and confident when they might other wise be stressed. DAP products come in three formats:
 The DAP diffuser is a device that looks like an air freshener that you plug into a wall socket. DAP diffusers should be left on 24 hours a day. If possible, install the diffuser close to or inside the dogs hiding place a couple of weeks before the event, as this will produce a more powerful effect.
 The DAP collar is designed to be worn by the dog and is effective for up to a month. Because it is always in contact with the dog, it is effective 24 hours a day, wherever the dog is.
 DAP also comes in a spray which can be used for example to spray bedding.
In the run up to firework season:
 Get your dog used to going to the hiding place two or three times a day during the run up to a firework display by taking him there and giving him some food or a chew. This will help the dog to understand that this is a good place to go to.
If you know that a firework display is due:
 Give your dog a large, stodgy, carbohydrate rich meal in the late afternoon of that day. This will help to make your dog feel calm and sleepy as the night draws in.
 Bowls of food and water are essential in the bolt-hole and it is a good idea to make sure that your dog has emptied his bladder an hour or so before the fireworks start.
 Leave a few special chews and things for your dog to eat in the hiding place in case he fancies something chewy to reduce his tension. However, do not be alarmed if he does not seem interested in them some dogs are simply not interested in treats at a time like this.
 Moderately loud rhythmic music with a good beat is an effective way to mask the firework noises from outside, so put a hi-fi system in the room and keep the volume at a loud but comfortable level. However, every dog is an individual and if yours is not very partial to music at other times you should respect his personal taste!
When the noise starts
 Do not get cross with your dog when he is scared as it will only make him more frightened.
 It is tempting to try to soothe your dog to relieve his fears but this is the worst thing to do. It gives your dog the impression that there is something to be frightened of and may even reward him for being scared. Also if your dog comes to think of you as the only person who can soothe his fears, he may panic if there are fireworks when you are not around to help.
 Ignore your dog when he is looking frightened and only show attention and affection when he has begun to relax. Then you can give him some food treats or play a game as a reward.
 Ignore the noises yourself and try to appear happy and relaxed. If your pet is only mildly fearful, you could try to engage him in some form of active game. It can help if you play a game with another pet in the household because the frightened one may be tempted to join in.
 If your pet is very frightened by the noises and cannot be encouraged to play, then lead him to the refuge you have created.
If you have tried all of the above and your dog is still worried then it would be useful to have a consultation with the vet as there are drugs which can be prescribed to help those who are still very frightened.
Having got through firework season this year, you need to start to do something about your dogs phobia. Many dogs can be treated using behavioural methods called desensitisation and counter conditioning. Specially made recordings of fireworks can be used to train dogs not to react to the noises they fear. This takes time and patience and the advice of an experienced professional should be sought.
Preparation is all-important if dogs are to get through fireworks with the minimum of fear and stress. First you need to make a special place where your dog can go to get away from the sounds he fears. Prepare the refuge as far ahead of the firework event as you can.
Creating a refuge
 Most dogs will already have a favourite room, in which case all you need to do is to modify this place to make it even more suitable as a bolt-hole.
 It is best to choose a room which is naturally quiet and those located towards the centre of the house and have minimal numbers of windows are most suitable.
 The designated hiding place must be accessible to your dog all the time and it is vital that you make sure that doors are fixed so that they cannot accidentally shut and trap the pet inside or out of the room.
 Try to minimise the amount of noise entering the bolt-hole room from outside. The dog must not see the flashes of fireworks, so close the windows and use heavy curtains to make the room dark.
 Put lots of blankets for your dog to dig and burrow in. Include an old, unwashed piece of clothing like a woolly jumper, so that your dog can smell your scent and feel comforted by your indirect presence.
 Using a Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) product can also help. It produces a vapour only dogs can smell that your dogs mother emitted to calm her puppies. DAP makes dogs feel much more relaxed and confident when they might other wise be stressed. DAP products come in three formats:
 The DAP diffuser is a device that looks like an air freshener that you plug into a wall socket. DAP diffusers should be left on 24 hours a day. If possible, install the diffuser close to or inside the dogs hiding place a couple of weeks before the event, as this will produce a more powerful effect.
 The DAP collar is designed to be worn by the dog and is effective for up to a month. Because it is always in contact with the dog, it is effective 24 hours a day, wherever the dog is.
 DAP also comes in a spray which can be used for example to spray bedding.
In the run up to firework season:
 Get your dog used to going to the hiding place two or three times a day during the run up to a firework display by taking him there and giving him some food or a chew. This will help the dog to understand that this is a good place to go to.
If you know that a firework display is due:
 Give your dog a large, stodgy, carbohydrate rich meal in the late afternoon of that day. This will help to make your dog feel calm and sleepy as the night draws in.
 Bowls of food and water are essential in the bolt-hole and it is a good idea to make sure that your dog has emptied his bladder an hour or so before the fireworks start.
 Leave a few special chews and things for your dog to eat in the hiding place in case he fancies something chewy to reduce his tension. However, do not be alarmed if he does not seem interested in them some dogs are simply not interested in treats at a time like this.
 Moderately loud rhythmic music with a good beat is an effective way to mask the firework noises from outside, so put a hi-fi system in the room and keep the volume at a loud but comfortable level. However, every dog is an individual and if yours is not very partial to music at other times you should respect his personal taste!
When the noise starts
 Do not get cross with your dog when he is scared as it will only make him more frightened.
 It is tempting to try to soothe your dog to relieve his fears but this is the worst thing to do. It gives your dog the impression that there is something to be frightened of and may even reward him for being scared. Also if your dog comes to think of you as the only person who can soothe his fears, he may panic if there are fireworks when you are not around to help.
 Ignore your dog when he is looking frightened and only show attention and affection when he has begun to relax. Then you can give him some food treats or play a game as a reward.
 Ignore the noises yourself and try to appear happy and relaxed. If your pet is only mildly fearful, you could try to engage him in some form of active game. It can help if you play a game with another pet in the household because the frightened one may be tempted to join in.
 If your pet is very frightened by the noises and cannot be encouraged to play, then lead him to the refuge you have created.
If you have tried all of the above and your dog is still worried then it would be useful to have a consultation with the vet as there are drugs which can be prescribed to help those who are still very frightened.
Having got through firework season this year, you need to start to do something about your dogs phobia. Many dogs can be treated using behavioural methods called desensitisation and counter conditioning. Specially made recordings of fireworks can be used to train dogs not to react to the noises they fear. This takes time and patience and the advice of an experienced professional should be sought.
