Ben my 4 yr old spaniel is a quivering wreck when he hears fireworks and during storms. I have tried ignoring his trembling, panting and general distress as I know I will instill this behaviour if I reward him with attention. I have tried providing him with a dark shelter.no joy. I have tried the loud telly, not working and not a good idea during early hours of morning. I even tried the aversion therapy cd from pet shop to help.it didn't. Is there anything I can do to help him?
Answers:
Put your darling Ben on a lead, and then go sit on the front step with him (hold tightly on the lead!), and watch the fireworks. Speak softly to him in a very calm voice when the boom frightens him, but don't give up. He'll soon become accustomed to the flash of light and the booming noise. It's basic aversion therapy, just like people who fear flying undergo. It works! Truly! I read this in a book called the "Dog Listener", and tried it. Worked a treat.
you can get doggy tranquillizers
My dog is the same with fireworks and storms .. I tend to either let her lay behind the sofa on her own, or she'll come up on the sofa with us and snuggle up and shake. I don't think there is any easy solution to this, just a case of being understanding and comfort him in the best way you can.
Why don't you try getting your dog used to louder noises slowly- Use the tv, the radio, ect. You can try getting a nature soundtrack that includes storm sounds, or action movies with bombs in it. Start the sound low, then slowly up the volume.
Some dog owners have found that by having something wrapped around the dog they are not so anxious. They call it "hug therapy" http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/behavior-pho.
In one article I saw a while back, a woman had a dog which became terrified of noises to point where she had trouble taking him out of the house, she found that wrapping a bandage around and round him made him much less anxious (although she did get lots of strange looks). An example of how she wrapped him can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/foxterrier_resc.
Alternatively, you can buy special jackets that have the same effect e.g. http://www.anxietywrap.com/inthenews.htm. however you might prefer to try the crepe bandage method first to see if it helps before spending loads on a jacket.
A dog will react in correspondance with it's owner. If you act more confident around him when it's happening he'll realise that it's not bothering you so it shouldn't bother him.
Ask your vet for advice - or local animal shelter. Explain the problem and they will give a sedative if needs be. Other than that all you can do is be there for Ben to reassure him and make sure he doesnt get outside while fireworks etc are going off.
My husbands nan has the same problem with her Staffy. He was terrified, to the point he would chew through cupboard doors to hide. She took him to the vets and he would give her tranquillisers of some sort to help calm him down and these worked really well, in fact they sent him to sleep. He has now lost his hearing through old age so she doesn't have to worry about getting them now.
I've heard that white noise helps but I've never tried it. Our dog had the exact same problem and shook herself to sleep last 4th of July.the day our wonderful festive neighbors seemed to get their hands on a box of illegal pyrotechnics. They set about three off a week on average and the dog has just learned to deal with it.
Hi Widow
listen i rescued a westie and when the fire works started oh i felt so sorry for her, WOW what a change, when the fireworks went of i had her on my bed and i wold talk to her in a calm way and yes i would let her bark away. I would say to her its OK lady it just fireworks and calm her down as much as i could. The fireworks keep coming and now she wants out to them. So i suggest talking to your dog, i promise it works.
Dont reward him while he shakes! he is thinking its right for him to be scared if you do that. just talk to him in a soft voice and stroke him. turn the tv up and play with his toys. do anything to take his mind off of the noise. por little bugger
xxxhthxxxx
Ask your vet about dog pheromone diffusers. They work by spreading female pheromones throughout the house (dont worry, humans cant smell them). These pheromones are the same that are released by a mother when the pups are younger so it acts as a relaxant to the dog. However, it would need to be plugged in for a few hours before the fireworks/storm start to have an effect on your dog. You are doing the right thing by ignoring your dogs behaviour. Fussing over them just reinforces their belief that there is someting wrong.
My dog is the same exact way. I just try to comfort him like any human would want. I hold him and rub his ears and try to sooth him by reassuring that everything is fine. He can tell by the tone of my voice what I am trying to get accross. A dogs worst fear is abandonment, dont leave him alone stay close.
Weve been through this with one of our dogs,
get the vet to give you something to calm him
good luck.
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