Dogs - fear of fireworks

If anyone missed this on another thread, it sounds good. www.dfordog.co.uk/thundershirt-dog-anxiety-vest.html
I mentioned it to DD who is now thinking of getting one for her nervous dog.

I wish I'd known about this when our dog was alive. He was a large dog but became a gibbering idiot around firework night - he would have been even worse now because fireworks seem to be an all year round activity. The vet used to provide tranquilisers which helped but didn't stop him leaping on us when the bangs began. Three stone plus of solid dog jumping on you was quite something! Our 2 cats don't bat an eyelid - yet the sight of the vacuum cleaner sends one of them hurtling out the cat flap! I often wonder what the reaction of wild life is to fireworks.

My ginger cat would always go into the walk-in pantry and go behind the freezer until it was all over; the black one didn't turn a hair. One of the abiding images of my childhood is the sight of a panic-stricken golden retriever fleeing up the road, past our house, while families were setting off fireworks. He had somehow got out when his family thought he was safe. Our boxer didn't seem disturbed but she was kept very safely indoors.

Our dog is absolutely petrified of fireworks, or any loud banging noise, even a chap fixing his fence with a staple gun terrified him. We dread this time of the year. I think wr could cope if it only lasted a couple of days but it seems to go on for weeks. I'm playing the fireworks CD as I write, and he's totally ignoring it, but the sevond something goes off outside he's a quivering wreck!

Our cats aren't a bit bothered by fireworks and will sit on the window sill watching them. We used to have a Border Collie who was frightened of all bangs, but became absolutely panic stricken with fireworks. She would normally take refuge in the bed - preferably with someone! At the time we seemed to have non stop fireworks from November to the New Year. The last few years there don't seem to have been so many - or perhaps I just don't have a dog to worry about.

We got our new dog since the loss of our Bailey and Poppy last year at 17 yrs and 20 yrs. Adopted Spud from the RSPCA 2 weeks before christmas . At 4 yrs he is a lovley 4 year old trained very well and doing a good job of putting my wife and myself in order. On new Years Day at turned midnight as soon as the fireworks started at midnight he became Scooby Doo. wrapped his self around me holding on while the fireworks eased off at 12.30. We were in bed at the time.

Derek - hello. I have a scardey cat young dog and have been gradually exposing him to noises, with some success. You can download various sounds, I used the firework noises, to gradually expose my young dog to the noise in october. He's absolutely fine now, we got through all the Eid, Christmas, New Year fireworks with no fear response, he just slept through it.

Derek, are you new? Welcome.

I am64 is correct. You have to stick at it but it works. Can I suggest you start off during the day and towards the end of a session reward Spud by getting his lead out and taking him for his walk so he comes to associate the noise with good things.

As he gets better then throw in some after dark sessions and his dinner to follow as his reward.

We had a very scared dog once and our vet had studied this in some depth. Her advice (above) really worked.

Hi Derek, welcome. On the original post here there's a link to advice from a dog behaviourist and there are lots of YouTube clips that you can try to see what might help condition your scared dog to get used to the sound of fireworks, as well as the CDs that you can get online or in the pet store. Good luck for next time the fireworks start.