philologus Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 I don't post very often but I felt compelled to do so today to thank everyone for their excellent and balanced comments on this subject. We don't have 4th July problems in the UK but we do have fireworks in November (Guy Fawkes, Bonfire night) and at New Year. We also have our share of thunderstorms here. One of my BC's, Tiffy, (3yrs old) is very sensitive to the noises and is getting worse. She was unconcerned about the noises when she was a pup but has become sensitised over the last few years. Our vet prescribed Ace last year but I felt that it was not having the desired effect and could see this from Tiffy's eyes. I have been looking for an alternative solution and am going to see if I can obtain one of the diffusers so that I can try it during a thunderstorm. If it does not work I will have a long talk to the vet and try one of the more suitable remedies you have suggested. Once again - thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenfitzh20 Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Yes, our neighborhood has been shooting the fireworks off for about 2 weeks now, steadily bringing out the louder ones as the days go by. Fynn is petrified. He is the only one thankfully, Sophie is fine and my fosters don't seem bothered too much except when the really loud "bomb" ones go off. Then even I jump and head for the house. I've tried the jolly routine, ignored him, I have the DAP plugged in and the body wrap on him (sports bra ), none of it is helping him. He won't even go out to potty except at 1am when the lunatics have finally gone to bed. Thankfully I have 2 window units instead of central air. Its been somewhat cool so I didn't have them on but finally caved and shut all the windows and turned them on full blast. That has helped more than anything. We still have the ones that shake the windows and make everyone in the house wonder if we are finally being attacked by foreign troops. Just makes me so POed that even though they are against the law, they insist on shooting the lousy things of for a solid month in my neighborhood. One good thing is that Fynn does not flee or become destructive. He gets the "deer caught in headlights" look and tries to find a place in the middle of the house that is safe, usually somewhere close to me. He appreciates my touch but I try not to go overboard. I still use jolly talk even though it doesn't seem make him feel better, can't hurt I figure. We planned on going herding today but now they are calling for thunderstorms...sheesh!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Well I have just heard on the news, that here in the UK the RSPCA are trying to introduce a new law if they can, :- to ban the really really loud fireworks, for them to only be sold on certain occations, ie fireworks night etc and for the users to apply for liciences, they hope this will prevent youngsters letting them off willy nilly on our streets,and obviously to protect more pets, I really hope this law gets passed as around here its getting out of hand, I am no kill joy but the kids let them off in car parks, street corners etc for as long as the shops carry them, its not just animals that suffer some of these kids think its a huge joke to stick fireworks under cars and on street lamp posts when people are passing, through letter boxes etc, my girl has not encountered fireworks night yet, but my other dog goes frantic going to and fro looking for small spaces to hide in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucy Goosey Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Before I had a firework phobic dog, I never gave it a second thought and enjoyed them just as much as everyone else. Now I will never view them in the same light again. When mine passes away, I will be able to once again take part in community celebrations, but the idea that half the dogs in a fifty mile radius are probably scared out of their gourds will always be a little bit of a buzzkill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 I'm going to have the mental image of a dog wearing a sports bra stuck in my head all day on the Fourth. I have put a T-shirt on Solo, but I can't tell if it makes any difference. His reactions are so mild now that it doesn't matter anyway. Solo will work through thunder and shotgun blasts a quarter of a mile away. Actually, if I could I'd work him every time a storm came in. That would probably go a long way toward desensitizing him to thunder and loud noises. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 We're pretty lucky that loud noises don't faze Piper. However, last night, late last night around 11:30-my bozo neighbor's thought it would be fun to shoot off some fireworks. I was almost asleep and heard this whizzing sound and then ka-boom....Piper flew across the room, diving for her closest toy and shaking the crap out of it-this is her usual devil dog routine but was the first time she has ever done that after hearing fireworks. It continued for awhile. I kept calling her over to the bed to try and calm her down and get her to settle down...just when I got her to lay down...ka-boom...and devil dog returns! I thought it might be because my husband is out of town and so she is already extra alert to outside noises when he is gone (and animals-apparently there was a bear in our yard the other night). Happy 4th (for those that live here in the U.S.) and Happy Weekend for those outside the U.S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenfitzh20 Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Melanie, why have a mental image when you can have the real thing?? Here is my Fynn boy sitting behind my office chair where he always sits when I'm on the puter. Here is is "sporting" my lime green t-shirt/bra combo, I think he likes this one best...oh poor Fynn Does he look pitiful or what?! He got to go herding today, no thunder just rain. He can tolerate that for sheep, well, goats in this case. He's tired enough that the fireworks, now mixed with thunder are tolerable. I agree with you though, the more exposure Fynn gets to storms the better he tolerates them. I was actually able to throw the frisbee for him when we got home while fireworks were going off in yards just behind my house. Everytime he'd catch one he'd veer off to the back door but I was able to jolly call him back and he'd come. Major improvement! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 alrighty...I missed something here...why the sports bra/t-shirt combo??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenfitzh20 Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Yeah, I probably didn't explain the sports bra thing eh? There is the idea that by wrapping the dog, it alleviate stress, similar to wrapping newborns. They even sell "anxiety wrap" ($$$) but I don't think it works well enough to actually buy one, hence the sports bra . For more info you can visit: http://www.anxietywrap.com/anxietywrap.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted July 2, 2004 Report Share Posted July 2, 2004 Since I have a treasure trove of tiny T-shirts, I have tried just slapping one of my own shirts on Solo as well. I do know people who have spent the $60-odd on the "Anxiety Wrap" (which is made of neoprene, I think -- wouldn't that be hot?) and didn't think it did any good. I think dogs typically get worse every time they experience a storm or fireworks but that if I could successfully pair the event with getting to work sheep every time it may actually help Solo. Working sheep is the only thing that can get his mind off noises at that level. Becca here on the Boards can tell you about the time I was at her place and her neighbor kid was shooting off a black-powder shotgun right next door. Solo would tense up a little every time he heard a shot (those suckers sound like the wrath of God), but he kept working, to my surprise. We figured he was better off working in the field than huddled indoors terrified, so we kept going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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