The fireworks just started here...
 

and I have 4 dogs running through the house freaking out!

Its horrible here. Stewie sat thru a show last night pretty well until the "grand finale" when it started getting loud and he looked like a flustered chicken trying to get away from me. Its 1135 and dying down finally.

My stepmom's nephew blew off his hand with an M80 at a BBQ just down the block from my house. He's my age (21). My dad was there and said the kid was holding it in his hand. I don't even feel sorry for him. Guess I'm cold hearted. Darwin's Natural Selection...

We're watching on TV right now, and Yoda doesn't seem to mind it AT ALL! I guess since it's drowned out a bit by his favorite classical music, he just doesn't mind.

He does freak out when he hears people in our neighborhood lighting stuff up though. He'll bark to let us know 'we're under attack!' ;)

Yoda and Coco are in the same boat then. Except for us, the noise from Sex and the City is drowning out the fireworks. Hehehe, yea Yoda you show those fireworks who's boss!

FE- Thats what Bunny was doing tonite... warning barks! Too funny! All 2+lbs of her was going to take on the loud noises. Tino was really upset though! He was just panting and running around like a wildman. I felt so sorry for him but there wasnt really anything I could do!

Kristy- You crack me up! A friend of mine used to say... "Well some people just don't need to swim in the Gene Pool!"

Here's our video of fireworks that we saw tonite: http://www.jusspress.com/day.php?use...entTime=090654

Sully did ok...he got a little nervous, but when I petted him in my lap and rubbed his ears, he calmed down fine. He looooved all the people. So much attention, so little time! So many things to sniff! :)

We are having a 4th of July card party-- pretty mellow, but lots of people. This is Keeleys first party, and he is doing great. He dosen't even notice the fireworks with all the kisses and pets he is getting from all of the people over here. He is being such a good boy, I am so proud of him! :D

It is cute though, it is pretty much all of my hubby's single guy friends they are all making kissy faces, speaking high pitched voices and getting on the floor playing with him. I love watching guys fall to mush over this little guy. It is so cute.

The little ones have finally settled down. They don't like the neighbor's fireworks too much but they are sitting in my kid's lap watching from the window. My golden retriever on the other hand is pacing, panting, drooling and completely freaked. He is the reason we are staying home this year. We adopted him 4 years ago. Every year that we left him alone on the 4th, he has either run away, diarrhead all over our house, tried to break out the window. UGH! He thinks fireworks are sooo scary!

Linus did great at the fireworks. There is a small town just south of OKC that has no laws about setting off fireworks in the city limits, so we went down there and watched people shoot off their own, and it was so cool. It was like a 360 degree grand finale. The coolest thing I have ever seen. And Linus sat through 2 hours of it completely unfazed! He had a long day though...he's passed out right now.

fireworks
 

My dogs were subjected to 3 hours of non-stop banging and booming outside their window last night. No adult made a sound or reacted. When the nosie started I reaasured them in a calm voice all was fine..did it a couple more times during the three hours... since I am the pack leader they take their cue from my reactions.
I have puppies who are 3 1/2 weeks..they stood up and got wide eyed, yelped a few times..I did not pick them up or comfort them. I have learned NOT to re-enforce fear of noise. I talked in a normal voice. This sets the tone for the rest of their life.
I have a relative with 4 GSD's who have to be confined and drugged..living near the city park is a nightmare for her..she spends all of the 4th holding and comforting 4 shepherds having nervous breakdowns...it takes days for them to return to normal.
I learned this from a breeder friend long before there was a Dog Whisper...who by the way is wonderful to watch IMO.

I never thought to do that PAt - When it got bad last night and my whole yard lit up - I sat outside clapping and ooohing over the fireworks and my baby Chanel finally came out of the bathroom to see what was so fun....She had been CARRIED out by me several times - just kept going back in there to hide - she DID venture outside once she thought she was missing out on fun - but didn't like it too much - Cheri was just fine....

I've heard of Big Dogs crashing thru windows out of fear of fireworks - VERY sad - people just don't care about our pets when they celebrate - they're popping off aty 7 AM here in Houston - the 4th was YESTERDAY !

My boys did just fine, I was really happy. I know that Andy and Barney really didn't care about them but this was Archies first year, but I guess since his big brothers don't care about the fireworks, why should he :rolleyes: ...

fear
 

Nothing wrong in hiding, if they are comfortable. Charlotte likes to cover her head in the blankets and sleep. The problem is when they get so upset they pace, shake and freak out..you can not change this behavior overnight,but it can be changed.
The breeder has to do their part and when the owner gets the puppy they have to continue.
It is important for the breeder to imprint proper reactions in the young ones...that is why I am not in favor of a volume breeder..most pups are left in the kennel to learn behavior from other caged adults who can be very neurotic...so the cycle continues.

We went to go see the fireworks in NYC last nite. And Annie did very well. We had been prepared for the worst. NY has been randomly doing fireworks for the last few months and we have a view of the Hudson River from our apt. so every time they go off Annie goes CRAZY :rolleyes: ! But yesterday as they started she started to get a little riled up so I just rubbed her head and talked to her soothingly and by the end she didn't even seem to mind them at all :)

Thats so funny that you said that abt the Dog Whisperer bc when I was reading what you wrote... I was thinking that is exactly the way he said to do things on the show and that is how I try to communicate with Tino and Bunny now! You are lucky that you had someone give you this advice years ago bc until I watched and processed how what he said makes so much sense, I used to talk to Tino like a little human and baby him when he was upset and had no idea that I was reinforcing the unwanted behavior!

dogs
 

Dogs are wonderful! We humans are the ones who mess them up LOL

I have had young puppies heard a clap of thunder and get upset. They follow me around and watch my reactions..it doesn't take long for them to learn the "pack leader" is okay, so they are okay...I bought a rhinestone pin in NY at a show, it sayd.."Alpha Bitch"..wore it all the time. LOL

And once you start grooming..do not stop, no matter how much they fight it..stay calm, talk reassuringly, look them in the eye and keep going..stop when they protest and YOU lose!

That was Maggie's celebration too. She loves music and pretty colors.

I have been told this before and I have to constantly remind myself to do that. It is such instinct to baby them when they are upset. But you are right, last night was 3 of my dog's first 4th of July with us. They immediately freaked out but then settled right down when we ignored them and then we all watched the fireworks from our window. My golden retriever spent the rest of the night panting even though the fireworks had stopped. We adopted him from the pound around the end of JUly 4 years ago. We are sure he lost his original home by running away on the 4th of July.

I am glad I read this posting. Roxy and TJ seemed fine all weekend (we did alot of traveling so they slept alot). We had some fireworks going off in the neighborhood but they seemed ok with it. Plus, I have been sleeping in their room so I am sure that they felt safe. But last night (4th of July) we were all hanging out and then it was bed time. I had decided that I can not sleep in their room anymore (it's been 2 weeks now), but of course I had to pick last night to start. I brought them in our bed for a little while, but then it was getting late so I put them in their room. They seemed fine. At 3 am I woke up to them barking a few times, so I went in there and went back to sleep. In the AM, Roxy it usually so 'up and about' barking, playing wanting me to get up. But she was very sleepy and she stayed in the corner of her crate. Usually she is on her bed just outside the crate. When I did get up she got up and very a little playful. I brought them down to eat, first some Nurtical and then some chicken and rice (I think they both ate something over the weekend that they shouldn't have and so they have a little diarreha and soft stool). Roxy only ate a little, TJ was a pig...Then I noticed Roxy was shivering a little bit and seemed very scared. All she wanted to do was be covered in her bed. I wrapped her up in her blanket and held her a little bit. I gave her some more nutrical and I even rubbed some kayro on her gums. I also gave her 4 cc of pedialite and 2 cc of water. She did enjoy that. I had to go to work so I left her wrapped up in her blanket and she was content. She stopped the shivering by the I was leaving. I am kinda scared myself right and I am wishing the day go by really fast so I can get home to her. My friend here at work says she probably was really scared all night from the fireworks and me NOT sleeping in the room. She thinks that Roxy didn't sleep very much last night and should be better soon. Does this make sense???

We took Jewels with us to the fireworks and she did fine. No shaking or anything.

We didn't go see the fireworks very much but we could hear them. They always do the fireworks by the river which we live by the river. So we heard them all night. Jane was fine but barked little in the beinning but Jeremiah was little jumpy and barking. But after a while he got used to it. Are we went outside and saw a few fireworks. They were both fine.

They started on July 3rd around 12:30 am...Maximus woke up howling and racing to the window...lol, he woke me up..I got him to go back to bed....showed him nothing was outside and all was okay...Yesterday he really just wanted nothing to do with it...he put his head behind my back and went to sleep

Phebe chases fireworks!!!
 

I took my girls to the fireworks. They did fine, but Phebe wanted to jump down and visit everyone! Afterwards we came home and did our own. Abby does fine, and Phebe tries to squirm out of my arms to get the firecrackers!! I had to start holding her after she ran up to one of the ones that spin on the ground!!! Luckily I caught her before she got there!!! I swear, some of these dogs are fearless! :eek:

In my neighborhood people are still shooting them off. My dogs are completely unaffected by them at this point.

Snoodles did absolutely awful! Ordered that aromatherapy conditioner and detangler from Brooke and wish I had had it to see if it works! EEK! The night of the 3rd I went out with her to go potty, and they lit up the sky with a whistler and exploding bomb lights. She absolutely freaked! Ran like a rabbit to the back yard, someone lit another one, and she ran to the front yard --then another--ran into the garage door before I could catch her. The fireworks went off until 2a.m. in the morning! Wanted to kill someone! Then of course, the night of the fourth, same thing. She is shaking and climbing to my head, etc. This will go on here for a good two weeks! Then we have Evil Knievel Days and they do fireworks again. Also open up the fireworks stands again and people stock up and it goes on for another two weeks! Am ready to move to the country, I swear! She is absolutely frightened out of her wits! I had to wait until 5 in the morning to take her out to potty! It is breaking my heart!
Pat