Hi All, Just wondered how you have all dealt with your dogs on fireworks night? I have a plan to walk Charlie with a huge bag of treats & lots of reassurance! What's your thoughts? Cheers Dave
Re: Fireworks Julie is the expert on this Dave. There is a really good noise desensitisation Cd available from Clix I think. Not sure who suggested it originally. Might have been Kate but I probably got that wrong. You will probably find it if you search fireworks or Cd. On the phone, not easy this morning. Think the big bag of treats is essential though ;D
Re: Fireworks I think I would stay at home rather than take the dog for a walk. You will be more in control of the situation at home than outside in the streets.
Re: Fireworks I don't know if this works exactly but it seemed to for my old lab. Down our lane the hedges are quite high so the dogs can only see the rockets. My old lab wasn't bothered about the noise so much it was seeing them so I would shine my torch (new batteries so bright) right in front of his nose, it was usually on the ground sniffing, so the flash of the firework wasn't as obvious and didn't attract his attention. So far the two I have now don't seem bothered at all but I do the same. We are lucky where we live the fireworks are usually quite a distance. Jen
Re: Fireworks I wouldn't say expert! Just followed the tips I was given on the forum when I knew there were going to be 2 firework displays right outside our house and Charlie had never seen them before. I started a good 6 weeks away from the firework events. Used the noise CD until I could have it up to neighbour banging on the wall level : and Charlie would continue snoozing. Also, what was more "real" was bursting balloons. That was Rachael's tip. Started at the bottom of the garden and rewarded a calm response and moved closer popping balloons. This was better than the CD. I got a wider range of responses, so could identify the really calm ones to reward. Charlie didn't really ever care much about the CD. Although he really thought the balloons sounded like they might be something to play with too. Watched the first firework display inside the house - chicken rewards for calm. Once I knew all was well, watched the second display lying calmly on a mat in the front garden, again rewarding calm. I wouldn't take a puppy out on fireworks night unless you already knew he was cool with it I don't think - best to use the first night to practice.
Re: Fireworks Ah...I love fireworks....I took this pic while we were watching the second of the displays - it was summer, it was hot, we were outside with cool glasses of wine... fireworks by JulieTandCharlie, on Flickr
Re: Fireworks Our last Lab, Cocoa, was completely relaxed about fireworks. As a puppy she lay on our patio and watched a neighbour's display. We got Holly in the run up to Christmas. In anticipation of the New Years Eve display we gave her a short session of fireworks sound effects every evening. We let it get louder each night. Come New Year she was quite OK with the display and only reacted to a really loud bang at the end.
Re: Fireworks Morning all, Thanks for the advice & tips...i've worked out a plan of action!! : There is a big 'ish display in the next town to me, so what i am going to do is a night walk Charlie over the fields which will be a great distance from the display & well away from houses. Charlie will get a good view but the noise will be far, far quieter. So off to the shops for a collar light & batteries for my head torch. I have also spoken to a few neighbours & they will have fireworks during the week, so I will keep him in for those...plus it's far warmer ;D ;D
Re: Fireworks Hi Dave ,hope you are both well,just realised there was a firework display going off in the school down the road....sound level was kind of muffled booms and I could see them from the end of our garden.Dexter came out and had a mooch round with me completely unperturbed.....I've haven't ever done any kind of desensitization to him as he is allowed in such few places in Dubai there aren't going to be many opportunities for family trips to firework displays ......he's experienced a quite loud storm not long after he arrived....I shot out of bed to check him ,he slept right through it ......think we've just got luckyand his Gundog heritage is coming to the fore,we'll sty home with him 5 th November though Good luck and let's know how Charlie does Bfn
Re: Fireworks Yes, the CD was my suggestion as I got it for one of my previous dogs and it did help a lot . Sam couldnt care less about fireworks, thunder, gun shot , he will snooze his way happily through it all, but Millie is an unknown entity and, given the anxieties when she first arrived with us , I reckon she may well be scared , curtains closed , tv turned up and hope for the best
Re: Fireworks Ah big bro Sam will take care of her I'm sure Kate and she's little enough to pick up for a snuggle if she's not happy.hope she fares ok though,it must be terrifying for them when they don't understand
Re: Fireworks Fireworks have just started at our village pub , Sam snores on , Millie looked up from her bed and then put her head back down to sleep, go Millie ;D ;D ;D Yes Angela , thats one advantage of a 6 kilo dog , she can be picked up and cuddled if necessary , Sam would love to be picked up and cuddled but ......... ;D ;D
Re: Fireworks Yes fireworks here too. Lady will lift her head and look as if to say "was that a gun", then flops back and the snoring starts up again.
Re: Fireworks HI All, an update on the fireworks: Charlie coped amazingly well to the fireworks. Saturday we walked around the village with a few fireworks going off around us...no loud bangs. Just looked on the odd occasion & carried on walking Sunday night the next village had a huge display with the noise being allot louder & again just not bothered!! Tonight will be the night, another walk around the village, this time with a few garden fireworks going off. We will tread carefully tonight but hopefully we will get the same reaction I hope so as i want to stop at the pub on the way around ;D ;D ;D ;D
Re: Fireworks Ah a pint and a packet of crisps .....and if you've been really good Dave,Charlie might let you have a crisp! ;D He's a good boy,I'm glad he's done so well and I hope everybody else's dogs have coped well tonight? No fireworks round here as usual....the odd bang and whizz but dexter not even glanced out the window!
Re: Fireworks Not so good here....ears and tail definitely down More desensitisation required especially with the whole shotgun side of things.....feeling glum
Re: Fireworks [quote author=bbrown link=topic=3069.msg33881#msg33881 date=1383679224] Not so good here....ears and tail definitely down More desensitisation required especially with the whole shotgun side of things.....feeling glum [/quote] Big hug to the lovely, lovely Riley from us. He just sounds not that happy though, not an all out panic. I don't know much about these things, but it does just sound like he needs a bit more exposure. It's not like he is completely terrified like some dogs can be?
Re: Fireworks Thanks Julie No he's not totally terrified but definitely not happy........starting pistol on order and making a plan right now! My lovely boy won't suffer through fireworks night again if I can help it.
