How can I stop my dog form panicking over the firework bangs?

Answer 1

Record the sound then play it in the house... first on a quiet setting then gradually pump up the volume little by little... he will get used to it by the time you are up to a blasting volume.

H.O.T. Dog
Handler Owner Trainer of GSD's
Member U.S.A & A.W.D.F

Answer 2

There's probably not much you can do this year apart from some of the things already mentioned, i.e turn tv up etc, but do try not to fuss over him/her because that will just enforce that there is something to be afraid of, but I wholeheartedly advise everyone to get a CD with firework noise on, and if used correctly on a daily basis on a month before it really does work on desensitising them, I have been doing this for my 3yr old and my new puppy 15wk old and it has worked brilliantly, even to the point where I let my new baby out on the back yard for potty and the loudest bang went off...she didn't bat an eyelid, just did her business and came trotting back in unfazed....I cant tell you how happy I am that my babies are not suffering with all this madness......just wish the CD had desensitised me, I hate them...lol

Answer 3

Its a bit late for this years Nov 5th of course but there are firework vid/Cd's around which you can play for the dogs with little sound until they get used to it then up the sound a bit, keep doing that until they are desensitised to the 'bang' I have 3 greyhounds, 2 of which are really scared and they don't leave my side when its bad. I will be getting one of those Cd's for next year. Not sure where to get them from yet though.

Answer 4

That's really hard to do. Dogs did not evolve around fireworks being normal in their lives. Sudden loud explosions/noises are deeply stressful to most dogs and other animals.

Your dog should have a place he/she can go into that is quiet and safe for them. Talk to your vet about possibly getting a tranquilizer for the dog and also see if the vet has any recommendations for how to handle this.

The worst think you can do is to punish your dog for reacting normally to what it is perceiving as threatening or painful -- remember that your dog's hearing is far more acute than human hearing, so those explosions it hears hurts painfully.

Answer 5

I usually get tablets from the vet(Herbal) and they have worked fine for years on them, I usually start givine them a few days before I expect to start hearing the bangs.
I also light a few lavender scented candles and josh sticks, and a plug in lavender defuser I think its called. I was told that the lavender calms them down, and it really does.
They are still a little scared but I leave a safe place for them to go to (like under my bed) and they feel fine there, sometimes it is even hard to get them to go to *pe pee* they are scared. I was told not to ever make a fuss of them when a loud noise happened, but to try and ignore it, I know its hard but it is for the best. Because if you watch your dog or cat carefully when a bang occurs they look at you first to see what your reaction is!!
If you ignore it, they think" She's not bothered so why should I be"

Answer 6

My parents have 2 dogs that panic over fire works. Their block is overwhelmed with smoke and never ending fireworks every 4th of July. Its almost impossible to drive down that street on that day so you can only imagine how badly the doggies panic. What my parents do is bring them into the house until its over, this calms them a bit but they still get nervous. I'm afraid any dog's sensitive hearing ability is something we can't just turn on or off particularly when it comes to explosions and fire.

Answer 7

Its really hard. My Jack Russell has always been like this and every Nov 5th is a nightmare with her, she runs round and round the house barking her head off and shaking with fright. Its worsethis year as we have an 11 month old baby and her barking is waking him up at night! ARGH!!!

We've found the only thing we can do is give her something to take her mind of it - a chewy treat or bone.

Next year we will definitely try the idea of recording the banging sound and playing it in the house at increasing volumes.

Answer 8

I've never used them, but I believe you can get tranquilisers for dogs, which calms them down. I've never had a problem except this year. Apparently my dog went nuts last night over the fireworks going off to the extent that he was shaking. My parents just said they gave him lots of reassurance and turned the telly up a bit to drown the noise out a bit more.

Answer 9

Treat it like it's absolutely nothing. Let your dog see you ignoring the loud noises. Don't talk to him or fuss over him: He might think he has a reason to be worried.

Now, some dogs never get used to loud bangs. A Saint Bernard my grandparents used to have is one example. In that case, the best thing you can do is crate or chain your dog some place that he knows is safe.

Good luck!

Answer 10

Very difficult but you could try putting on loud music or the TV and just sit patiently with your dog giving him reassurance.

My last retriever was petrified of the bangs and even managed to crawl under a bed with just 2" of room to flatten himself. We had to lift the bed to get him out. I am really sorry I can't help more because I know how distressing it all is.

Answer 11

Melatonin is an over the counter supplement that can help dogs with sound phobias. A vet can also prescribe xanax to help your dog through scared times. You can also work to counter condition and desensitize your dog to loud noises. Visit www.fearfuldogs.com for more info about how to do this.

www.fearfuldogs.com