The start of November can be a very stressful time for dogs and their owners especially when your dog has a fear of loud noises and bangs. What can you do to help your dog (and you) at this time of year?
With enough forward planning it is possible to desensitise your dog to fireworks, but lets face it bonfire night creeps up so quickly it is here before we know it. This post lists some ways to train your dog to not be worried by fireworks but also gives some last minute advice.
The best way to train your dog to not be worried of fireworks is to desensitise him. Here is a fireworks sound effect (1.2MB, mp3) I found on the web, it is in mp3 format so you can just chuck it onto an mp3 player or straight into your sounds system.
Start by playing the sound softly at intervals for a few days, then slowly increase the volume on each play. You might also want to provide your dog with some sort of reward to provide a good association with the sound. Keep increasing the volume and reward over the next few days, if your dog becomes spooked by the fireworks sound reduce the volume and start again from that volume. After a while you should be able to play the fireworks at quite a high volume without your dog panicking.
I posted on Twitter asking what you do to to calm your dog during fireworks, popular responses included
For the last minute folks out there, medication is the next best thing to calm your dog during fireworks. There is an array of medication available for a fear of fireworks, some branded specifically for fireworks and some branded as calming medication. A quick google will bring up lots of different types but I would speak to your vet who will be able to advise which to choose and what dosage to give.
Remember when taking your dog out at this time of year, fireworks are likely to go off during the day as well as the night. For dogs scared of fireworks always keep them on a lead just for a few weeks. Unfortunately a dog very close to me was being walked by a dog sitter whilst his parents (and me) were on holiday. A firework went off during the day and he bolted, running across several fields onto a road where he was hit and killed. I lost a great friend that day, this post is dedicated to Jake who is greatly missed. Here is a video taken of Jake and Molly playing.
