We have tried all sorts of remedies and techniques over the years to calm our dogs during fireworks, long car journeys and other stressful times, here's a roundup, whether they worked and a new product we tried that worked a treat.
Some dogs get stressed – a lot. Others are so chilled out you often feel like you’re the stressed one. As Molly has gotten older, she has gone from the latter to the former. Nothing would spook her, loud bangs and she wouldn’t even bother to open an eyelid, car journeys, great where are we going?
But with age (and her stress head little brother Toby the Lakeland Terrier) she has become quite the nervous wreck. Years ago if anyone opened a car door, whether she knew them or not she would be in there ready for the adventure, but now within 30 seconds of pulling off the driveway Molly is digging up the mat and breathing heavily.
I also remember times when we used to go out to watch the fireworks together, when she heard them going off outside she would drag me to the door to go and watch. Many years we ventured up into the Derbyshire hills to enjoy a 360 degree view of fireworks all around us, she absolutely loved watching each go into the air and explode.
Unfortunately those times have gone and we now have a shivering wreck beneath my legs, leading us to try an assortment of training techniques, medication and other methods. Here’s a post we wrote a few years ago mainly focussed on helping your dog through the firework season but the principles are the same.
Our first foray into the medication route was the Bach Rescue Remedy which unfortunately did nothing for Molly or Toby for fireworks or car journeys, not being fans of chemicals we chose Bach for it’s natural ingredients but following the poor results stopped there.
We tried playing music or having the TV louder than usual, gradually building it up through the evening but that only worked for distant fireworks, the neighbours efforts being so close still caused stress.
One of the better things we tried was a Thundershirt (Thundershirt Anxiety Coat for Dog, L, Grey
I was recently introduced to a new natural remedy called M&C Serene-UM Calm Drops
I expected to have to build up the medication over a few days but just hours after giving it to Molly she was a little more relaxed and our next car journey was calmer, she laid down the whole way and was relaxed and breathing normally. I’m going to give it to her agin over the next few days and see how fireworks season (it doesn’t last just a night anymore, they go for around a week or so) goes this year.
I’ll put our findings on to social media so make sure you follow Play Fetch on Twitter and our Play Fetch Facebook page.
