Fireworks and pets

[Vlad the Fox]

How are people getting on tonight with their pets and the fireworks? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against fireworks and don’t want to stop people having their fun but my dog is beside himself. How are you getting your pets through it? My dog (border collie) is barking like mad, peeing all over the house, panting and just won’t settle.
 

Each year he has got worse so this year we’ve got him a calming spray which has helped the last couple of nights but tonight is like Beirut and it’s not working, I’ve got classic fm blasting out yet he still seems to hear them. When I was younger we used to tranquillise my dog (another border collie) and she’d sleep through it, I didn’t want to do it with my current dog but it’s seeming like next year it’s the only choice.
 

How does everyone else help their pets cope?

[emmo1987]

We turn the volume up on the TV. Keep reassuring her everything is okay. Not much more you can do really. Hope your dog has settled!

[Countryfox]

We try and disguise the noise too ..  one is not bothered at all but the other is petrified and shakes like a leaf ..  her kidneys are shot and we are just trying to make her remaining time as pleasant as possible ..  it really pisses me off.  Tbh bonfire night is just a part of it ..  we have a wedding venue not too far away and they have ultra loud (windows shaking) fireworks going off every few weeks ..  tried talking to them but they don’t give a sh1t ..  

[Vlad the Fox]

2 minutes ago, Countryfox said:

We try and disguise the noise too ..  one is not bothered at all but the other is petrified and shakes like a leaf ..  her kidneys are shot and we are just trying to make her remaining time as pleasant as possible ..  it really pisses me off.  Tbh bonfire night is just a part of it ..  we have a wedding venue not too far away and they have ultra loud (windows shaking) fireworks going off every few weeks ..  tried talking to them but they don’t give a sh1t ..  

I guess he’s that scared that he is just listening for them and is hearing them above the music. It’s horrible to see them so distressed, must be awful for you, especially as you dog is ill as well.
 
I get bonfire night and Diwali and new years but yes the rest pisses me off too. 

[Vlad the Fox]

21 minutes ago, emmo1987 said:

We turn the volume up on the TV. Keep reassuring her everything is okay. Not much more you can do really. Hope your dog has settled!

Thanks, but nope, he’s that stressed that reassuring him is impossible his ears are pricked up, shaking, barking, don’t think he’ll go out later now either for a pee. I think I’ll let the Mrs get up first in the morning. 
 

 

[Vlad the Fox]

My old dog when I was a kid we’d give a tranquilliser about an hour before things would kick off, she’d go behind the settee and sleep for the night, not sure if this is really the right thing to do now-a-days? If it’s good for the dog. Does anyone else do this now? 

[Lako42]

We went round a friends house for a small garden display and both our dogs Loved it, they just watched it without as much as a growl. 

 

They are both weird as ****

Edited 5 November 2023 by Lako42

[nnfox]

We've been playing fireworks sounds for short periods of time for the past couple of weeks, gradually increasing the volume, the dog was freaking out to start with, but got better over time.  Come the real thing, so far the dog has been fairly OK touch wood. That said, we don't live somewhere where there are lots of fireworks going off all around all night.

[Daggers]

Retriever lay on her back, legs akimbo, snoring away. 
 

Springer just wanted to be outside to watch them. 
 

 

[Unabomber]

It’s weird how they se to affect dogs differently. Mine isn’t scared but just barks at them. Had a lab cross before who was so scared.

[rachhere]

My cat doesn't react at all to fireworks. The same can't be said for the hoover though...

[Bellend Sebastian]

I had two cats, one of which reacted like a human would in an actual air raid, and the other I found sat on the wheelie bin watching them

[tom27111]

6 minutes ago, rachhere said:

My cat doesn't react at all to fireworks. The same can't be said for the hoover though...

 

Why is your hoover scared of fireworks?

[RonnieTodger]

Classic FM has worked well

[Marmite]

My dog is two years old now and when we first got him we put fireworks on YouTube and turned it up so it was loud. We used to put it on a few times a week for twenty minutes and now the fireworks don’t bother him in the slightest 

[Unabomber]

Tends to be bigger dogs that are scared 

[Sly]

Our puppy isn’t remotely interest in them. 
 

Again, the vacuum cleaner is his arch nemesis. 

[filbertway]

1 out if 4 is scared of them. Ive found that turning the volume up just freaks her out more so just keep everything quiet and she stops panting and shaking a lot quicker than when the TV or radio is turned up. 

 

Weird as the other 3 couldn't care less. They're all sprockers

 

 

[goody2028]

39 minutes ago, filbertway said:

Weird as the other 3 couldn't care less. They're all sprockers

My sprocker used to sit outside watching them, wouldn’t come in until they finished, she loved it bless her  

[Tommy G]

Vet told us to play the new years fireworks on low volume on YouTube periodically, turn volume up after a few go’s. Cures 99% of dogs anxiety with fireworks he reckons. Have to start them young though. 

[Grebfromgrebland]

If I had a dog I'd train it to be ok with fireworks.