Dogs and fireworks, suggestions.

[GreatAuk]

My collie isn't bothered by fireworks at all, but we know someone else with a collie that is terrified when they're going off. Best thing for her seems to be locking her in a crate and draping a blanket over it, presumably makes her feel a bit safer having an enclosed space.

 

[robfosters]

My Staffie is terrified of hiccups as well, strange animals lol.

Yeah. Stick em in front of another staff or a huge Rottweiler and they’re brave as a lion, but the slightest little pop and they crap themselves lol

 

[Monkeynut]

Had a Schipperke who needed it drowning out with TV, now have a Cavalier King Charles who sleeps through it, and anything else.

 

[Semple]

Not much you can do. Our dachshund has a very bad time with fireworks, always quivering, not being able to decide where to be/hide, and often weeing over rugs etc.

thankfully our dachshund actually doesn't seem to mind them, he'll happily chill out in his bed, or even be out in the garden when they're going off.

I do wonder sometimes if a lot is down to how they grew up right from birth. The breeder we bought from always had a lot of loud noise, they also had a lot of dogs around, which may have desensitized them to loud noises.

 

[Freddie1980]

My parents Springer Spaniel loved fireworks. When she heard a bang she would run up to the window looking for a dead pheasant!

 

[One More Solo]

Teach them early by playing some decent fireworks videos on youtube.

Don't react and enjoy them so the dog will learn to be excited also.

Take them for a walk when fireworks are about and enjoy the walk as normal.

Ideally do all of these from a young age, rather than acting like a "furbaby parent".

It’s great advice but depends hugely on the age you got the dog as to how successful that would be.

 

[Fubsy]

My frenchie doesn’t bat an eyelid but my staffie was terrified. Some breeds must be worse than others.

Aye, wonder how the poor Bully XLs are faring.

 

[PitterPatter]

Too late for this year but this has been a gamechanger for our greyhound: https://www.pipsbootique.com/shop-2

I’ve also heard people suggest desensitising them but again that will take weeks/months of loud noise exposure.

He was fine with them until some utter **** set one off in August last year when he was going out for a wee before bed and terrified him. He bolted and we didn’t find him for four hours.

I love fireworks but they should be for organised displays only. They create too many problems.

Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll order one of these. Last year i butchered one of my jumpers to use the sleeve as a makeshift snood so this is ideal.

 

[-Ad-]

It’s great advice but depends hugely on the age you got the dog as to how successful that would be.

Certainly a lot more effort with an older dog. Plus hard to recreate fireworks throughout the year for training purposes.

Maybe just walk around banging pots and pans.

 

[Wizzkidy]

Just don't have a dog, horrible bloody things anyway.

Couldn't agree more

Wizz is that you?

Yeah fireworks are a pain. I don't get the appeal of them at all.

I also agree sale to individuals should be banned.

I'm not the only one then

 

[adam cool dude]

My collie isn't bothered by fireworks at all, but we know someone else with a collie that is terrified when they're going off. Best thing for her seems to be locking her in a crate and draping a blanket over it, presumably makes her feel a bit safer having an enclosed space.

Our 10 year old collie is the same. Not bothered in the slightest.

 

[Abraxaz1]

So after last nights being annoyed at not finding the birds i apparently shot, my lab has decided bringing me his outside toys is good enough for a treat….

So now I’m sat next to a pile of outdoor toys wondering why he has so many

 

[PitterPatter]

I’ve just spent an hour on the bathroom floor with my dog to get him to calm a bit. My back is in bits now.

 

[poosemon]

Our Goldendoodle was a lot calmer this year then previous two. Last couple of years she was barking a lot and growling and seemed generally a bit wound up.

This year has growled a tiny bit but otherwise was just chilling out on the sofa. We did take her for a long walk this afternoon so maybe she's just knackered.

Haven't done anything particularly different. We are in a area where every bugger is deciding to have their own private display. I honestly don't know where these people get the money to do it. House a couple of doors down has been letting stuff off constantly for over 20minutes now.

 

[Ayahuasca]

Doesn’t bother our cockapoo, her father was a working dog though.

 

[Rroff]

I live in a livestock area where people aren't supposed to use noisy fireworks, but an hour ago or so someone from the vague direction where I know new people have moved in recently had a load of loud rockets.

This turned into a bit of drama, new people weren't the ones settings them off, new people have a yappy dog which has been driving people up the wall for weeks and they refuse to do anything about it, they laid into the people who'd set off fireworks saying it was inconsiderate and traumatised their dog, people who let off fireworks have laid into them back about them being inconsiderate with their dog...

EDIT: Wonder if it was intentional - I overheard one of them threatening to shoot the dog awhile back when they rowed about it before.

 

[marinersfan]

I'm at work, but according to the Mrs our tit hasn't made a peep.
He's a good boy but he's a bit dim, so he probably hasn't even noticed.

 

[PitterPatter]

Had to get up at 3:30am then again an hour later to take him out. At 4:30am he was able to go for a walk again but, just as we turned the corner to one of his favourite spots, some mouth breathing ingrate set a firework off in the vicinity. You’d think these morons would have had their fun by then.

 

[platinum87]

I’ve just spent an hour on the bathroom floor with my dog to get him to calm a bit. My back is in bits now.

Your back is adjusting, lying down on your back on a hard floor should be perfectly comfortable.

The reason its not is due to bad posture. Keep doing it.

As for the dog, i would buy fireworks, have the dog watch me set it off, the dog will then learn, i remove something from a box, light it, it flies up, and explodes.

The other problem is, both you and your dog are hiding in the bathroom from this banging sound. You have basically taught your dog he should be afraid, and when it happens again, we should go hide together in the bathroom.

 

[PitterPatter]

Your back is adjusting, lying down on your back on a hard floor should be perfectly comfortable.

The reason its not is due to bad posture. Keep doing it.

As for the dog, i would buy fireworks, have the dog watch me set it off, the dog will then learn, i remove something from a box, light it, it flies up, and explodes.

The other problem is, both you and your dog are hiding in the bathroom from this banging sound. You have basically taught your dog he should be afraid, and when it happens again, we should go hide together in the bathroom.

There’s conflicting views on this so it’s difficult to know who is correct. He hides in there as it has no windows so it’s a den of sorts. When they get really bad he shakes a lot and his breathing becomes rapid. After some time with him and having the music on he starts to calm and then we leave him in there. He comes out on his own during the night.