My dogs are trembling, there are fireworks going off what can I do?

[DorrisM]

I know you're not supposed to be sympathetic as it tells them they have a reason to be frightened but is there anything I can to to make it easier for them? We've moved since last bonfire night and there will be a display of Saturday night very near to our house, which we were planning to take the dc's to. Should one of us stay at home.

Poor things

our dog is going daft he was fine last year he has an upset stomach and pacing dogs trust website say too reasure (sp) them that is what i have been doing I hope your dogs are okno other advice is there a room they could go to go to and feel safe ? I have never left any of our dogs (we got this one last year) on fireworks night husband always took the dc out,

For the last 3 years my jack has not been bothered by the fireworks, two nights ago he wanted to go out for a wee just as he went through the door a firework went off above his head and now all he does when he hears a bang is tremble. I will be staying in with my three like usual but he just goes and gets in his safe place under the duvet in my bed. Turn the tv up(neighbours have already complained) and close all the windows.

jay dog has settled it was onlyl a short display i am dreading tomorrow till tuesday poor dog has a terrible stomach and I have had him out twice in the last hour

You can be reassuring. You can't reinforce fear, only the behaviours associated with it. So as long as they're not vocalising, weeing or being destructive it's fine to reassure them, as you won't be reinforcing behaviours you don't want them to repeat.

Let them decide where they feel safe, even if it's somewhere they don't usually go.

My old girl used to squeeze herself between the back of the sofa and dh and I, but wasn't usually allowed on the sofa. She needed it to feel safe, so under those circumstances it was ok.

Close the curtains and put the TV or radio up loud in as many rooms as possible, not just the one you're sitting in with them.

Re Saturday, yes, if it were me, I would stay at home with the dogs and dh would take the dcs. In fact it's my puppy's first bonfire night and I will be staying at home while dh takes the dcs, as the display is at the school across the road from our house and guaranteed to be loud.

For next year you can try Dorwest Herbs Scullcap and Valerian and get hold of a sound effect CD or download an MP3 to gradually desensitise them to the sounds well before bonfire night. You could also try a Thundershirt. They sell them at Pets at Home and have a no quibble returns policy if the don't work for your dog.

I have been looking at the thundershirt and i quibbled and urmed about it as our dog is bit panicky anyway I am going to go and get one, moose any tips on the upset stomach can i give him anything ,

To be honest, if it's stress related there's not much you can do. You could try putting him on a lighter diet for a few days until the fireworks die down, say some chicken or white fish and see if that helps.

We tried a thundershirt for my adult lurcher's separation anxiety. PAH were very good and let us change the size twice before deciding it wasn't working for him. Being a sighthound he has a very deep chest and tiny waist, so we just couldn't get a good fit, but I have heard of some dogs, including other sighthounds that it has really helped and some rescue groups now recommend them.

my friend has a GSD cross and she uses the TSfor hers , he is a collie cross skinny hips deep chest I will try it no harm is there, I will make him some chicken and rice or pasta tomorrow I know it is stress poor thing looks miserable , as i said last year he was fine did bark a little but not like this the fireworks are really really loud though

I am assuming it is stress he is been fine all day he never gets an upset stomach the fireworks went off and he started barking then 10 minutes later was pacing and needed out

I do think it's worse these days as the fireworks are ridiculously loud. Some of the bangs are unreal at the professional displays.

We have one tomorrow at the secondary school at the end of our road and then another at the school across the road next Friday. Unfortunately I doubt they'll cancel it even if we dog get the predicted heavy rain, as they've always gone ahead in the past.

I have to admit, I don't like fireworks myself, so it's not exactly a chore for me to stay at home with the dogs.

My older lurcher isn't bothered in the least, but my new boy is very highly strung, so we've been using a desensitisation CD for a while now and early signs are good. He's heard a few random fireworks going off and there was a small display in someone's garden last night which didn't appear to bother him.

I have been giving him the scullcap and valerian pills for a week now, just in case and have the valerian tincture to top it up if necessary on display nights.

Our old border collie was absolutely terrified every single year and again at New Year, but the scullcap and valerian stuff really helped to bring down her anxiety levels. The last few years she was deaf though and didn't even wake up from her evening snooze.

You can't beat this advice from Pets in Practise Kris Glover:-

Bonfire Night is the most dreaded time of the year for many pet owners.

To make this time as pleasant for your pet as only possible, try the following:

1. If your pet has a firework phobia and will display signs of severe stress, such as panting, salivating, shaking, hiding in dark places, please speak to your vet as they may be able to prescribe short term calming medication that will help get your pet through this period.

1. Even those pets that do not show signs of severe phobia can benefit from gentle herbal remedies to alleviate the stress during firework displays (please speak to your vet about these).

1. Make sure you are not showing any signs of stress yourself – try to be as joyful and act as normal as you can, as your pet will pick up on any signs you’re worried and it will increase his anxiety.

1. At night, draw the curtains so your pet can’t see the flashing lights of fireworks.

1. Play some music to drown out the sound of fireworks – you will not be able to completely distract your dog, but it will help, especially if you have a specific CD you play to your pet when he is relaxed.

1. If your pet will take food, try to do some light hearted training with loads of rewards. Trick training is best, as it’s simple and fun. Don’t try to train any complex tasks – if your dog is stressed by fireworks he will not be able to concentrate on you for long periods of time.

1. If your pet is into toys, try playing games with him to distract him from the fireworks.

1. Use food toys with yummy treats, chews or Kongs stuffed with tinned meat/peanut butter/cream cheese or whatever your dog prefers. Chewing is a relaxing activity and it will help your pet feel a bit better.

1. Create a hiding place for your pet and let him hide in there if he wants to. The best place is a room without outside walls, such as a bathroom or a utility room, as these are most likely to be as sound proof as possible.

10. If your pet prefers to stay with you and cuddle up to you, do not push him away. You are not going to make him more fearful by stroking him when he’s scared – fear is not something dogs/cats learn through rewards (unlike a “sit”) and if being close to you makes him feel better, do let him stay close.

11. Some dogs find a tight body wrap/ Thundershirt quite calming during firework displays. Before putting one on, however, do check if your pet is comfortable wearing it as you don’t want to stress him even more than he already is.

12. Prevention is always better than cure! If your pet shows no fear of loud noises or you’ve just got a new puppy/kitten, get yourself a sound CD (with firework sounds as well as other sounds that pets can be frequently scared of) and play it to your pet when he is relaxed or doing something fun (like playing or eating). Start at a very low volume and gradually increase it until you can play it to your pet at a life-like volume without them getting distressed in any way. If you see any signs of fear/stress from them, you might be progressing with it a bit too quickly.

13. Keep your cat in on Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve – when spooked by loud noises cats are more likely to bolt and run into traffic.

14. If your pet shows signs of severe firework/sound phobia please contact a qualified behaviour specialist to help you work on the problem so that next year Bonfire Night and New Year will be much less stressful.

Thanks all, mine are Lurchers too so I'm not sure if a thunder shirt will fit their deep chests. They literally wouldn't respond to anything not even a tasty bit of chicken, but we did allow them of the sofa where they snuggled between DH and I. I think one of us will have to stay home tonight.

Dorris, there's another Lurcher on the pointy thread that's responding well to the Thundershirt, so it might still be worth giving it a try, especially as it doesn't cost you anything if it doesn't.

We forgot about it today, DH has just gone to, Sainsburys to get something for DDog to chew.

Of course there are things you can do about stressy dogs. Try Adaptil collars/diffusers and Zylkene tablets - they help a lot of dogs (sadly not all of them but no harm in trying).

Turn the tv up, draw the curtains , and massage that dog! Seriously, it will work wonders dogs are very receptive if massage. Hold him tight embrace him and rub him/her.
be aware!! he may not relieve himself out side for a few days out of sheer terror be patient go out with him make sure he pees and pops or he'll do it indoors.

We stayed in as both dogs were so stressed. They've been well loved this evening and much happier now, but I think next year I'll go t'other vets.