Is anyone else's dog completely unbothered by fireworks?

[JayEffSee]

Ours (collie lab cross) just doesn't give a fuck, and neither did my previous dog (a lab GSD cross).

If there's a particularly loud one he will look up at me, but it doesn't seem to upset him at all. People keep asking me what I did to make him so calm about them but I don't think I did anything!?

Is it just down to their personality? Or is there anything owners can do when training?

Mine is now that she's deaf, before then she was terrified.

I knew a dog who had no issue with fireworks at all. But couldn’t cope with something like an alarm from your clock.

I’ve heard that dogs that are young puppies when it’s bonfire night are most likely to be fine. My last dog was born in October and was fine with them

I was just going to type exactly the same thing! Strange little characters aren't they!

Yes my dog was 11/12 weeks at his first bonfire night, and it was lucky he was ok with it as my DD was unwell in hospital that weekend and he was a bit less of a priority than he would have been. He’s never been fussed but does get scared of random Halloween decorations hanging outside houses.

We wound up taking our rescue dog home for the first time on Bonfire night which was not good planning but fortunately he is entirely unbothered by them. He seems to think they are quite pretty.

On the other hand he is very scared by motorbikes and it is the noise primarily that upsets him as he will react to the noise even before he can see them.

So weird that some loud noises upset him a lot and others not at all.

Our Golden Retriever used to cry to go outside.
he’d sit on the patio and watch them.

First dog hated them, but the three since haven't bothered. Took the young one out after supper and despite lots of fireworks he sniffed and peed and poked about as usual. Old dog was a gundog and totally bombproof from a puppy. He would sit and watch them.

I think, sometimes, people reassure their dog which encourages the dog to be scared if you see what I mean? Like how children fall and then look to their parents to see if they should cry?

Yes, agree with this.

I've seen several SM posts about the 'evils of fireworks' where the dog is clearly frightened and the owner is all over them going 'Oh my poor BABY, don't worry, shush shush, oh I know' and holding them tight and making a big fuss whenever there's a bang.

It's no bloody wonder the dog is terrified, they're intelligent animals and some owners are just reinforcing there's something to be nervous of.

😢

Have had 3 labs. Lab 1 hated fireworks, could sense thunder in advance and was terrified, needed a lot of soothing. Labs 2 & 3 (different times) are absolutely unbothered

We have a hilarious picture of our lab on his first fireworks night as a puppy. We were prepared for him to be scared, but he was lying on his back, paws in the air, tongue out, dribbling and asleep like a drunk old man on a park bench.
Tonight he is more interested in my dinner than the fireworks.

Between personality, breed, training, hearing issues, environment and context I think it all becomes a bit of a pot luck.

I have my own two, and foster. Of mine, one was exposed as part of his training and seemed utterly unfazed and still just began to panic around 4 years. I've had a foster chronically terrified but learn to tolerate them with training. It's honestly a mix.

Yes I think this is probably very true.

My FB is full of people saying how terrified their dogs are but I do suspect they're very much the type to go overboard with trying to reassure the dogs.

One of our dogs is indifferent to them, and the other absolutely loves them! Takes himself off into the garden when they start and will stay sitting out there for hours if we let him. We've had them since being puppies and we tried to get them socialised to everything as much as possible, but I don't remember doing anything specifically to get them used to fireworks. Think a lot of it is luck of the draw, and the dogs temperament in general.

My previous dog, border terrier, was completely unbothered, my new rescue though, is hiding under the sofa and has been shaking quite a lot. Hope he'll get used to them but is prone to anxiety, he was living rough before he came to us and quite likely has had some traumatic experiences. 😥

Neither of my bichons is bothered by them. Both very different characters...one very relaxed and loves all people and dogs, one is very nervous and yappy. They look at me if there's a very loud one and I just say "What's that silly noise?".

I have a nearly 14 year old cockapoo. Doesn't bat an eyelid these days. I seem to recall when he was a puppy he'd go under the dining room table but not recently.

I agree with all of this. In 30+ years of dog ownership, none of mine have given a second thought to fireworks, thunder or shotguns/bird scarers, whether we've lived in town or semi rural. I really believe a lot of it is because we don't make a fuss, so they don't care.

We had our westie just before bonfire night many many years ago, he sat on my knee watching the fireworks the kids had in the garden. Every year we'd go to my in laws where there would be a little bonfire, fireworks and hot dogs and the dog loved it. He was bombproof that boy, I do miss him.

My Gran had a Yorkie she coddles through thunderstorms. Unsurprisingly she was frightened of them and fireworks.

Working cocker couldn't care less but we did desensitise him when he was a puppy with call of duty turned up loud - it was a tip online somewhere and seems to have worked well

Our springer doesn't bat an eyelid - one went off earlier and he looked at his treat box as though it was some sort of sign he was due one!

My previous cavie spaniel dog never bothered.

My current mini dachshund fucking hates them and loses her mind at any sound near "her" house. She's 2 and this year got her meds to help her relax a bit. This weekend we've gone camping in the middle of rolling countryside to avoid the big displays near our house for her. Save the meds for the 5th and NYE.

We quite often walk our dog when fireworks are on as he is lead reactive with other dogs, so there tend to be none about.
He shows absolutely no response to fireworks at all, like they are not even there, which still absolutely baffles me as he goes crazy if even a butterfly flaps across our garden and is very hard work.

I was at fireworks this eve and saw loads of dogs, totally unphased. Bit every dog I’ve ever owned has been shit scared bloody terrified of them… I think it’s because they’ve all had greyhound in them.

I had a deerhound/greyhound who would hide under the stairs during thunder storms. And currently have a whippet/greyhound who runs out of the kitchen with the sound of pans going in the dishwasher.