Dogs and Fireworks
Posted on October 27, 2013
With Hallowe’en approaching you may want to start preparing your pet for the inevitable evening of non-stop crackling, popping, and booming from all the fireworks around the neighbourhood. It is natural for dogs to be afraid or to be unsure of loud noises. As with most animals, they have a survival mechanism that helps them avoid and flee when they believe to be in a dangerous situation. Remember that a dog can hear everything a human ear can pick up except four times louder. They detect fainter sounds from greater distances, and on much higher frequencies. Those booms you hear from the fireworks – imagine those sounds louder, more often and from many different directions. Can you blame them for being terrified? There are a few things you can do to prepare your pooch for that evening.
Acclimation
Since the sound of fireworks/firecrackers is not something that they are used to hearing, you can try to desensitize them by playing recorded sounds of fireworks in a safe environment while they are doing something they enjoy: before going for a walk, giving them treats or playing with them. You may want to start at a lower volume and increase the volume over a course of a few days as they get accustomed to the noises. You want to condition your dog to interpret those sounds to be something “good” rather than something “scary”.
Your Reaction
Whenever your dog hears a loud noise, the first thing they may do is look to you for your reaction. They are essentially looking to their “pack leader” for clues on how they should behave. If you tense up or start to comfort your pooch, this will reinforce that the noise is something that should be feared. If you do not react and pretend that you did not even hear the noise, they will think that the noise is not a big deal. Go about doing what you normally do around the house, and they should start to sense that their fear may be unwarranted. Since our dog was a puppy, we have never reacted to thunderstorms or fireworks. It has worked wonders. She’s two now and this past summer we witnessed her sitting outside on our veranda during a thunderstorm enjoying the cool air like it was any other evening.
Preparation
On the evening of the fireworks, try to make your dog as comfortable as possible by drowning out the noise either by playing the television or radio, or creating some white-noise with a fan or air conditioner. Let them go to their favourite place whether it be their crate or bed, and distract them with their favourite toy or even a good chewie or a frozen Kong filled with their favourite goodies. While our natural tendency with be to try to comfort them during this time, remember not to cuddle them, pet them more than usual, or talk in soft voices (eg. “Aww, its okay. Don’t be afraid. Mommy will protect you.”) as these will reinforce their distressed behaviour.
Hope these tips help.
Have a safe and happy Hallowe’en!