I think that these days it's becoming more and more common to treat anxiety with some kind of drug as early as possible, to take the edge off it, stop it getting worse and to give a clearer window for training. So I'd definitely be talking to your vet about the options beyond Adaptil. I hope Homer ends up being less worried by noises, poor boy.
I think tablets will have to be the way we go with this one. I took him for a walk down the thunder path. It was slow going with lots of him stopping, sitting and not budging and my jumping, jogging and generally being a squeaky nutter to encourage him on a bit more. I got him to the point where he could go for a swim. He went in the water but didn't drop his ball for him to dive after. All the way back he nervously stayed close to my leg. At least we now have a good heel! When hubby came home he wanted to take him out but he wouldn't go anywhere near the front door. Well maybe that's because he's got a brand new Orvis bed upstairs.
Hey, don't knock the Orvis beds! I think it sounds like time for a vet visit - for advice, for ear checks, for a referral to a behaviourist, or for drugs....
It does sound very extreme. Poor Homer Willow was very hesitant about going to the area where she heard the bangs for a couple of days, but we got around it by approaching the area from a different direction. It seems she also associates the bangs with snow on the ground (accurately, because the bangs are caused by the security team setting off avalanches) and the snow that was on the ground has melted now. As soon as it had gone, she appeared more relaxed. I'm hoping working on sounds over the summer will help her for next season.
Yes, next walk will be through the common which he loves round to the scary path. I think he may be getting more calm around the house, but still has some barky moments.
Today we managed to walk all the way along the scary path! On the way I bumped into some friends who were taking their son's spaniel for a walk so there were 6 humans and the two dogs altogether. Homer stopped when he realised we were not going the other way to the common. As I was chatting to my friend I just kept on going. I knew he'd stopped but thought well I'll just keep going and see if he will eventually follow, and he did! We made it all the way and back again. He did get a little nervous a few times its his ears twitching a bit but in between he was quite settled sniffing and going into the water as usual. He's now got a meaty bone to chew on.
We've been making reasonably good progress with banging noises - until this week! I got home on Thursday just after his dog walker dropped him off but before a clap of thunder, followed by a few more while I was getting his dinner ready. He pushed himself behind the sofa, getting tangled in the electrical wires pulling over a lamp which I cought before it smashed to the floor. I quickly unplugged phone and lamp. I managed to get him out before causing any damage. He then went upstairs and scratched at the carpet until he pulled it all up and shredded the underlay. While doing this I managed to get some calming medicine down his throat but he kept on spitting the pills out. He was panting and pacing and scratching all the time. He followed me to the kitchen, were he lodged himself behind the gas stove fire. He managed to shift it a bit and I was dead scared he'd pull out the gas pipe. So I spent the next hour sitting on the stove waiting for Hubby to get home and the drugs to kick in. By the time Hubby got home he wiggled out from under the stove, it's like a little wood burner with four little legs and a flue but with a gas fitting, and greater Hubby as if nothing was wrong. I had other words to say! This was 2 1/2 hours from the first rumble of thunder. To make a long post longer - Hubby wanted to take him to Wimbledon fair Mist Handsome Dog competition. (Because he IS the most handsome dog!) All good, we took the bus there so not to worry about parking, walked around. There were a few interesting noises but he was calm and fine. While waiting to go into the arena a small child's balloon popped with a loud bang right next to us! So we had to abandon the competition. Shivering with ears back and his tail between his legs twisting and pulling to get as far away as possible, he was not a handsome dog. Interestingly Homer wanted to go back to the bus stop where we got off the bus. On the bus home he lay down on the floor at the back of the bus stopped shaking and calmed down. He loves the car, so I think this might be an option to help calm him down but it won't always be possible to get him into the car. I can give him calming medicine if I know that there might be bangs but once he's in a state what can I do until the medicine starts to work?
I was thinking about you the other day wondering how Homer was getting on. Buster is still reacting to sounds but he is responsive which is a good thing although still stressed he does listen and I can get him to do small tricks to take his mind of the scary noise until we get home or back in the car. Can you get some high value treats (we have just discovered dog sausages) and get him to find it, talk in a really positive voice and a bit louder than you might normally (yes I feel like a wally when walking past people talking in a loud voice to Buster) can he he do any little tricks like spin or sit, just to keep his mind on the go until you can get back home or in the car. We have been told to record lots of sounds that we know would bother Buster but I must admit we have not done that and with the blasted shooting season not too far away we really must do it. I have downloaded a dictaphone of the App Store but haven't got very far with it. We had our village fete last week and knew we couldn't take Buster there as last year he loved being around every person and dog, this year it just wasn't worth putting him through the stress.
Poor Homer. I have never had a dog that got upset with loud noises. I am sorry for you both. I think you just have to keep up what you are doing for him. Hugs x
I have had dogs petrified of thunder and found the best thing to do was to find them a small, safe place and cover it with a blanket. I had one rescued German Pointer who was terrified of shot and of any bangs, I managed to cure that by taking him on the far perifery of a clay pigeon shoot and each time there was a shot in the distance I threw his favourite rabbit skinned dummy, so that he eventually paired the sound of a bang with something pleasurable. You need to go as far away as he can cope with the bangs to begin with. With the bangs from a pigeon scarer over the fields, I just kept walking, straightened my back and looked confident and sang a happy tune, betting that he would choose to follow me rather than run. I do u
Whoops, not sure what went wrong there! Was going to say I do understand the fear of bangs as I used to be very afraid of popping balloons and banging fireworks.
Ah, sorry to hear this is so troubling for poor Homer. I don't have any insight into this, having never coped with it myself, but just wanted to say I hope you find a way to make life a bit easier around bangs, it must be stressful for you too.
Although, interestingly, you were in the same place that I worked on Charlie's noise sensitivity after his second op! But it took us days and days to be able to walk round the fair in full swing. We worked on the construction site of the fun fair for ages, and he was then ok when it was up a running.
Heavens,it sounds real 'Marley and Me' reactions doesn't it ? Poor lad and for you coping with this .....I haven't got much to give you in the way of advice but I think if it was me I would be looking to see if there any trainers in the area that could come to the house and start helping slowly and gradually build his confidence.Home is the place that he probably is the most comfortable ......
Poor Homer, this is very upsetting for you too I remember Kate mentioning a desensitising CD with all kinds of noises e.g. motor bike, car backfiring, fireworks, popping balloons, gunshot etc. the idea is you start playing it on low volume slowing turning it up over a matter of weeks treating your dog for calmness until eventually loud noises shouldn't bother your dog. You can then start exposing him to loud noises outside. You can get the CD on Amazon. Don't know if that might help a little. Hugs to Homer xx
He's got nutacalm tablets which I give him with his dinner if there's sign of thunder or on a Saturday night when there's the possibility of fireworks from a near by wedding venue. These have helped. Unfortunately on Thursday the thunder started before he had his dinner. If he's scared he won't be tempted by even the tastiest treats, not even large pieces of roast chicken. He spits them out or just won't take them. He'll do the same with his tennis ball which he usually is obsessed with. When there've den deliveries or builders around I've taken him to see where the noise came from. One delivery man was very kind and let him have a good sniff and gently opened and closed the doors for him to get used to the noise. The fair was quite calm as we were there early, surprisingly calm. Up until the balloon incident he was coping very well. Unfortunately after the loud bang from the balloon all that was left was a screaming child! I've been thinking about setting up his old cage and stuff bolster cushions along the sides to make a tight space for him. I also wonder if a vibrating cushion might help. We had a vibrating cushion for kids with sensory needs at work. I'm a bit reluctant to put him in the car as I don't want him to associate the car with being nervous. Also considering trying a thunder vest if it works, it works if it doesn't then we'll leave it.
