How are your dogs with fireworks?

All was fine with ours until our neighbours set fireworks off over our garden.

My 2 had no problems until then as with any distance the noise can be dampened by radio etc and we have always been really casual about it. My collieX is now not coping and panics. Honestly I think any fireworks at any distance are fine, but directly over head and shaking the windows of the house were too much for her to cope with. On the night it happened she did a complete runner in terror and we spent a night of worry trying to find her. Thankfully now home. Meanwhile the terrier who is normally complete coward is still fine with it.
 
Well on Saturday night we found our dog hiding behind the toilet! Last night he literally lay on top of me, and tonight he is a shivering mess following us all around like a bad smell!

I wonder if their hearing changes as they age, B has never been bothered by loud noises until he reached 6 or 7 and I know of a few dogs who were similar.
 
Mine is a collie x and is terrified of most noises. He was fine as a pup, but we had to go away urgently at the end of October when he was two years old. When we got home the poor dog was terrified. I phoned the kennels to find out what had gone on. They said that some neighbours had had some fireworks and as he was the only dog in the kennels they had shut him in a shed!!
Dog has never been the same since. I've tried the Scary sounds CD of fireworks - he is really intelligent and knows it's on a CD - he sort of looks at me as if to tell me that I'm the stupid one. We tried ignoring them - ended up with him sitting BEHIND the TV unit, wrapped in wires, looking like a suicide bomber.
Tried positive association - bang = bacon. Didn't work as he really is so terrified that he goes off all food
Tried serene-um - might as well have been smarties.
Took him to vet where they gave us Xanax with the words "This will definitely work". It didn't make any difference whatsoever!
So tonight, I am sitting in the kitchen with the washing machine on, the TV on so loud that I think it's actually damaging my hearing, and the cooker hood on which takes the smoke and steam out, as that's actually really loud. He is currently on his bed asleep. I can hear occasional thuds, and if he starts to react badly I'll put him in the car and take him for a drive somewhere quiet!
 
ladyt25 said:
I do wonder why some dogs react more than others. I live on a pretty busy estate - my neighbours directly opposite have had fireworks going (my dog watched a few then got bored). Then one of the houses up the street they have decided to set off fireworks from in the middle of the street - dog does not care and aI let her have a look out the window.
She has now just been out for her night toilet break and is currently asleep in her chosen 'night bed' as per usual and there are STILL loud fireworks going off!!!

I just find it odd -she has THE biggest ears ever and hears everything very clearlyyet is not bothered at all by all the noise. I do wonder why some are worse than others. Is it just natural in some dogs more than others or do some pick it up from their parents or even their humans??
Click to expand...

Breed (some breeds are known to be noise sensitive) genetics, result of human interaction, experience - good or bad...as with humans and horses, they're not robots, they're all different.
 
Our choc lab Molly is terrified of fireworks, the past week or so has been a bit of a nightmare in the evenings. I made the mistake one night of trying to take her out to stretch her legs, but a firework went off and she began to bolt blindly in the wrong direction. She's a real old girl now and we had her fingers crossed that she'd be deaf enough not to hear them. No such luck, she paces, pants, shakes and wont settle. Surprisingly last night she was okay - probably because I was banging and crashing in the kitchen trying to cook most of the evening! My little poddy doesn't mind, it was her first fireworks night, and apart from the odd curious bark and being a bit unsettled because of Molly - seemed fine! If I had been more organised I would have bought Molly an adaptil collar.
 
Throps scared of fireworks (thunder & gunshot), he shakes like a leaf but will settle in a den. His littermate Hector was completely unphased and could take him out on a walk while there going off nearby.

Last year was Hattie's first one (kennels fairly rural) and she was unsure at first so we gave her hotdog bits during the bangs and she coped well, unfortunately last week while we were outside some went off nearby and terrified her so she has taken to behaving like throp and we had to extend the den to fit her in. It was really loud last night as most were on the estate behind and i think the sound bounces back off the hill.
 
Neighbours are letting them off AGAIN tonight and once again my Apso is shaking like a leaf and hiding under the bed. It's getting ridiculous now.
 
My GSD is terrified. Telly on loud and on lead for pee duty as he won't go otherwise. Poor boy is okay if I'm with him so he slept on my bed last night (usually sleeps downstairs) and he seems reassured that I'll protect him.

I think it does get a bit ridiculous when they go on for weeks and for every calender event of the year. The horse isn't bothered in the slightest luckily!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top