Many dogs are fearful of fireworks, & who can really blame them! Guy Fawkes means nothing to our dogs, the noises sound like artillery & we can’t explain to them that they really are safe!
Once a dog has a negative experience they are likely to be more concerned about similar events in the future &, without kind intervention, it’s likely to get worse over time.
Build value in your dog’s safe haven. Make sure they have somewhere quiet, as far from potential noise as possible, that is cosy & just theirs. Do your best to sound proof the space, draw the curtains & put a heavy blanket over your dog’s crate.
Build value in their space by leaving tasty treats or toys in there & never forcing your dog or using their space to punish.
When fireworks go off they’re likely to take themselves to their haven as they know, in that place, they’re safe. Make sure they’ve always go access to their haven, even when you’re not in.
Chewing & licking are both help relax & sooth our dogs. Make settling with a long lasting chew or a stuffed kong a happy habit for your dog. Remember, a dog that is very stressed is likely to ignore any food. That’s why it’s important to have chewing established as a habit, that way our dogs are more likely to see this as their go to behaviour when they are stressed.
You can also train your dog to be less sensitive to noises. Remember, it takes a long time to rewire a brain that has a fear response to loud noises. The more you rehearse a behaviour the stronger the neural pathway gets! Training will need to be done for a number of weeks in the run up to fireworks. Train little & often, for a fun time, not a long time.
Level 1. Your dog sees/hears a distraction, say “alright” & treat REGARDLESS of their behaviour. If your dog won’t take the food in that situation, then the REWARD is REMOVAL from the situation = space.
Level 2. There’s a distraction, say “alright” & your dog orients back to you for their reward/reinforcement.
Level 3. There’s a distraction, they then disengages & orients back to you BEFORE the marker word, say “alright” & reward/reinforce.
Level 4. There’s a distraction, & they are aware of it, but there is no response.
Give them a safe space & avoid leaving them alone.
Take a walk long before they start &, even if you think they’ve stopped, keep them securely on their lead.
Take precautions with doors & windows making sure that your dog can’t bolt out of the house.
Create background noise & muffle the sound by drawing the curtains & using heavy blankets.
Listen to Classic FM Friday (4th) & Saturday (5th) 5-9pm, the music has been collated by an animal therapy doctor.
Stay calm yourself & reassure them if they seek you out - attention will not make them more fearful!
Provide calming enrichment, like chews, lickimats & filled kongs. Find recipes here:
Thundershirts & calming plugs work for some dogs.
Report any problems that affect animals by completing the RSPCA online survey:
Positive, games based training is perfect to boost your dog’s confidence & help shape a new response to things!
Sarah at Game Changer Dogs has lots of experience working with anxious & reactive dogs. All three of the game changer dogs are rescues who each arrived with their own struggles. Through reward based games & training we’ve been able to grow their optimism, calmness & disengagement.
Add CALM-K9 to their diet to support your dog’s brain & gut wellness helping them to be calmer & better behaved.
A scoop each day provides all the brain & gut support they need… NATURALLY! Formulated by vets, behaviourists, trainers & a team of nutritionists.
