is ther anything i can do to calm my dogs down on bonfire night?

Question

I have three dogs in total a caviler king charles spaniel a jack russell x and a westie. The eldest one the king charles is not bothered by the fireworks but the two younger ones dont like them at all. Is there anything i can buy at a pet shop to ease the stress of it all or something i can buy from my vet

Answer 1

you could buy a shot gun and .......no not the dogs ,,,,,,get the bastards letting off the fireworks for weeks on end

Answer 2

I have 2 dogs that are petrified of fireworks! I close all the windows but leave internal doors open so that they don't feel trapped anywhere. I have bought a DAP infuser, which you can get from the vets for about £15. This is a plug in that simulates the smell that newborn pups smell from their mother. This makes them feel safe when they do start going off.

The best thing to do is to ignore your dogs. This is extremely hard to do but trust me it works. If you make a fuss over then when they get scared they think that they are being praised for being scared and acting the way they do. My eldest dog, both greyhounds, shakes so much that he finds it dififcult to breath. 2 years ago I had to get him sedated but last year I used the DAP infuser and ignored him when he got scared, I still sat with him so that he knew I was there but when he calmed down a bit I praised him. Dogs then learn that if they calm down that they get praised and treats.

My other dog is a bit more clever than my other one so when they start I get her to do some obedience exercises so that her mind is taken off the fact that these horrendous noises are happening.

This year I have also tried a de-sensitising CD of firework noises and I have seen an improvement in my eldest but the test will be firework night!

I have also been recommended by my local pet shop to use an anti-anxiety herbal remedy called anxiety. You can get it off the internet for £8.99 or buy it in your pet shop for about £10. Anxiety is drops that you can put directly into the dog's mouth or you can drop it on to a treat and give it to them that way. This is the first year that I have used them but we have had a few stray fireworks go off and when they have I got up and put a few drops onto a sausage and they both calmed right down almost immediately. I am not sure how well they will work when there are lots of fireworks though!!

A bit of a long winded answer but there are many things you can do but my advice is to:
1) Ignore your dog when it gets scared.
2) Get a DAP infuser and plug it into the room where your dogs run when they get scared to make that room as safe as possible, you can also create a little hidey hole, a box or something so that they can hide if they feel scared
3) Try a de-sensisation CD of firework noises and increase the volume gradually (you can buy this off e-bay for under £5).
4) Try and take their mind off it by playing games or training.
5) Use the Anxiety drops when they start to go off

Good luck!!

Answer 3

--Obviously you should keep them inside as much as possible when fireworks start going off and keep windows and doors shut so as to minimum noise levels within your house. A device I find helpful with my two border collies is a little plug in device that plugs into the mains and acts in the same way as an air freshener. It's called DAP and releases hormones into the room (it only covers a reasonably small area) that are designed to calm dogs; as it won't work throughout the whole house it may be an idea to leave your dogs in a room (preferably dark as this helps to calm them down further) and maybe leave a radio in there turned up quite high so as to block out some of the firework noise. DAP plug-ins are usually available from your local vets. On the negative side, they are reasonable expensive but it should help to calm your dogs' nerves in such stressful times.

Hope to have been of help.

Answer 4

Right this is really good advice, like professional, when the night comes black out the windows, try to play a game with them and keep them busy, play music, not too loudly but something with a heavy drum beat to take their minds off the fireworks, if one does get scared don't give it special attention that's only proving theres something to be worried about and there is a product out now which gives dogs a relaxing smell. Hope that works for you.

Answer 5

I have two dogs, one is scared (my boyfriend's dog) and one isn't (my dog). I have heard lots of dogs trainers say that you shouldn't make too much of a fuss trying to comfort your dog when fireworks are being let off - the dog might interpret this as you praising it for cowering and being afraid, reinforcing it's behaviour.

The day after I got my dog at 8 weeks old, I had a huge public firework display going off about 1/2 a mile from my house. My puppy was terrified at first and tried to hide behind the sofa, but rather than comfort him I distracted him with a toy. After a while he forgot about the noise outside and started to relax.

Try this with your dogs, it might work. If not and you are very worried, I would suggest you speak to your vet, or a dog trainer. As you know it can be very distressing for pets and if it's that much a problem it might be worth investing in a one off one-to-one session at your house with a dog trainer who will be tell you how they would handle it.

Answer 6

Turning up te TV and giving them something else to do (like giving them a Kong) is a good idea, but you may also want to try an herbal rememdy called Rescue Remedy. you can probably get it at your health food store. People use it, too, but if you add a couple drops to your dog's food, it will help calm them down. It's very safe, and it's all natural.

Answer 7

Hi yes there is a product called Serinum or sounds like that but you pet store will know when you say it's to calm them down & other than that you can get ACP 25 mg from your vet...you will only need about a quarter of a tab for you dogs as it knocks them out but it is very safe...Regards Jake
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PetsSecondChance

Answer 8

My mother in law had a little mongrel and it was terrible on bonfire night shaking and hiding under the settee. She went to the vets and he gave the dog a sedative and it worked fine made her a bit dopey but she seemed ok with the noise out side.
Good Luck
P&T

Answer 9

Yes, Seren-um tablets or drops are good you can buy them from the pet shop or ebay, also a D.A.P diffuser is good it's the pheromones the mother gives off to make puppies feel secure, available vets or ebay,My dog is also taking bach flower remedies , aspen and gorsse which seem to help.Have you tried tellington touch massage? thats good and also a bandage wrapped around chest and tummy pinned on side of spin makes them feel more secure, wrap loosely or put them in t-shirts has the same effect, a childs one worn back to front and tied with an elastic band to take up the slack on the back.
Good luck

Answer 10

Yes ring your vet and tell them what your dogs are like,you may have to take them in to see the vet they won't give you medication without the vet seeing them,he will give you something to calm them.
I had a female Retriever and she was the same
I hope this will help you bye.

Answer 11

The best thing to do is make sure that all windows are closed to block out the noise, and have the TV up a bit louder than usual to mask the bangs. Make sure all curtains are shut tight to stop light flashes coming in, and try to distract them by playing games and talking to them in a soothing voice. Just keep them as distracted as possible and make them feel safe and loved.