firecracker time HELP wanted
 

I am sure Tedey is going to go crazy. What do all you pro's do this time of year???
Thanks
julie

Well, I am certainly no pro but my Murfee is scared to death of fireworks and thunder. He is hiding behind the couch right now 'cause there is thunder again here in Texas. He has been hiding almost daily for weeks now:( Since we live in the country, there have been fireworks going off for about a week now, so that has added to his terror. There is nothing we can do that will help him stop shaking and being scared. We have tried holding him, putting him under the covers and nothing helps him. He always wants down to go hide someplace. Hope you have better luck than we do. Patty

well we had Canada Day Celebrations ALL weekend and Layla is just recovering. lol.. she was a mess... but she is overly scared of most things and as suggested by people on here we are trying to ignore when she gets scared of every day things but the fire works were too much for her so i wrapped her tight in a blanket and held her.. which surprisingly worked! she still shook like a leaf but she seemed happy to be forced to be in one safe place.

My suggestion is try to wear them out good during the day so they will sleep VERY soundly, put them in the part of the house the farthest from the action (if that's possible), Close shades and drapes to try to keep the sound out as much as possible. My boys aren't frightened of fireworks, thank goodness, but it would really bother me if I knew they were gonna be freaking out all night. Maybe take them to a friends house outside of town where they won't hear them as much. Just suggestions, good luck everyone.

The last few nights here have been really bad, my neighbors light off the big bangs untill 1130 witch i think is a bit late:rolleyes: karleigh is so scared, and nothing works to calm her, i dont make her sleep in her crate during these times, she sleeps with me and i just hold her and talk in a smoothing voice,untill they stop, tommarow night will be the worse since its the 4th.

Play some music or have the TV on kind of loud? Or, put the bathroom exhaust fan on - those usually have some good white noise.

We'll be outside all day, so Jake will get lots of exercise and will be tired by evening. Then, I'm going to put him in the house in our bedroom with the windows closed and the AC or fan on low to drown out the noise as much as possible.

Keep them inside. If there are going to be fireworks I normally close all the windows and leave the central air and TV or radio on. They don't really seem to matter.. occasionally we'll hear them at the baseball field and it doesn't phase them.

I've heard that it's best to let them hide if they want and don't do the whole "It's OK" thing.

I have a Bichon that is very scared of thunder and lightning and fireworks. He does ok now, but always comes to sit between my legs and he shakes. I think the best thing you can do, is to act normally and not reinforce the fear by picking them up and trying to soothe them (although, we all know that is our first instinct). Whenever we have storms or such, I always act like no big deal and let the doggies do as they do. It is kind of like picking up the puppy every time he or she cries or wants out of a crate, etc,.. it just tells them that you will do that every time. I would also try to put him in a part of the house with the least noise and be there with him.

OK ... call us weird. Ever since we brought Toto home [she will be 4 on the 18th] ... we have taken her everywhere possible. We felt that exposing her to everything would help her understand and accept her unusual life! :p This includes watching fireworks. We usually just take the convertible, park near enough to watch but away from all the crowds, put the top down, recline the seats and make it fun for her. We always take yummy treats, plenty of water, etc. I can't say that she looks forward to it nor that it doesn't make her uneasy at first, but she isn't traumatized like pets we have had in the past. Unfortunately, Patrick won't be home today so I will just snug in at home with her, turn Animal Planet up a little louder and enjoy our evening together! She will be fine glued to me, but heck, she is always glued to me!! ;) She always seems relaxed and content if we aren't tense.

Mine are not scared easily . We had Canada day celebration during weekend and they weren't afraid of firecrackers , they had fun playing with peoples , children and others doggies .

I would say I am not a pro either. Neighbors were letting off fireworks last night and our babies were going crazy...barking. We just tell them no, nobody is here and it is okay. They go crazy when just like this when they think somebody is here.

Heather

You've already gotten some really good tips - exercise him beforehand, take him to an interior room, turn on a fan and some music, etc. In addition to that, you can buy some Rescue Remedy from the health food store. It is safe for dogs and may calm him.

You might also fill and freeze a Kong for him to have while the fireworks are going off.

Most important, watch how you come across to him. Instead of a "Poor baby. I know you are scared" attitude, try for a "Isn't this exciting? Isn't this fun?" attitude. Be sure to portray that YOU are a calm and not frightened.

The first year we had him, Joey shook like a leaf when he heard thunder or fireworks. It doesn't seem to bother him at all now. (But then, he has been through a Texas-sized thunderstorm yet!).

I think most of the tips have been covered, but here is a thread I started on the same topic. Lots of good advise!http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...highlight=july

Start when they are little... and hopefully it will work!
 

This may help some of the YT'ers with new puppies.
We had a mini schnauzer that was scared to death of thunder (and fireworks). Part of this was MY fault. Whenever it was bad weather, I would hold her and cuddle her and "baby" her. This would make her think that something awful was happening .....
When we got Shelby, I was going to try and prevent this shyness. Just before a thunderstorm, I would take her outside and play (not paying attention to the thunder in the distance). Sometimes a dog will sense if you are nervous about storms and therefore get nervous, too. We also have sat on the covered patio in a thunder storm before when she was little.
We have done the same with Seymour. Both are not scared of thunderstorms.

We have had several fireworks displays in the area already. Shelby gets a little nervous, :jump28ib: but I always try to gain her attention by offering a toy or treat to get her mind off from it. I DO NOT baby her so she associates the fireworks with a reason to be "protected". It has worked well. OF course, I would never let them outside alone, just in case they do get scared and run. MANY people lose their pets during this holiday. :doghop: Good Luck everyone!

OH..... don't forget... the piercing loud "cracks" that sometimes are at fireworks may hurt their ears.... make sure that you are a good distance away.