Anybody can help me on this?
98- emievil
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We own 5 dogs in all, one Doberman, two terrier-maltese and 2 mixed-breed puppies. Our two terrier-maltese dogs always react negatively whenever they here fireworks or firecrackers going off. Last New Year, they almost destroyed their cage trying to get out and hide away from all that noise. Never really thought much of it but today, some people outside were kind of testing some fireworks. When our female terrier-maltese heard it she started whining and then shaking. I mean her whole body was shaking and it took my husband some time to calm her down.
Anybody has a similar experience on this or can tell me how to address this? I'm worried what they'll do when December comes and these fireworks get more and more frequent. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
71- sneakorocksolid
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Keep them away from the dogs best you can and maybe talk to your vet about a med for them. Our vet has us give our dog a benadryl when we travel to slow him down. Talk to your vet see what they say.
86- tantrum
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fire works are very bad for dogs. You can't imagine how much they suffer. There are some drops you can give them a couple of hours before all that noise. and keep them inside the house if you can. Ask your vet.
- 98
- emievil
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Thanks sneak and tantrum. Those are solid advices. One of my friends just advised me to keep them inside the house but without the med, I don't think that will work too much. Will talk to my vet right away.
73- Lee Boolean
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I read somewhere that dogs don't just hear the sound, they actually feel the air pressure on the ear drums(which according to the article is why they rarely bark back at dogs on TV), so I guess keeping them indoors is where to start. Sorry, I can't remember the source of this info though.
73- Magick Stories
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I know how they feel. Just imagine someone putting that firecracker inside your eardrum before letting it explode is how a dog hears the sounds. To make it worse is it takes longer for the sounds to go away and the smells aren't very nice, either. It is an unbelievable sound and echoing effect in their ears and head.
My friend Fire has nothing to do with fireworks and I don't blame her. Just remember humans can't hear as good as we can. That's why you like us around. Purr. We just stay away from the noises and haven't needed the meds, yet.
98- Whitney05
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You can desensitize them to the sound. Get a recording of fire crackers going off. Play it softly and slowly when they get use to the initial volume, raise it a notch. When the dogs get used to that volume, raise it another notch. Don't raise it before they're ready, or you'll probably have to start over.
You can do the same thing for dogs who are scared of thunder. It's not exactly the same as a real firecracker or real thunder, but it's been proven in many cases to work.
Another more extreme option, that can potentially cause the fear to worsen is to flood the fear by basically making the dogs sit and listen to the firecrackers until they get over it.
Just remember NEVER coddle and baby the dog and whisper, 'it's ok' and 'you'll be alright' in sweet, loving tones. You're telling the dog it's ok to be scared. You may feel like you're trying to calm the dog down and relax him, but you're really telling her, 'good girl, whine and be scared of the evil fire crackers.'
You can still tell them that it'll be alright, but do so in a regular tone that says basically, 'what's the problem? there's nothing to be worried about. get over it.' kind of deal.- 98
- emievil
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Whitney05 wrote:
Just remember NEVER coddle and baby the dog and whisper, 'it's ok' and 'you'll be alright' in sweet, loving tones. You're telling the dog it's ok to be scared. You may feel like you're trying to calm the dog down and relax him, but you're really telling her, 'good girl, whine and be scared of the evil fire crackers.'
You can still tell them that it'll be alright, but do so in a regular tone that says basically, 'what's the problem? there's nothing to be worried about. get over it.' kind of deal.Thanks Whitney. Uh, I guess we did the wrong thing then because we always give her extra TLC when she's scared. I like your suggestion on desensitizing, maybe worth a try so that in the long run they will be 'cured' of their fear. Thanks
. - 98
- emievil
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Lee Boolean wrote:
I read somewhere that dogs don't just hear the sound, they actually feel the air pressure on the ear drums(which according to the article is why they rarely bark back at dogs on TV), so I guess keeping them indoors is where to start. Sorry, I can't remember the source of this info though.
I have a problem with indoors as we don't want them around because our house doubles as our office, so there are papers around. But I'll talk about it with my husband, maybe we can set up a corner in our house where they can stay. Thanks Lee.
- 98
- emievil
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Magick Stories wrote:
I know how they feel. Just imagine someone putting that firecracker inside your eardrum before letting it explode is how a dog hears the sounds. To make it worse is it takes longer for the sounds to go away and the smells aren't very nice, either. It is an unbelievable sound and echoing effect in their ears and head.
My friend Fire has nothing to do with fireworks and I don't blame her. Just remember humans can't hear as good as we can. That's why you like us around. Purr. We just stay away from the noises and haven't needed the meds, yet.LOL, I knew we should have taken in cats instead of dogs
. But I've learned to love dogs and I hate to see them shaking. Oh well, Thanks magick. 
86- JulietduPreez
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Hi
Try wrapping them up in a tight t-shirt or blanket. It makes them feel comforted.
Rescue remedy could help
Also, play the sound of firecrackers or lightning but start to associate it with something nice like play or eating.
Juliet- 98
- emievil
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JulietduPreez wrote:
Hi
Try wrapping them up in a tight t-shirt or blanket. It makes them feel comforted.
Rescue remedy could help
Also, play the sound of firecrackers or lightning but start to associate it with something nice like play or eating.
JulietThanks Juliet. Didn't know I will receive such replies in a short time. I think I'll show the whole thread to my husband
. 
96- frogdropping
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I only ever had one dog that lost the plot when he heard fireworks. He was a mess, every year, October through Novemeber, until after the Guy Fawkes stuff was over and done with.
He'd chew through anything in his terror. It was almost as though chewing was his way of smoking 60 a day. Only ever did it when fireworks were going off - but he was a big dog with a big jaw
Anyway, after a few years of trying to help him cope, I spoke to my then vet. He suggested an approach similar to Whitney's desensitizing idea. Over time, it took the edge off. He was never great but he was a lot more relaxed.
Hope whatever you do helps emie
96- rebekahELLE
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mine was always afraid also, every holiday.
here is an article from cesar millan, the dog whisperer.
hope it helps.
http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/editorials/- 98
- emievil
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frogdropping wrote:
I only ever had one dog that lost the plot when he heard fireworks. He was a mess, every year, October through Novemeber, until after the Guy Fawkes stuff was over and done with.
He'd chew through anything in his terror. It was almost as though chewing was his way of smoking 60 a day. Only ever did it when fireworks were going off - but he was a big dog with a big jaw
Anyway, after a few years of trying to help him cope, I spoke to my then vet. He suggested an approach similar to Whitney's desensitizing idea. Over time, it took the edge off. He was never great but he was a lot more relaxed.
Hope whatever you do helps emieHey froggy, he sounds like my female dog, she chewed on their cage's door until she had a hole big enough for her to squeeze through and get of the cage. And then she'll run around like crazy.
Thanks for the input. I'll just have to look for the same sounds to desensitize my dogs. - 98
- emievil
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rebekahELLE wrote:
mine was always afraid also, every holiday.
here is an article from cesar millan, the dog whisperer.
hope it helps.
http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/editorials/Thanks for the link rebekah. I bookmarked it so I'll know where to find it (this thread may get lost in a matter of hours).
98- GeneralHowitzer
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Sorry emievil I cant help you with this BTW I just commented in your newest hub...
Don't have advice, but my cat reacts the same way when there's loud thunder. I usually just stroke her until she calms down.
- 98
- emievil
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GeneralHowitzer wrote:
Sorry emievil I cant help you with this BTW I just commented in your newest hub...
Yup, saw it GH. Thanks
. - 98
- emievil
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NaomiR wrote:
Don't have advice, but my cat reacts the same way when there's loud thunder. I usually just stroke her until she calms down.
Same here with our dogs Naomi (and they're more than 2 years old already, but they act like babies sometimes). Hope it always works though, this is the first time I saw her really shaken. Usually she just barks and runs around or try to look for a place to hide.
