# Fireworks!



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Well, after I JUST said that,so far, Kodi seems OK with thunderstorms, he just melted down over fireworks at least a town away. He was panting so hard, and his heart was beating so fast that I was worried about him physically... And that was before we even heard any fire works. It was only the finale we finally heard.

He's in bed with us now, and has finally relaxed and fallen asleep. Unless Dave complains, I'm going to let hin stay as long as he wants too.

I think it's going to be a long few days... There are fireworks in a different town near here every night between now and Wed. night!


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Oh, I was just envying you with Kodi who wasn't showing signs of anxiety with fireworks and storms. I hope he gets to sleep with you all night. I know I really worry about Tucker actually having a heart attack when there are many that go off for very long. Just one BANG sets him to panting and shaking for an hour or so. I plan on driving around for hours on the 4th, with air conditioner and radio blasting. Sigh. Then I have to work the next day. Poor little guys, I'd love to understand what terrifies them so badly.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Awww...poor boy.


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## sashamom (Jan 12, 2009)

I started Rango in training today and one of the things that she suggested for fireworks is melatonin (sp) I called my vet and she said 2 to 3 mgs per dog. Maybe worth a call to the vet, I feel so bad for them when they are that frightened. 
Linda


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

fireworks are illiegal in our county...  so, I'm sure they would scare the daylights out of Tillie... although she never has a problem during thunder storms?


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## Cailleach (Jan 30, 2010)

Fireworks sounds are one of the things I have recorded and play in the house with new dogs to condition them to it. Low sound at first and then loud. Years ago my Sheltie disappeared for two days after we had fireworks, he was hiding under a shed and ever since that horror of thinking he ran away I decided it would never happen again. Worth a try, mine ignore fireworks and thunder.


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## rokipiki (Oct 15, 2010)

We had firework festival for a whole week here. It means that they start show when it is dark enough for fireworks and stop around 2AM. from my balcony I can see all fireworks show perfectly. It is so beautifull! But between explosions you can hear mad barking all around. Hundreds dogs maybe? Roki is not afraid. He barked at the beginning, but then watched in silence with me


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

welcome to the club.


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## cap (Jun 21, 2012)

Oh no, poor Kodi. I was so concerned about the thunderstorms that I had completely forgotten about the upcoming fireworks. The terrible line of thunderstorms that came through the DC area on Friday hit our beach town about midnight. Lots of thunder and lightning but, fortunately, Isabelle slept though it. I feel so badly for the people and animals who are to be without power for most of this coming week. I heard on the news that they have cooling stations set up with back up generators but there was no mention of allowing animals to enter.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

My mom got a thundershirt for her elderly dog. Before she spent $40, she wrapped him in a huge ace bandage during a thunderstorm to see if the concept would work. It did.

Perhaps you could try swaddle Kodi in an ace bandage tonight? If it seems to help, I am pretty sure that I saw thundershirts at Petco.

Oops! Just remember that Kodi is in full coat. Which would be worse - potential mats or scared doggie?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Sheri said:


> Oh, I was just envying you with Kodi who wasn't showing signs of anxiety with fireworks and storms. I hope he gets to sleep with you all night. I know I really worry about Tucker actually having a heart attack when there are many that go off for very long. Just one BANG sets him to panting and shaking for an hour or so. I plan on driving around for hours on the 4th, with air conditioner and radio blasting. Sigh. Then I have to work the next day. Poor little guys, I'd love to understand what terrifies them so badly.


He actually settled down once he was snuggled in bed with us. I'll just plan on taking him to bed with me for the net few nights. About an hour after the fireworks were over, he was asking to go down to bed. So I got up and took him down, gave him his usual "good night cookie" and he trotted off to bed, happy as a clam.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> fireworks are illiegal in our county...  so, I'm sure they would scare the daylights out of Tillie... although she never has a problem during thunder storms?


Even municipal fireworks? These weren't the home ones, these were town displays.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

morriscsps said:


> My mom got a thundershirt for her elderly dog. Before she spent $40, she wrapped him in a huge ace bandage during a thunderstorm to see if the concept would work. It did.
> 
> Perhaps you could try swaddle Kodi in an ace bandage tonight? If it seems to help, I am pretty sure that I saw thundershirts at Petco.
> 
> Oops! Just remember that Kodi is in full coat. Which would be worse - potential mats or scared doggie?


I think I'll see how he does in bed with us first. I think the reason he got SO worked up was that we didn't realize what the problem was, and just kept putting him back in his pen, alone. He usually goes there out of preference, but there have been a few nights in the trailer when it has been stormy, that he has chosen to stay in bed with us. As long as he feels safe with us, I think it will be fine. If that doesn't work, we'll have to figure out what else we can do.

He was so exhausted from getting so upset last night, though, that he slept in until almost 9 this morning!


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Just a head's up, Karen. I hope Kodi remains at this level, but Tucker's first sign of fear of fireworks was about the level that Kodi showed. I was trying to remember how old he was and think he was about 3-1/2. Anyway, with the passing of time he got worse and worse. He's now also terrified of thunder, gun fire (even very distant ones,) and of fireworks. He's 5-1/2 now.

I did buy a thunder shirt, and he's obviously happy for me to put it on him when he gets scared from the noises. He'll run to me when he sees the shirt. It does help him a little bit, but I guess it doesn't help all dogs?


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

We'll have to see how Brody does tonight. Last year he surprised me by being scared with the Canada Day fireworks. (They do their big display in our town not too far from my place - I can watch it from my window). Brody doesn't typically react at all to thunder so it surprised me he was terrified of the fireworks. I had to hold him until it was over and the poor boy just shook.

I guess we'll find out tonight if it's going to be the same this year. Maybe he'll just chill and not notice.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Yeah Karen , somewhat out of the blue ehh? Weird how one time of thunder or fireworks doesn't seem to phase some dogs and then a distant stimulus sets them off. I think you've probably seen this article before. It tends to come up around July for some weird reason. I wonder why. ehh. We've just been discussing the thundershirt principles on our IAABC forum the last couple of days prompted by me. LOL. But check out the article if you haven't already. There's some good links in the article itself too. I know you know the benefits of classical conditioning when it comes to any fear based problems. This is something actually everyone should prepare for. I know you have, tried to lighten up whenever storms are approaching . Sometimes they just get overwhelmed.. They know it's coming well before we do , and they hear it sooner too. What I was asking our forum about was at what point do you put a T-shirt on a dog., as we don't want to form an association with putting it on and triggering the fear even before the event arrives. The consensus was that you let the thunder/ fireworks happen first and then put it on. We're actually going to do a study on the thundershirt / tellington touch wrap principle. Some trainers say they work some not. Check out the article though if you haven't already. http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/thunderstorm-phobia-in-dogs.html


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Thanks, Dave! There were fireworks again tonight. (as I had expected) but I was listening for them and keeping my eye on him. These were a little further awaythan last night's, and since I was now looking out for trouble, I was able to head it off. Again, he heard them first and started barking. But as soon as I listened for them, I COULD hear them. We immediately started playing a game of tug with a favorite syuffed animal. When he seemed happy I took him up to bed, where he cuddled down and went to sleep. As he did last night, he eventually asked ro be taken down to his own bed. 

So, even though I hadn't read the article, I seem to have been doing pretty much what they suggest. Last night just took me by surprise, because he has never reacted like that, and I couldn't figure out what was going on. I'll just have to keep an eye on the situation, try to make it fun for him when there is either thunder or fireworks (he hasn't yet reacted to thunder) and see how things develop. Fireworks are even hardwr to condition for than thunder, because they happen so infrequently. At least with thunder, here in New Egland, we can practice MANY times over the course of the summer...and some times at other times of year as well.


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## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Bumi is Ok with fireworks, even when the neighbor sets them off, now TOBY, he was trying to dig through my tile floors to the basement...


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Brody was much better this year. He was first barking whenever they went off, so I picked him up. He likes to crawl up and then hang over my shoulder when I pick him up (not sure what is up with that - maybe he thinks I'm a sofa!). So then we went and watched the fireworks out the window for a bit and he was fine. By that point my arm was getting sore so I put him down and he went to sleep on my feet.

Last year he was terrified and shivered the whole time and cried.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Interestingly, we had a big NOISY thunderstorm here this afternoon, and I kept my eye on Kodi, wondering hw he'd react. He never even picked his ehad up uot of his nap. So atnleast for ow, this seems to be a fireworks thing. I have a friend whi is a vet, and she happened to be here during the storm, and we were talking about the fact that he didn't seem scared of the storm, even though he was scared of the fireworks.

She reminded me that even though they sound similar to us in the distance, fireworks have that high pitched whistling sound, followed by the crackling before the rumbling. He may be reacting to those early noises rather than the part that's easy for us to hear.


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## littlebuddy (May 30, 2007)

Poor Django HATES 4th of July. I am surprised he doesn't soil himself he shakes so bad and get so worked up. It's horrible. They start early here too and will go on till after the 4th. LAst year we hid in the walk in closet thinking if i closed the door he wouldn't hear a thing. Wrong, he found the deepest corner under my husband suits and stayed there for an hour.
I always remind myself to make sure i take him out to pee before the fireworks begin and then hunker down for the evening. I wish there was something I could do to help him. It's such a bad night for him.


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

Last year I literally headed for the hills! By the morning of the 4th the fireworks going off were just too much, I understand your comment on being surprised that Django hasn't soiled himself. By late morning I loaded up him up, after grabbing a few clothes/some food, and drove 3 hours to the mountain cabin. This year I can't, because I have to work the next day.


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## dodrop82 (May 21, 2010)

My girls have never had an issue with thunderstorms, but Yogi was scared to death her first two years of fireworks. (Boo was never bothered by them) This year, Yogi has sat out on the deck and acted like she hasn't heard a thing! Thank God, cause my Mom's cockers are complete basket cases with both thunder and fireworks! Her and Dad loose sleep many nights due to thunderstorms! Ugh!!!


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

Karen, no 'firecrackers' yet this year, but if one goes off when Keeper is outside, he does an immediate turn for the door. That sound must be so unique. He doesn't like thunder, but nowhere near the reaction to the 'pop' of a firecracker. 

Kisses to Kodi.

Keeper's Mom (Shirley H)


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