Bang!
A post from the Academy blog regarding preparing for the 4th of July:
It’s 4th of July weekend in the USA and so I wanted to take a moment to add an extra post this week to talk about preparing your dog’s for the fireworks and possible events so you can all be prepared to support your dogs.
What is important to know is that sound sensitivity can develop at any age, so don’t take it for granted that your dog did fine last year and assume that means they will never be concerned about the noise. I have lost count of the number of friends I have watched over the years brag and brag about how bomb proof their dogs were only to see them suddenly dealing with terrified dogs. So as their caretakers we should always be proactive in helping them deal with loud noises and always on the look out for red flags that they are perhaps unsure about what they are hearing.
WHAT TO DO ON THE 4TH (AND OFTEN THE DAYS LEADING UP AND AFTER CAN BE LOUD AS WELL)
Prepare food puzzles and chews- stuff & freeze Kongs, etc.
Talk to your vet about having anti anxiety meds on hand incase your dog is struggling to cope.
Stay home with your dogs!!! Don’t leave dogs unattended.
If your dog is fearful keep them on leash when you take them outside to go potty.
Make sure your dog is wearing a collar with accurate ID tags - the 4th of July is the number one day of the year for pets going missing in the US.
Take your dogs for a nice long walk early in the day if you can so they are well exercises before the noise begins.
Close windows & doors, close blinds and curtains so they are not seeing the light flashes
Try to keep them in an interior room with the least windows.
Turn on a loud movie or tv show to create white noise.
Fans also make a nice white noise machine.
You can try Thundershirts (and you can search google for DIY body wraps you can make using large bandages)
If using medication give it to them 30-60 minutes before you anticipate the noise starting.
It is ok to comfort your dog if they are frightened, you will not “reinforce their fear”. You can hold them, pet them, massage them or anything they show you is welcomed. Though some dogs will prefer to hole up alone and not want you to cuddle them, respect that as well.
Many dogs like a closet, bathroom or dark room with no windows to hide in.
You can try herbal and natural remedies, but please consult with your vet to make sure they won’t interfere with any of the medications you might also need to rely on. Natural remedies can be very hit or miss as they might work well for some dogs so your friends swear by them, only to have them not help you at all. So you might try a trial run with any supplements or medications you plan to use to see how your dog’s body responds to them.
Your attitude matters!
As I said, it is ok to comfort your dogs if they are frightened. You cannot reward or reinforce fear, no living being wants to return to feeling terrible just for a treat or a cuddle, the only thing that reinforces sound sensitivity is the scary sound stopping.
However your attitude while doing so can be felt by your emotionally sensitive dogs. So if you are angry, frustrated, worried, etc your dog is not going to feel comforted by knowing you are also unsettled.
Imagine yourself the pilot of the plane- look pups it’s just a little turbulence, we are ok.
Remember to take deep breaths, stay calm and upbeat, carry on as if everything is fine.
Do not scold or correct your dog, even if they do dumb things because they are terrified, so if they are bolting to the end of the leash and pacing the house, don’t get angry at them, it is not their fault, they are scared.
Singing a song, playing with them, have a dance party, but don’t over do it if it’s clear they are too bothered to engage with you, but trying doesn’t hurt.
Prevention for puppies and dogs not yet afraid
Take them for a nice long walk early in the day.
Have a stuffed kong or food puzzles that you give them as the action gets started.
Pair the sounds of bangs with good things: bang- feed a treat- bang - feed a treat. bang- throw ball- bang - throw ball.
Only take measures if you see dog alerting and taking notice, if they are ignoring it and seem completely normal just carry on as usual.
Still take the above environmental measures to minimize the volume of the noises and drown out some of the further away ones.
Stay upbeat and act as if it’s all totally fine.
Again, do not leave your dogs home alone, do not take them out by people setting off fireworks, keep them on leash, make sure they have a collar with ID tags incase they get spooked.