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Thread: Fireworks!

  1. #1
    House Broken TT120's Avatar
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    Fireworks!

    How did everyones dog do last night?

    My neighborhood sounded like a war zone all night. There were several LARGE explosions and lots of the big mortars going off all night. Milo and I started the day off by going to a parade with loud sirens, music, and marching bands. Once it got dark and the real noise started up, we went for a walk around the neighborhood to meet people and fireworks. Milo started out a little scared but I didn't allow it to consume him and kept his interest on the walk and new smells. After about half an hour, he was completely ignoring the explosions and seemed to be having fun. I believe he is going to be bomb proof.

  2. #2
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    We had five (!!!) nights of neighborhood fireworks. The one official/legal fireworks display is a bit away from us and never really bothered the dogs. Two/three years ago the neighborhood displays started to get out of hand. The police don't even investigate the illegal displays so people are emboldened. The displays two/three years ago changed my dogs from having no issues whatsoever with either thunderstorms or fireworks to being freaked out by both noises for a long time afterwards.

    I tried Thundershirts....those freak the dogs out. Put one on a calm dog and you instantly create a shaking dog....Sunnie worse than Dan.

    I have herbal calming collars...they're enough for minor storms or ones that are a distance. They don't work for fireworks.

    These past five nights, the dogs have been spending the evenings/overnight in the basement where it's quieter. I run an air cleaner down there 24/7 and that noise helps, too.

    They came through it unscathed but it took vigilance on my part.

  3. #3
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    Our neighbours set off a small display for their kids but it was enough to freak Our chocolate boy Wallace out. He actually busted open the front door and went out and hid. This was at about 10:00 and really dark to go out and look for him so I started up the Ranger and he came running. We call it the Wally Wagon because when that thing starts he is right in. I say he like to feel his ears blow back when he is riding.

  4. #4
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Canada Day was Saturday and there were fireworks going off Friday to Monday. Monday was the day of the Stat. Oban doesn't mind but Joey gets scared so Joe was quite ticked off with me for making him come in early four nights in a row. I smartened up after my miscue the Victoria Day fireworks when I didn't think to get Joe in early and had to enlist Oban's help.
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  5. #5
    Senior Dog Sue-Ram's Avatar
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    Canada Day we did the fireworks fort, but Ram was still panting because it was hot in there. Sunday night the noise wasn't as close to the house but Ram was still freaked out. He was laying in my lap bruising my legs with his elbows every time he sat up. As it got quieter I had to wet a towel and put it over him to stop his panting.

    On Monday morning we went to a park and he had a swim in the river and then as we were sitting watching people and dogs walk by. Then there were 2 bangs and I had to quickly grab him by the scruff of the neck because he didn't have his collar on to let his fur dry, then he dragged me back to the car. There was no noise last night but he didn't want to go outside for his last pee.
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  6. #6
    House Broken jenfarm's Avatar
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    This was Chutes' first 4th of July and we weren't expecting to have much issue with him. DH has taken him to the gun range and just sat in the parking lot with him so he could hear the sounds and they haven't bothered him a bit so far. Same with thunderstorms or even someone coming to the door and ringing the doorbell. Completely doesn't faze him at all. Turns out he doesn't care about fireworks either. Our neighborhood has a bunch of people that light off their own fireworks and it basically goes on for a couple days before and after and Chutes' hasn't been bothered by any of it. There was one instance last night while he was eating dinner in the driveway (I brought his food bowl outside to have him eat with all of the noises and commotion going on around him - a bit of a food generalization exercise) when the neighbor kids at the house next door lit a batch of firecrackers. That's the loudest and closest he's heard that sound and he jumped at first, stopped eating for about 1 second to look over at where the noise was coming from, and then went right back to scarfing his food like nothing was going on at all. The next batch of firecrackers they lit off didn't even get a notice out of him. Mortars going off on the next street over and booming over our heads and nothing.

    He did fantastic. Couldn't have been happier.

    I definitely feel for all the pup parents that deal with anxious dogs. I can't imagine. We've tried really hard to introduce Chutes' to a lot of different noises and situations early on and he's just been so easy about everything. He's been a very easy, chill, confident pup. He does NOT like the vacuum though. Doesn't care much for the hair dryer either but he'll at least approach me for a second while I am holding it and it's on. So, we're working now on desensitizing him to the vacuum now...
    Josh & Jenna. Texas.
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  7. #7
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    It's a problem. I might be the odd man out, but I don't think "gun-shyness" (or explosion-shyness as the case may be) is due to traumatic experiences with gun fire. I suppose you can take a healthy puppy and create neuroses about loud noises. But I believe that it sorta runs in certain gene pools. Over the years with all the labs we've had, I've probably introduced them to noise about as ineptly as it's possible to do... never had one get nervous. Same with fireworks.

    I took Ram Jet Rocket Dog to a Civil War Re-enactment. I had her on a down and was just relaxed talking to other ladies, and some idiots set off a cannon without due warning (proper safety etiquette requires that they yell "fire in the hole" of they are touching off powder outside of an actual enactment.) They were maybe 30 to 60 yards from us and I'm pretty sure they had at least a quarter of a pound of powder in their load. I mean... ka-BOOM. It made my ears ring. Rocket Dog flinched, but then was looking around like... "WHOA BABY... there is one huge duck down somewhere and I'm gonna be the one to fetch it!" She was totally jazzed by it.

    Anyhow, I don't think owners of gun shy dogs did anything wrong necessarily, and I think it is difficult to ameliorate no matter how many things you try.

  8. #8
    Best Friend Retriever hunter's Avatar
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    So loud here. On Canada Day here at the lake it was very loud. The sound travels over water really well too well. Hunter has been recovering from ACL surgery and was not happy. We had him with us in the living room and mom had gone to bed so of course Hunt wanted to go to bed. He can't jump at all because of his surgery so we really had to watch him he kept trying to jump up so feel better.

  9. #9
    Senior Dog sparky's Avatar
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    Mocha LOVES fireworks. He stands and watches the pretty lights. When he was a puppy he learned when the lights flash in the sky the people are not watching their plates and he would snitch a morsels!
    Latte on the other hand does not like fireworks or thunder storms or gun shots (we live out in the country) We have ignored the loud noises and stayed calm around her and it has subsides a bit. If we are outside and it thunders or a gun shot goes off she runs to us! Thank goodness for that! In the house she will sit and have her ears back and a worried look on her face but we reassure her and do not make a big deal over the noise.
    We bought a thunder shirt in preparation for the fireworks but our neighbor shot off his BIG display on Saturday night (we are in the US) so we were caught short. We put it on her and it seemed to help. The upshot is her has always been skittish of my dad. We have no idea why. We had the thunder shirt on when he came over Sunday and she went right over to him and let him pet her and actually hopped on the couch with him. Not sure if it was the shirt or she has gotten used to him.
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  10. #10
    Senior Dog Meeps83's Avatar
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    Maverick doesn't care about any noise. He's fearless about everything in general. Bear gets a little worried and will do the huffy bark once or twice. I like to let him process the noise and figure out the sound and the safety of it on his own for maybe 5-10 seconds. When he's relaxed again I tell him he's good and call him over for some pets.

    They both did fantastic over the weekend and barely noticed any noise.


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