To not get the problem with fireworks and pets

[SoldTheMovieRights]

There's fireworks going off next door but one and I can hear them, but just some small popping noises really and barely audible when we had the telly on earlier.

It's never been loud enough to wake or disturb DC.

However, local Facebook group for my village is full of posts complaining about fireworks and how they are traumatising pets. AIBU to not get it? If they are too quiet to disturb people why are they so bad for dogs (who would all be inside in the evening anyway?)?

Lots of people wanting them banned because of their dogs but I just don't get it, at worst it's a few mins of noise, a few nights a year, is it really that awful?

I have zero skin in the game as could never be bothered to do fireworks myself, but if my neighbours fancy it, crack on, I'll enjoy the show.

They did wake up both my kids though. Diwali also went on for DAYS.

Oh that it were so easy! Your comment is absolute bollocks, sorry.

You sound delightful

It seems insane to me that when silent fireworks exist the noisy ones aren’t banned. And I say this as someone with pets that will
happily sit outside with fireworks going off and not worry - I have no skin the the game as such but no amount training will desensitise wild animals. They must be utterly petrified. Why should humans be able to scare them like this when there is an alternative?

Capital cities should lead the way with big silent displays.

This is a good description. My neighbour had some and it's the first time I've felt like the house was being shelled. More fireworks here than bonfire night and going off at all times not just midnight. Poor cat spent the whole night under the bed. Loud fireworks should be banned. Selfish selfish people who do this.

How do I do that? I have had my dog his full 8 years of life. He is great with other dogs and people, walks well off lead, can stay home for half a day without wrecking the joint, rides in the car, sits silently
under tables at cafes… he’s well trained. He is terrified of loud percussive noises: fireworks, thunder and shooting. We’ve worked with the vet and tried all sorts of things (jackets, diffusers, desensitising, hidey-holes, etc.) Nothing works. My daughter has dental phobia and I can’t train her out of that either!

Would genuinely like any advice on how to help DDog as he is clearly distressed for many hours following even one loud percussive noise, even from a long distance.

I am a pet owner and I make sure my dogs aren't scared of fireworks. You can take steps so that they don't take any notice of them, or any other feared object. You make it part of their socialisation training as puppies. You make sure you buy your puppy from a reputable breeder who exposed them to different sounds/noises/triggers as young puppies. As a result, my dog is absolutely bomb proof, same as my last dog from the same breeder. It sounded like a war zone where I live, people were letting them off in the street outside my house and in multiple gardens. We were all in the garden, feet from the fireworks and he didn't bat an eyelid. Indeed he was mooching around sniffing at things as though nothing was going on.

That being said, if people have rescue dogs, they are far less likely to have had the proper socialisation and training and are less likely to be emotionally robust. Fireworks will cause distress to these dogs.

My dog has never been bothered by fireworks but I understand that some are

I’m not an experienced doggy personality n. But we have a year old puppy and I anlways exposed her to fireworks and she comes with us to displays.

I think there is a middle ground where fireworks can be sold to the public but only silent ones and only for very limited times during the year.

I love a loud fire work. Part of the excitement is the noise. I also have pets. I keep them in and play loud music. They don’t seem to notice. As it’s only twice a year I’m not going to demand it stops for everyone even if my animals did find it difficult.

Dogs have much more sensitive hearing than humans.
the small pops aren’t the problem, it’s the massive bangs.

Oh don’t be so bloody stupid.

We did the same with both our dogs, one was fine the other has this inate terror and you can't get past it. Massive unexpected bangs absolutely terroriser our now 10 yr old dog and it's gotten worse every year. It won't affect all animals, our last dog we could have taken to a bomb zone shed have wagged her tale. Not our current dog.

My cat may wake up and look around for a few seconds before going back to sleep, but doesn't seem to bother him anymore then other household noise, like kids playing or washing machine spin cycle.

Could the recent increase in nervous dog be due to more living in relatively quiet homes, and not being use to noise?

If people were dieing I'd care. The impact of fireworks on pets are minimal. A few animals getting scared doesn't bother me at all.

My last dog was bomb proof, we did all the same things with our current dog but fireworks, thunder storms and a few other things really terroriee him some dogs are more sensitive than others and you can't remove all fear, they're living animals.

My dog is similar, but about thunder, not fireworks.

I've not fixed it so I'd also like to know a way which works.

But here's what I've tried. My vet gave me some drugs to mildly sedate him - these do work and he sleeps on them.

I find thunder really hard to manage because fireworks come at night when it is dark, so at least you are at home. Its hard to leave work because your dog is afraid of thunder ! So if I can't be home then I use the drugs and he just sleeps, but if I'm at home then I put his bed in the hallway which has no windows and turn music up loud. It seems to be more manageable that way. I also try not to 'baby' him (he's a giant labrador and literally pushes me over to sit in my lap with his nose under my arm) because that also seems to make him worse - it's like I'm saying it's scary too.

Also I tried playing the noise of thunder on my phone in the background, really quietly at first then gradually building it up, stopping before he got agitated. This didn't really work for thunder because he knows it's not real due to the lack of any atmospheric changes, but I can see it might work to desensitise firework noises.

Our dog isn't afraid of fireworks because we live near a rifle range and there is a lot of 'popping' sounds quite frequently, so unless it's super loud and next to our house (has happened and he was afraid), then fireworks don't bother him. This makes me think desensitisation might work if it was a careful intentional programme?

The fear of thunder only seems to be increasing... so if anyone has tips for that...

Not in our house, I've 2 kids and one is sen and does a fair bit of unexpected shouting, whooping and jumping off furniture. Dog loves him. Fireworks are a specific type of lius and unexpected noise, as are thunderstorms which also come with atmospheric changes.

That said my super sensitive dog also alerts when elders is heading for a seizure and when I'm getting a migraine, also goes a bit nuts when my period is about to start. He's a sensitive chap.

That says a lot about you.

What a weird post, something doesn’t bother you so others must be lying? Or you just had a boring Christmas and want some attention.

I live in east London. Fireworks started at 9pm - smaller garden displays - at midnight they were going off for 30mins 360 degrees around us. There are some, which I think must be in the local park, that go off right over head - the windows were rattling! Not to mention the other displays - at least 4 within 1/2 mile radius. It's similar on bonfire night.

Our dog used to be fine in our old place (which was in a less residential area) but since we moved here and he is older, he's become terrified. He follows us around, paces constantly, can't relax, startles easily, doesn't want to use the garden.

It's not really an issue for NYE as we know to be in, but as pp said around diwali and bonfire night there are displays that go on for weeks and that makes it harder to plan.

Exactly this- and it’s been going on since Diwali with a short break after 5th November and now. My poor dog is terrified.

Lots of people saying “it’s like a war zone” who have clearly never been in an actual war zone.