It is completely normal for a dog to be afraid of rockets, firecrackers, or general fireworks due to the loud noise they cause. Dogs do not know that these are celebratory products that humans use for fun, they are simply frightened by the noise they cause.
That is why from Dogsis we are going to give you some simple guidelines for you to help your dog calm down and overcome his fear of the loud noises caused by fireworks. So that in a short time, they will go unnoticed by him.
Index of contents
- 1 Symptoms of fear of fireworks
- 2 Tips to calm a dog scared by pyrotechnics
- 3 What we should never do to calm a dog in fear
- 4 Scary Dog Medication Is It Needed?
- 5 The Tellington TTouch method of calming dogs Is it reliable?
Symptoms of fear of fireworks
Those of us who know our dog like the palm of our hand, immediately perceive when something is wrong, when it is scared or when it becomes nervous.
But not all people are able to perceive their non-verbal signs, so it is important to know the main symptoms of fear of rockets and firecrackers. If your dog has one or more of these symptoms, it is because he is scared:
- The dog hides its tail between its legs
- Moans or barks when listening to the noise of fireworks
- He gets nervous, trying to observe and monitor every corner of the house
- Tremble or drool for no reason
- Hides under our legs, under the bed or behind the chair
- Unable to sit still and your heart rate speeds up
Each dog is a world and can show one or more of the symptoms described. And although in principle if your level of fear may seem small, it will increase steadily until you reach a state of panic.
The Christmas fireworks, the rockets of the town festivities or the pyrotechnics of any celebration, will become a real nightmare for him. That is why it is so important to educate them and prepare them correctly against fireworks.
Tips to calm a dog scared by pyrotechnics
Calming our dog when it is scared due to the noise caused by firecrackers or rockets is very simple, but we must dedicate a little time and patience. Some dogs manage to calm down and even overcome their fear in a short time while others need a few weeks.
The first thing we must do is to tire our dog to release his energy, for this we must take a long walk and play with him, an hour before the noise caused by fireworks begins.
When we get home with him, we will put music or the television so that he gets used to hearing noise, a noise that does not scare him since the idea is to keep him distracted and relaxed.
It is super important to stay with him when the fireworks begin, as that will give him calm. If he is scared, we should not caress him or pick him up, because we will be feeding his fear.
The trick is to keep him distracted, either by giving him food while the fireworks are playing, or by playing with him to throw the ball or a teether indoors. In this way your mind will remain focused on something else, greatly reducing your nervousness.
We must have the windows closed so that the noise from the rockets and firecrackers is as little as possible. We will act in a completely normal way, as if absolutely nothing happened, we will simply distract our dog so that he does not focus on his fear.
We can even run around the house to chase us, always between laughter and joy to make you feel good. By following these tips, our dog will learn that the loud noises he hears will not really harm him.
What we should never do to calm a dog in fear
There are a number of measures that some people take thinking that they help their dogs in this way, but actually harm them even more. These are the things we should never do with our dog when his fear of fireworks noise begins:
- Do not pet your dog if it is scared, because it will think that being scared is okay and that is why you reward it.
- Do not talk to your dog to calm him down with phrases like “calm” “nothing happens”, since he will detect that something is wrong and will scare you more.
- Don’t hold him in your arms, because even though you think you protect him, you actually feed his fear of the unknown (the sounds of firecrackers and rockets).
- Never leave him home alone if he is afraid of fireworks, he could panic.
- Do not take it outside when there are fireworks, because the noise is more intense and could even suffer an attack.
And although it is not usual, some dogs get so nervous and scared that they can even be aggressive. So it is not recommended that they be with other animals or children.
Scary Dog Medication Is It Needed?
Medication should always be the last resort we use and will only be applicable when the veterinaryn deems it appropriate. Remember that a drugged / sedated dog can also hear the noise of fireworks and suffer an attack.
This is because you will panic but will barely be able to move due to the medication, which can even cause an attack: How to revive a dog that has suffered an attack.
So if your vet offers you medications to avoid fear, you should do it so that your dog is totally asleep. Not stunning but conscious, because in those cases, they have a worse time.
However, medication is always the last resort and few veterinaryns prescribe it for these reasons.
The Tellington TTouch method of calming dogs Is it reliable?
This method consists of tying a band, gently on the body of the dog, in the form of eight. In this way, the band will exert minimal pressure that will supposedly calm the dog.
It is a technique created by Linda Tellington-Jones who was an animal therapist, naturist. However, it is not a technique that we share since its beneficial effects have never been fully demonstrated.
Some dogs may even feel uncomfortable, tethered, which can further increase their level of stress and anxiety, their fear. So obviously, we do not recommend it.