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Snuffles

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Firework season :( " Deaf "setter can actually hear the fireworks! Only a few went off last night but she was pacing about and trembling from head to foot. doesn't bode well for the next 10 - 14 days we usually get of nightly fireworks. Do any of the calming supplements actually work ? Vets are not keen on giving out sedatives.
 
A friend of mine adopted an adult flatcoat this year and has now found out that she is terrified of fireworks.
He has now bought a thunder shirt from Pets at Home. The dog is now much calmer and not shaking. I think he still makes sure the tv or radio is on. He says take the dog to get the right fit. Apparently you have 7 days to return it if it doesn’t work, which is surprising. I would have thought they need to be in ‘as new’ condition to return.
 
A small, safe, covered/dark den is also a good idea.
Mine doesn't notice but the fireworks around here last night were like bombs going off, must have been very upsetting for dogs which are effected/people with young kids in bed.
 
My dog was terrified but seems ok this year. We thought she might be going deaf but she hears me get out of bed in the morning when she’s downstairs so I’m not sure. We did have some success with an Adaptil collar and also rescue remedy (for humans).
 
Even older dogs are surprisingly adaptable - my rehomed one used to bark at helicopters flying over even when inside and not at the top of the building when he first arrived (came from somewhere he'd have been unlikely to hear them at all before to be fair) but is now fine through the very simple mechanism of telling him it is fine in a calm fashion. We had pretty loud fireworks immediately outside last night at around 2am (I'm seriously considering moving...) and it only took a couple of seconds to calm him. Last year I went with having thick-ish curtains all drawn, lights on inside and radio playing but after last night I don't think I'll bother this year unless it gets really bad
 
i used zylkene for my lurcher as she was terrified of any loud noises you can buy it on line cheaper than the vets,, , the thundershirt didnt seem to work for her but the zylkene did help, she still wasnt happy but stopped pacing and trembling which was good...
 
I am so glad we live in the middle of nowhere, so our dogs only have the sound of shot guns to put up with and no fireworks at all.
 
WorkingGSD said:
I am so glad we live in the middle of nowhere, so our dogs only have the sound of shot guns to put up with and no fireworks at all.
Click to expand...

me too-we dont even have that this year as no local shoot now.


guy in the next village has a BiL who works in a fireworks factory (think he must own it) and he had a big fireworks display a couple of years back-didnt forewarn me or local stock owners. Amazingly the horses were fine even though they were only a few hundred yards away. One farmer had a load of stock go through a wall though with one breaking a leg, another had some go through a fence into a bull that he dodnt want them going into. That's without the neighbours dogs and cats getting upset. he was not popular that week. I will be bringing the horses back from that field this weekend, just in case.

hope the paste helps Snuffles, havent heard of that one before. I've only had the one collie scared of them-although I had another dog truly terrified of thunder.
 
Collected stuff from Vets. Unexpected firework blasts tonight, dog didn't bat an eyelid, meds not even opened ! Perhaps they weren't the right calibre of fireworks !
 
Using cbd oil for my dog this year and it seems to be working really well. She’s an anxious dog at the best of times and this has helped her more than any other product I’ve tried. Last year we tried zylkene and a thunder shirt which did help but not as much as this oil.
 
Silly question from me, sorry I’m also sort of hyjacking the thread.

Can dogs be walked in thunder coats or are they strictly an indoors thing? Rufus isn’t too bothered about fireworks but developed an aversion to gunfire a few years ago, which hasn’t improved. He gets into a right pickle on a Saturday when the shoot is in full flight.

I try and get out before they start but they seem to be getting earlier and earlier.
 
I saw a post about a film on youtube, made to be played on repeat for anxious and terrified dogs. it's called "woofering heights".

I can't tell you if it works because mine isn't at all worried by the noise, but the reviews are excellent.
 
Well I used the Sileo and wasn't all that impressed, dog still reacting, but possibly might have been worse without it. Two nights of 5 hours of fireworks, thought tonight would be quiet but no its started again ! I have spoken to a lot of people today with dogs who are at their wits end firework season, the sooner they are restricted to organised displays only the better as far as I am concerned.
 
So sorry Snuffles, your poor dog. The trouble is that every year animal owners complain about fireworks but nothing ever happens to curb their use.

I almost feel guilty that I haven’t heard one firework, I said Almost!!
 
Started here tonight as well and if last year is anything to go by they will keep going a few nights a week until new year. They drive me mad and I noticed all the skid marks in the field this morning which means the horses must have been unsettled last night.
 
My OH said tonight - and we are lucky in that none of our animals are bothered - that far more people like fireworks than like horses, which I suppose is true. Surely not more than like dogs though?
 
Having kept horse in for a couple of nights in case he was frightened by fireworks and started haring about (he has a dodgy leg) I was distinctly unimpressed when a neighbours horses got through a broken fence (been broken ages) and set him off again today
 
Out of interest, and in keeping with the topic, I wonder about the genetic influence regarding sound sensitivity in dogs. Herding breeds can be very prone to it.

Personally I would never breed from a GSD (or gundog, although they are not my thing) with noise sensitivity, although might be persuaded to with a border collie if it's working ability was outstanding.
 
Agreed WGSD. I totally believe it is genetic. I've seen dogs try and run off the field because of the gunshots and it makes me want to cry. It's not fair that we have made dogs this way.
Malinois can have a lot of environmental sensitivities too.

Not necessarily to do with this thread or any of the dogs in it, but the pet breeding market prioritises looks and cuddliness over all else. I personally would find it difficult having a dog in my house who was scared of loud noises as I am a noisy so and so lol. Good nerves and cute, cuddly dogs who make good pets shouldn't be mutually exclusive...I also include in this the large number of socially unstable/reactive (to people and dogs) small curly cutsie crossbreeds we now see...temperament is the last thing on the list it seems and I just wish people would think before they breed.
ALL dogs are lovely in their safe home environment. It's when they are subjected to stress that's the clincher.

Again this is a general rant and I appreciate that dogs can have bad experiences and some are more sensitive than others!
 
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