We’re offering tonnes of advice for how to help your dog survive the stresses of fireworks and Hallowe’en celebrations with some common sense and planned out tips. So if your dog freaks at this time of year, read on..
Are you fearful your friendly fido will become a frightened frankenhound this weekend?
Does your perfect puppy become a whinging weredog when the bangs and whistles start?
Fireworks frighten many animals and at the end of October there’s a high chance of them disturbing your dog. In 2019 the RSPCA reported that 60% of dogs experienced severe distress when they heard fireworks. For many, this can be equivalent to suffering PTSD and fireworks can even cause heart attacks and death.
Which is why I wrote a series of emails in July about helping your pet cope, as teaching dogs to tolerate fireworks if they are afraid takes a long time. Which you haven’t got for this weekend.
There is a pish for retailers only to sell silent fireworks, or even not sell them at all – well done Sainsburys for banning firework sales this year. But they are still on sale elsewhere.
So what can you do to help your dog with fireworks?
It’s worth following this advice with all dogs, irrespective of whether you think they are afraid of the whooshes, whistles and whoomps.
- Plan your walks carefully for the next five days – fireworks could be set off any day from now until into next week. Walk your dog in daylight hours, well before any fireworks begin
- Chat to your neighbours and find out if any are planning any fireworks so you can be ready to help your dog cope. It’s the unpredictability of fireworks that makes them so scary for your dog and makes it difficult for you to prepare to help your pooch. Ask them if they would consider silent fireworks if possible.
- Create a safe space. As you know if your regularly read my emails, Gus is f=earful of loud noises, including fireworks. Last year in a bad thunderstorm, he tried to get into our enclosed boiler cupboard. Where ever it is, find a space your dog wants to go – put their bed behind the sofa, or cover their crate, or put a comfy bed into a large cupboard.
- Make sure your garden is secure and fenced in so your dog can’t escape if they become frightened, panic and try to run away.
- Keep your collar with its clearly labelled and securely fixed identify tag on your dog at all times and make sure your microchip details are up to date.
- If you know your pet is terrified of fireworks, ask your vet for any suitable anti-anxiety medication you can give to cover this short period. There are calming supplements and diffusers available over the counter which may help some dogs but not all – and generally aren’t enough for fearful fidos when those noises state close by.
Here’s how to help them when those pesky fireworks start:
- Keep your dog stimulated with fun activities such as snuffle mats, filled Kongs and puzzle feeders filled with extra special yummy treats. Using their nose will help your dog keep their heart rate down and stay calmer.
- Covering doesn’t do much to eliminate noise, but covering their bed area plus drawing all curtains and blinds and shutting all windows and doors can help muffle sounds a bit. Turn radios and TVs on loud, too to help muffle the outside noise.
- Thundershirts or wraps can help some dogs feel safer – and old T-shirt or vest might help to provide some gentle compression around your dog’s body which can help produce calm in dogs who love being held and cuddled. However, they aren’t suitable for all dogs and you need to make sure your dog is not scared even more by you trying some novel thing like that at the height of any noises.
- Comfort your dog. Some will love a hugs and cuddle when scared, others just want to hide in their bolthole. You can’t make their anxiety worse and it might help them cope better.
- Stay calm yourself. Dogs can sense when we are stressed and anxious, so remain as calm and positive as possible, even when you want to tear your hair out when fireworks are let off for the third night running…
Remember that your dog may also be scared by Halloween costumes and decorations.
Watch your dog carefully. Keep them shut in if you have trick or treaters visiting and I hope it’s obvious that you need to keep any lit lanterns well away from any clumsy canine.
I also want to talk about Halloween party celebrations.
What can you do to help your dog if you want to have a Halloween party? How can you keep your dog content and safe?
Here’s a few tips:
- Sweets are for children not dogs – chocolate is poisonous, as I tell Gus every time he looks at me longingly for a bit of my chocolate biscuit. Keep sweet bowls and treat plates well away from any snaffling prehensile tongues.
- Place decorations well away from that wagging frond of destruction that is your dog’s tail. Move them from floor level to avoid knocking over by clumsy paws. It’s too easy for a lit pumpkin or spooky candles to be knocked over and start a fire.
- Be careful with costumes. Please don’t take a notion to dress up your dog unless you are certain they love it.
I see so many dogs, not just at this time of year, looked stressed and unhappy in silly frilly dresses, jumpers or costumes. But some dogs love them.
Pepper, my grand-dog, a thin coated whippet-greyhound cross, loves his warm jackets in winter and shivers pathetically when it’s anything other than mid-summer. He has also trained Daughter no. 1 to light the fire by sitting next to it and barking until she does!
Make sure any costume does not inhibit your dog’s ability to breathe, bark and pant or limit their movement in any way. Be particularly careful about limiting shoulder movements.
Introduce any potential costume several days in advance so they can get used to it and be comfortable in it before your big day. If they don’t want to be dressed up, then why not ditch the idea or just have a fetching bandana round their neck instead?
Follow this advice and have a spookily good Halloween weekend.
Keep training and stay safe,
Carol
PS If you want my help for your troll-like teenage terror (canine version!) or devil dog, check out the 121 training or behaviour options on our website
