Fireworks - my poor big baby...

[MurielTheActor]

My (huge) lurcher is SO terrified.
We've tried everything - pills from vet, anti-anxiety drops but nothing works. He just wants to cuddle on the sofa and/or follow me around everywhere. Curtains are shut, tv on loud but not helping.
Poor thing - and it's been all this week and will probably go on all next week aswell.
What do you do?

My dog is the same, she is so scared of fireworks that once it gets dark in the evenings she doesn't want to go out - just in case....if she hears any loud noise she is a drooling shaking wreck, poor thing.
I wonder if anyone has any good ideas - I was thinking of getting some of that DAP stuff but don't know if it works.

DAP can work but for other dogs makes no difference. Thundershirt or a tight tshirt around some dogs can help some but not others. Generally medication is not great the dog stills feels petrified but feels our of it and unable to move away and has greater fear to the physical lose of control feelings.

The only quaranteed way is very gentle desensitisation but this has to start really early and may take up to a year to work. So start now for next year!

For this year make a safe place for the dogs to go, some like dark places under the stairs or bed in a covered crate, do as you are doing turn up the telly and draw the curtains and then ignore all nervous behaviour. If you start to console it will re-enforce to the dog that there really is something to be worried about if you act as normal the dog will feel more confident. I do know how hard that is to do though. Roll on end of November!

I've tried desensitisation (using a CD with noises) but it made no difference. I generally try and be nonchalant and do not console her, but I feel quite helpless and is is pitiful to see how frightened she is.

I tried sedatives one year - but like you say, she was groggy but still scared. I might let her just find her own 'safe' place in the house, keep the curtains drawn and try and be normal.
I think the problem stems from before we got her - she was a rescue and had been straying and I suspect was outdoors during bonfire night.

my old dog is very scared too. it is pitiful to see i agree

this is our second year using a DAP diffuser. we will use it october - january. i think it helped last year but we also had fewer fireworks last year so cannot be sure

i keep their favourite long lasting bones/hooves ready for when its really bad. the older dog is too scared to eat but the other two will chew on them for hours. i make sure dogs have had a good walk during the day so they are tired. like you have tv on loud and radio on upstairs. i leave the internal doors open so they can go wherever they prefer. one of them sometimes goes and lies under the bed

we had a few fireworks earlier. i had already put some kongs in the freezer with grated cheese and pate in so got those out which kept them occupied for about all of 10 minutes. it seemed to chill (no pun intented!) them out and they have been sleeping since

Our labrador is a quivering wreck so I feel your pain. Last night was particularly bad when some kind person let some bangers off close to our house and we had just got him settled to sleep. We could actually hear his heart beating against the floor.

We have tried the drops, tablets, cuddles, everything but it doesn't work. The only thing we do is make sure he has access to the childrens' rooms where he can hide under the bed if he wants but last night he chose to lie close beside my DH side of the bed and he stroked him to sleep.

I will be watching this thread with interest to see if any new ideas come to light.

It really is a cruel time of year for them.

This is the worst night for us (in Ireland) and there are very distressed-sounding dogs barking for a few hours already in the back gardens along our street. Horrible to listen to when they sound so terrified.

I would say fireworks should be banned (ie not on sale to the public) but they actually already are here

Hi
Its horrid i agree that drugs to not work as it makes them feel out of controll. The one thing we have found that helps is a DAP but you need it on for a few weeks before and cotten wall in there ears with tv on loud , a safe place to hide and the curtins shut.

My terrier is shivering head to toe and won't leave my side