Firework problems!

shannonandtay

shannonandtay

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Hi just a moan really about the ongoing fireworks we have where I live from October through to January. I have a five year old Kerry blue terrier five years old and I find that each year she gets worse and worse with the fireworks. The problem is she gets very aggressive and she will bark non stop for hours, after one bad incident where she tried to throw herself through my back patio doors I now give her diazepam form the vet. I find this sometimes helps sometimes doesn't. I haven't got a room where I don't have windows and generally keep her with me in my bedroom and take her out for toilet breaks on the lead. So you get the idea of my new years eve :D just wondered if anyone has a similar problem with their dogs and how do you cope. Thanks
 
Do you have a covered crate? Is your bathroom small and dark? She will probably be happier in a small dark space. You could also have the telly or radio on loud.
While ideally this should have been done a long time ago and the behaviour is ingrained, during the year you could also work on de-sensitising her with recordings/YouTube, giving her a positive associating with the noise, IE feeding her or instigating a game during the noise and/or when she calms down.
 
Thanks, yes I must try e desensitising when things die down around here don't know why but I put it off every year and then it's too late as it's upon us again! Unfortunately my bathroom has quite big windows in it so no good there, but I do have tv blaring to try to drown the noise out. I think I could cope if it was just the actual fireworks weekend and new years eve but we have it on/off continuously where we live and fireworks aren't what they used to be, it's like bombs going off :D
 
I was wondering if there was a firework thread, with New Years Eve tomorrow.

Just wondered if there was anything I could do to stop Elsie barking. She isn't scared of fireworks, but just loves to bark at them. And bark, and bark, and bark...!

She obviously has quite a loud bark given her size and I don't want to annoy the neighbours in the small hours :)

Any suggestions?
 
another one not looking forward to NYE fireworks :(

I bought one of those desensitising DVDs and played it regularly from the September before his first bonfire night when he would have been 5 months old. Play it again from the same time each year. Hes now 3 and gets worse each year. He seems unconcerned by the dvd tho so im guessing somehow he can differentiate between sound coming from TV and sound from outside. We have an awful lot of the 'cannon' type fireworks going off around here and tbh they make me jump outta my skin and i know what they are, so its no wonder the dog is scared by them.

Tried a dog calmer from Pets at Home & rescue remedy, neither makes a difference and im loathe to sedate him with tablets.
i resort to shutting me & dog in my bedroom with the tv on and just ignore him even when hes shaking like a leaf. He still panics and barks but at least he cant race from room to room throwing himself about, nor can he reach the window in there.
 
Thanks for all your suggestions will look into them as willing to give anything a try.

Mrselle - I think the barking is some dogs way of showing fear without the shaking and hiding, my dog wants to get out the house so she can bark at the fireworks so doesn't seem like fear but I'm sure it is. Like you I worry about the neighbors but I have spoken to them so they are awar although I'm sure they dread it every year like me :D

Mogg - your dog sound the same as mine, I've also tried DAP but made no difference either. I have used diazepam for the last couple of years with a minimum dose as a last resort and because of the incident with the patio doors I worry about her harming herself, I realize this isn't an answer to my problems though. Oh well happy new year :)
 
Same here. No chance of going out for a couple of drinks tonight on NYE with a dog that will shake constantly, pant, pace around the house, and run blindly into things! We'll be sitting in the smallest room in the house, with the TV up loud and the door closed!
 
moppett said:
Same here. No chance of going out for a couple of drinks tonight on NYE with a dog that will shake constantly, pant, pace around the house, and run blindly into things! We'll be sitting in the smallest room in the house, with the TV up loud and the door closed!
Click to expand...

Sounds like my new years eve last few years!
 
CaveCanem said:
Do you have a covered crate? Is your bathroom small and dark? She will probably be happier in a small dark space. You could also have the telly or radio on loud.
While ideally this should have been done a long time ago and the behaviour is ingrained, during the year you could also work on de-sensitising her with recordings/YouTube, giving her a positive associating with the noise, IE feeding her or instigating a game during the noise and/or when she calms down.
Click to expand...

I have done all of the above, and played recordings of fireworks etc to Logan (3yr Staff x Border Collie) and he doesn't bat an eyelid. Alsom whilst walking through the orchards and fields we often hear people shooting, and that doesn't phase him either.

However, whenever fireworks go off he goes into "protect Mum" mode and lays on my lap or sits as close to me as possible with his hackles up and growls/barks at the window at the "threat".

I have never encouraged this behviour or done the whole cuddle him and say "ooooh it's ok! who's a goood boooyy?! awww don't be scared!" etc etc and I have either tried to distract him with toys, or ignored the bahviour completely.

Another thing to note is that he cannot see that flashes from the fireworks and the TV will be on LOUD if there is fireworks, however we do not have double glazed windows so you can still slearly hear them.

Any thoughts? :)

EDIT: I have also tried him with the pet form of resuce remedy, and he goes for at least a 2 mile walk every day, if not further. He is also on Burns lamb and rice dry food so isn't being pumped full of sugars etc :)
 
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