Dogs and Fireworks

Having a dog that is afraid of fireworks is no walk in the park.  Quite literally.  Caesar is one of many dogs who suffer from the minute the bangs and pops begin and gets gradually worse as the fifth of November approaches.  Managing this time of the year has been a learning experience for us.  Here's what I've learnt over the past few years about owning a dog who is literally terrified of fireworks.

To begin with, it's important to remember that every dog is an individual and different things work for different dogs.  The reason I say this is because there is so much conflicting advice when it comes to fireworks.  And, you know what your own dog needs.  For example, where some dogs will appreciate having somewhere to hide, other dogs, like Caesar, feel comfortable being closer to their owner.  If a firework goes off, 9 times out of 10, Caesar will bring himself as close as possible to us.  Some advice will tell you to ignore the dog and act like nothing is happening.  Again, having tried this, I find that simply giving Caesar a cuddle and talking to him normally can ease his anxiety a little - and he actively seeks contact when he's afraid.

Today, for example, I returned home from work to find the house empty and Caesar sitting in the bathroom looking petrified and shaking like a leaf.  It didn't take me long to realise that, despite it only being 5 o'clock, people were letting off fireworks.  I took Caesar into my bedroom and lay on the bed with him and told him about my day at work.  I did feel a little boring when he fell asleep - but at least he had stopped being anxious!  And you can't please everybody...

"So you'll never guess what happened this morning Caesar.....Caesar??"

Anyhow, after seeking and gathering much advice on fireworks as well as now having a little personal experience with a dog that has a phobia, here are my top tips:

1.  DO NOT walk your dog on or around bonfire night past night fall.  (The same goes for New Year!)  - even if this means missing a walk or two.  It really is worth it for your own peace of mind!
2.  DO try natural calming aids such as rescue remedy, thunder shirts and plug in pheromone diffusers.  However, ultimately, if your dog is still afraid, seek advice from your vet - the sooner the better!
3.  DO give your dog somewhere safe to retire to - I use Caesar's castle or a crate with a large blanket over the top.
4.  DO NOT attempt to pull your dog out from hiding under furniture - I know it may seem obvious but I've heard more than one case of dog bites from this from first hand.
5. DO play music or TV to distract from the sound as much as possible.
6. DO listen to your dog.  And by that, I don't mean ask them to tell you what is upsetting them but follow their lead - they will let you know if they need closeness or a hiding place, some privacy or some attention.  Use your initiative to decide how much of each is needed.

After following lots of advice for fear and trying my best to ease Caesar, I finally took him to the vet.  He is now taking Valium for his phobia and I must admit I have seen an improvement already in that he is not shaking as much.

Further Information
Fireworks and the law -  https://www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law
Advice from the RSPCA - http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/fireworks

Have you got any advice of your own to add to the list?  Comment below to add your tips.

Bangwhizzing popfizzers...the stairs are exploding!

I aplogoise in advance of this post.  It's 22:40 and I still need a shower before bed.  So, it will need to be short and sweet which is not at all my style!  This is the first night where I've actually had my eyes still open by the time I've finished work so I guessed, after not posting for four days (sorry), that it was a good time for a quick blog update.

The last few days have been stressful to say the least.  The fireworks have made Caesar very jumpy and shaky and nothing seems to be easing this.  Unfortunately, the usual tricks (crate, Thundershirt, ear defenders) were just not enough this time to counter the people behind us who decided to have their own fireworks display in a back yard that can't be more than 10 square metres.  I have to admit that even I was a little jumpy at some of the bangers that went up last night!

Caesar was past himself and, to begin with, stuck himself to me like glue.  However, this soon stopped when, taking a step onto the stairs, a huge bang went off outside of the window!  Poor Caesar leapt up like he had been shot and clearly associated the noise with the fact that he'd put his paw onto the stairs.  After that, he was very unnerved by the stairs and it took ages to get him to come down.

As a result of all of the fear that went on in our house last night, Caesar refused to go to the toilet before bed, despite the fireworks having stopped by this point and left me a lovely present to tidy at the end of the spare bed!  Thanks Caesar!

Caesar not looking very happy about the fireworks - this was at about 5 o'clock!!!

Thanks for reading everyone!

BANG BANG POP!

Who actually ends bonfire night feeling fulfilled by the excitement offered by crackling fires and whizz-popping fireworks.  Not me.  At large, I come home feeling a bit cold and a bit disappointed that they only lasted so long or were too far apart or simply that the council spent that much on a firework display when there is an awful lot more that needs to be achieved in the local area than fireworks dancing in time to the James Bond Theme.

As a child, I remember my favourite bonfire party ever being the one run by the people down the road because they let me sit in their house and eat crisps whilst watching the fireworks through the patio doors.  I didn't like bangs, they made me jump! 

I might have had the get-up but I wasn't always a huge fan of the outdoors, even as a child!

It is for this reason that I totally sympathise with Caesar, who doesn't like bangs either!  The problem with dogs is, unlike humans who are scared of fire works (like me), they are not able to go "Oof - scared the life out of me, that one!" and have a bit of a laugh at their own expense.  Instead, like a tiny infant, they're trapped in their own body.  Confused by the alien noises and petrified by the possibilities they hold.  

"Don't fuss your dog," many instructions say.  This, is one of the most difficult things to adhere to.  Caesar will sit like a shivering wreck on the carpet.  He comes over and stands close by quivering and shaking.  Sometimes he runs around.  We close the curtains, put the TV on loud, he's already wearing his thunder shirt but we cannot escape from the sounds.

What was that noise?!

Last year it got too much.  Our house has single glazing and is in the centre of a fairly busy town.  The noises outside were non-stop and our neighbours were having their own fireworks party.  Fireworks whizzed past every window in the house before exploding noisily and with each one the shaking got worse.  Tears rushed to my eyes as I watched him run from the door to the chair and into the corners.  Trying to escape the inescapable.

I finally picked up the phone.  "What are the fireworks like near your house?" I asked.  Knowing that I would have to risk getting Caesar from the house and into the car.  "Not bad at all came the answer."  I knew what I had to do.

The fireworks there were not bad at all.  However, the occasional noises sparked another reaction.  Eventually, my dad stood up and disappeared.  He came back with a solution.  One that isn't advertised in magazines or dog psychology articles but it worked just the same...

Helpful Bits:

RSPCA advice on fireworks for pet owners:  http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/general/fireworks

Thundershirt website - Advice about how this special piece of clothing can reduce a dogs stress levels during difficult times such as thunderstorms and fireworks.

http://www.thundershirt.com/

If your pet does have a major firework phobia, it is worth speaking to your vet as they can give advice and sometimes medication to help.