[HereIamBp]

My neighbors and the campers on a nearby campground have started setting off fireworks this evening (July 2nd) already. One of my poor dogs, Sassy, is frightened by the noise and is in the bathroom now cowering. I have the TV up loud to try to mask the noise but it helps only a little. Sassy was so scared when I had to walk her outside this evening. I felt/feel so sorry for her.

Does anybody have any ideas on how to keep my animals sane during this celebration?

benadryl. depending on her size you can usually get by with 25 mg as a starting dose...

my guys are about 45 lbs & i start with that...i think the amount is 25for 25 lbs but i never give more than 1 25 mg pill at one time..usually that does the trick for my guys.

you can also try rescue remedy & richards pet calm which i have had better success with...

also a huge walk/run/hike what ever during the day to exhaust everyone so that at night everyone is tired & then it doesn't seem to make so much of a differnece. always used to run the ac & the tv really loud too on firework nights...

don't let anyone out at night off lead...so that if they do get scared..they won't bolt & run...a scared dog can jump & clear a fence that they wouldn't normally do...make sure everyone has tags on as well...

i am babysitting a 129 lb bernese mountain dog who goes into total panic mode at thunder/fireworks etc so i have been doing all of the above tonight & will imagine thru until monday night..my guys now don't care..

i live by the shore so it's fireworks in all the beach towns...one after another...makes for long holiday weekends...

good luck.

stumpy

[Evening]

If your dog gets scared, do NOT try to comfort it in any way. If your dog is trained, as soon as it panics, tell it to sit, and keep it controlled. The issue with dogs who are afraid of thunder and fireworks is that owners tend to try and comfort their animal the way they would with a child. A child can understand when you say 'it's okay, it's only fireworks', a dog doesn't. A dog understands 'hugging me and giving me attention means I'm doing something good here, I'll keep doing it!'.
A dog that is afraid of loud noises tends to pick up that that phobia during what is called the 'fear stage' of their development, around 12 weeks of age. That's when everything scary starts to happen. They go to the vet (fear of the vet is a real thing!), they get injections, they get socialised with other dogs, and the thunder and lightening starts (as dogs and cats are generally born during the summer months so 12 weeks later the weather changes). That age is a good time to start working on these things, because as they pick up on that behaviour and keep it as they get older.
I would suggest, if your dog isn't good at listening to commands, to teach it to REALLY listen when you sit and stay, and to reward calm behaviour. Then use that at a time such as now, when it starts to panic. The dog can't listen to you and panic at the same time, if you have great control over your dog you are the one it will listen to.
Reward calm behaviour even when your dog is just chilling doing nothing, if you're watching TV and it's just laying at your feet, throw it a little treat. It will think 'why did I get that, I haven't done anything... Oh of course! I haven't done anything!'.

Having a generally calmer dog that listens to commands will be better to control at times like this. Don't react to the noise, don't react to the behaviours. The dog will learn that being a wuss won't get attention, and eventually it will learn that there is no reason to be a wuss in the first place, because you as the one in control are staying calm, and if something was genuinely wrong you would be reacting.
Of course teaching any behaviour takes time, it can't happen within a couple of days, which does suck! But it's like teaching a child, you can't punish unwanted behaviours if they don't know what the WANTED behaviour is.

excellent post!

yup...always reward the good...it makes life so much easier...

i did this with my old chessie..every time there was a squabble at the dog park i taught her to come to me & not get involved..which for most dogs is the opposite of pack mentality...used the "good girl..there was a fight & you came here" command..lengthy but it worked..until she passed at 10 she never got involved.

if they get loose my guys always got credit for coming back...sure i was angry at the getting loose but more than likely some of that was my fault not theirs & after all they are dogs & always rescues so who knows what issues lurks in their minds...

BUT they came back...on their own. safe. so yea they got smothered with love & i said the "you came home" command (ok they don;'t get out but once or twice..except for the guy who kept ending up in the bar down the block...SERIOUSLY..)

my point is take what is positive, work with it & use it. great if you get your dog as a puppy but even if you rescue a youngster or an adult...still works. make listening to you the best thing since dog treats were invented,.

stumpy

Yeup, my cat is the same way, he hides and cries, has always been this way. He was born in March, so he would have been 12 weeks when the fireworks went off. Good post, Evening

[Evening]

Why thanks guys, I'm glad I still remember SOMETHING from my studies!

[eskielover]

I had my dogs outside with me last night while I was mowing the yard & field. All of a sudden, they were acting strange & the one I had off the leash was trying to follow my lawn tractor all around with me. I kept telling her to go back to the porch.....but she just kept following me. Not wanting any accidents, I got off my lawn tractor & took her back to the front porch....it was then that I heard all the booming of the fireworks & understood what was going on so I let them all back in the house so they would feel safe.

Yes, Leo is my heard headed dog. The other day when I let him out without the long leash, he took off toward the huge tree next to the street.......I yelled for him to come.....he looked at me over his shoulder & kept going......the call of the cows across the street was greater then my come command (his daddy who was obedience trained did the same thing). For some reason, the American Eskimo Dog has a determined mind that will override what they know is the right thing to do when commanded. It makes me SO FRUSTRATED & then I feel internally mad because they didn't listen.......but when Leo comes back heading right for me while I keep telling him to "come" & give him all the good boys & smother him with love. He always come to me in the end because he knows that I surround him with love & never greet him with a mad word (even though inside, it might be right there being kept from coming out). All my eskies know that I am their safe & loving.

If they run off even when being commanded to come, NEVER greet them with a BAD DOG or an angry voice.....always let them know how happy you are to see they & smother them with love & they will always head home looking forward to being with you after then are done with their adventure.

[lynn P.]

Yes I completely agree with Evenings post although the other posts were good too. I agree not to react or giva attention when the dog or cat is scared, because it totally reinforces the reactive behavior. Just ignore it or you could also divert the attention. For example try to initiate playing with the dog and have fun....this will make him forget about the fear and noise. Stay away from petting and reassuring statements like, "it's okay or don't be scared". If you're bothered then your dog will sense this and be more reactive.

Yup,benedryl.Consult on line for owner dosing recommendations.

[eskielover]

I think Leo got some real fireworks desensitizing yesterday. He always goes everywhere with me in my truck.....gets mad if I don't take him.....so he runs out the front door & directly to the truck when I am getting ready to go somewhere. We had a picnic with all the families from Church last night at one of the families farm. The kids had bought fireworks to set off. I intended to leave Leo in my truck when I arrived there, because he didn't know the dogs at the farm yet. As soon as I opened the door to get out, he pushed his way out the door & immediately met one of the farm's dogs.....I finally got Leo back in the truck & went into the house for the picnic.

The last thing in the evening, they set off the fireworks.....right in the field in front of my truck....all the booming & banging went on right over my truck. Leo got it full blast without me being around him at all.

Interesting, when I arrived at my truck, he was just as calm as if there hadn't been any fireworks......he can be calm when he needs to be & wants to be. Glad I didn't have my other dogs there with me as I don't think they would have tolerated it quite as well as Leo did.

[Omers]

Some vets will give you valium for them. My dog also has a Thunder Shirt that works really well!