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Big Bang
Theories
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It's that time of
year again. For much of this month, if you have a noise-phobic
dog, you'll be scraping him off the ceiling every time a firework goes
off. Now that firework "night" seems to extend for two weeks
either side of the fifth of november, it is really no laughing matter
if your dog cowers at every bang and crash. Fear of loud noises
is the most common phobia suffered by dogs; astonishingly up to 80 per
cent of the phobia-related problems seen at Dr Roger Mugford's Animal
Behaviour Centre are noise related. Often this phobia can be
traced back to one specific incident, an unexpected shock triggering a
fear reflex. In a smaller number of cases, the fear increases
gradually and a particular incident can't be pinpointed. If this
is your dog's first firework nioght there are various things you can do
to prevent him becoming terrified. First make sure you and your
dog are prepared....Alter his exercise routine so as to be out when it
is quiet, especially avoiding walks in the early evening. Extra
long walks are also useful as this will help tire him out and hopefully
make him more relaxed. Set up your dog's bed, water and food bowl
in a room that preferably has no outside access, and is close to the
centre of the house to help muffle the noise. You could try the
hallway or landing with a door open to whatever room you are in so that
he can see you. If your dog insists on being with you, pick a
room that has the best sound protection and keep the radio or TV on in
the background.
Other than this, it is important to carry on as normal. If you have children who are going out to a firework display, their excitement could obviously whip your dog up into a frenzy. While you are not trying to spoil firework night for the rest of the family at least attempt to keep their excitement under control untill they've left the house, and always make sure there's someone there to stay with your dog.
It may sound like stating the obvious but don't have firework parties in your back garden or children careering through the house with sparklers - even the most bomb-proof dog will shy away from what sounds like a smaller thermo-nuclear device being set off in close vicinity.
So, in your calm, relaxed household, get ready for that first explosion of the evening. When it happens don't all whirl around to see what fido is doing or he will assume he's supposed to react. If he doesn't react at all, then ignore him and thank your lucky stars. If he has been startled, or is showing signs of fear, this is when you'll have to become inventive. The worst thing to do is to go over the top on reassurance or your dog will learn that showing fear of loud noises is acceptable behaviour and that earns him lots of attention and hugs. Before you know it you will have a dog frightened of every loud noise, not just fireworks.
Nothing to Fear
If your dog is showing fearfulness you need to distract him. Play a game, get him hunting for treats, do a bit of training, anything that will concentrate his brain on you and not what is going on outside. By doing this your dog learns that a loud noise is nothing to be scared of, or even better he will ignore the fireworks completely as searching for doggie choc-drops is a far more interesting pursuit.
These tactics are great if your dog hasn't shown any noise phobia previously, but if he already has a track record of problems there are things you can do to make the evening comfortable as possible or maybe even cure the problem. It is possible to have your vet give a sedative to your dog that will allow him to sleep through the evening blissfully unaware he should be frightened. It is also possible for your dog to be given beta-b;ockers. These are not sedatives. But they calm the physical symptoms of fear such as a racoing heart. These are perfect if you know in advance that your dog is going to have a problem, but as mentioned before, firework night tends to last a lot longer than just one night, and not many people would be keen to administer sedatives to their dogs for up to a fortnight. There is also a Herbal alternative in the form of Phytoplex Skullcap and Valerian which works best if given two weeks leading up to firework night. Available from a company called Animal Alternatives this remedy helps safeguard against anxiety and panic attacks.
If you are going to try to get through it without the aid of drugs, follow the same points regarding exercise as before, really try and tire him out as a sleepy dog will be less tense. Always make sure he is wearing his collar and ID tag, even in the house, just in case he should bolt out of a door left open by accident. For his own good you will have to be even stricter with yourself about ignoring him if he reacts. In an attempt to cure noise phobia, or at least substantially reduce the reaction, you can try a programme of desensitisation. You can get hold of special sound effect CD's and tapes that copy the noises of fireworks and thunder. The idea is to play it at a low level and as the dog becomes comfortable you gradually increase the volume. Begin playing the sound effects when the dog is doing something fun like eating or playing a game - essentially the same distraction idea as before, but do it over and over again untill your dog pays no attention to the noises.
Got it Taped
If, when you raise the volume your dog shows distress, lower the volume and try with smaller increases in volume each time checking that your dog is not bothered by the sound. This desensitising will take a while and endless repetitions, but it is worth the trouble when you eventually have a laid back pooch rather than a quivering wreck. It is worth investing in a tape like this if you have a young pup as well that way you can pre-empt noise phobia by getting your puppy used to the sounds of fireworks and thunder from a young age. Be careful you don't overdo this though, as Gwen Bailey, author of "The Perfect Puppy" and behaviourist for the blue cross points out, making sudden crashing noises around a young pup can cause a phobia rather than prevent one. In all cases the gentle approach is best.
Some breeds are more likely to develop noise phobias than others. The herding breeds like Collies, Beardies and Rough Collies have been bred to have acute hearing in order to hear the farmwers whistle. This higher level of hearing, plus collie's tendancy towards sensitivity mean they are more prone to noise problems.
So this year make sure you are prepared, and with any luck fireworks night should go with a bang not a whimper.
source: owner information leaflets at Park Veterinary Practice Watford
Other than this, it is important to carry on as normal. If you have children who are going out to a firework display, their excitement could obviously whip your dog up into a frenzy. While you are not trying to spoil firework night for the rest of the family at least attempt to keep their excitement under control untill they've left the house, and always make sure there's someone there to stay with your dog.
It may sound like stating the obvious but don't have firework parties in your back garden or children careering through the house with sparklers - even the most bomb-proof dog will shy away from what sounds like a smaller thermo-nuclear device being set off in close vicinity.
So, in your calm, relaxed household, get ready for that first explosion of the evening. When it happens don't all whirl around to see what fido is doing or he will assume he's supposed to react. If he doesn't react at all, then ignore him and thank your lucky stars. If he has been startled, or is showing signs of fear, this is when you'll have to become inventive. The worst thing to do is to go over the top on reassurance or your dog will learn that showing fear of loud noises is acceptable behaviour and that earns him lots of attention and hugs. Before you know it you will have a dog frightened of every loud noise, not just fireworks.
Nothing to Fear
If your dog is showing fearfulness you need to distract him. Play a game, get him hunting for treats, do a bit of training, anything that will concentrate his brain on you and not what is going on outside. By doing this your dog learns that a loud noise is nothing to be scared of, or even better he will ignore the fireworks completely as searching for doggie choc-drops is a far more interesting pursuit.
These tactics are great if your dog hasn't shown any noise phobia previously, but if he already has a track record of problems there are things you can do to make the evening comfortable as possible or maybe even cure the problem. It is possible to have your vet give a sedative to your dog that will allow him to sleep through the evening blissfully unaware he should be frightened. It is also possible for your dog to be given beta-b;ockers. These are not sedatives. But they calm the physical symptoms of fear such as a racoing heart. These are perfect if you know in advance that your dog is going to have a problem, but as mentioned before, firework night tends to last a lot longer than just one night, and not many people would be keen to administer sedatives to their dogs for up to a fortnight. There is also a Herbal alternative in the form of Phytoplex Skullcap and Valerian which works best if given two weeks leading up to firework night. Available from a company called Animal Alternatives this remedy helps safeguard against anxiety and panic attacks.
If you are going to try to get through it without the aid of drugs, follow the same points regarding exercise as before, really try and tire him out as a sleepy dog will be less tense. Always make sure he is wearing his collar and ID tag, even in the house, just in case he should bolt out of a door left open by accident. For his own good you will have to be even stricter with yourself about ignoring him if he reacts. In an attempt to cure noise phobia, or at least substantially reduce the reaction, you can try a programme of desensitisation. You can get hold of special sound effect CD's and tapes that copy the noises of fireworks and thunder. The idea is to play it at a low level and as the dog becomes comfortable you gradually increase the volume. Begin playing the sound effects when the dog is doing something fun like eating or playing a game - essentially the same distraction idea as before, but do it over and over again untill your dog pays no attention to the noises.
Got it Taped
If, when you raise the volume your dog shows distress, lower the volume and try with smaller increases in volume each time checking that your dog is not bothered by the sound. This desensitising will take a while and endless repetitions, but it is worth the trouble when you eventually have a laid back pooch rather than a quivering wreck. It is worth investing in a tape like this if you have a young pup as well that way you can pre-empt noise phobia by getting your puppy used to the sounds of fireworks and thunder from a young age. Be careful you don't overdo this though, as Gwen Bailey, author of "The Perfect Puppy" and behaviourist for the blue cross points out, making sudden crashing noises around a young pup can cause a phobia rather than prevent one. In all cases the gentle approach is best.
Some breeds are more likely to develop noise phobias than others. The herding breeds like Collies, Beardies and Rough Collies have been bred to have acute hearing in order to hear the farmwers whistle. This higher level of hearing, plus collie's tendancy towards sensitivity mean they are more prone to noise problems.
So this year make sure you are prepared, and with any luck fireworks night should go with a bang not a whimper.
| Desensitisation
tapes are available from the Company of Animals 01932 566696 Phytoplex Skullcap and Valerian is available from Alternative Alternatives 0181 943725 |
source: owner information leaflets at Park Veterinary Practice Watford
| Canine Fear of Fireworks and Thunder |