Anxious Dog

Lorraine

Rally Organiser

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Well its getting to that time of year again, I thought the law was NO outlets to sell any unessential items, so I would put fireworks into that category, fireworks have been going off for a few weeks at least here in Milnrow Lancashire (Most nights, but seem to be at a distance) now that the dark nights are drawing in (these must of been stocked up before the law came in).
Tonight the clocks go back so pray help all the animals who don't understand these lights followed by loud bangs

Roxy my dog sits on its bed on the sofa worriedly listening, moving from place to place like a blue a**** fly, hiding behind the sofa near the wall, she has even started being sick
she seems to get worse as the years go along, we keep the lounge door shut and the television turned up otherwise she would be running all over the house, she doesn't want to know about the evening walk before settling for bed we have to cokes her, she gets done and drags for home
 
Have you tried her with a thunder coat I used to poopoo these until I tried one on Taya and Derby being overly nervous traveling they both settled down with them on so much so that we don’t need to put them on anymore fireworks don’t seem to bother them either anymore so win win.
 
Might be worth getting her some pills to calm her for a few weeks. The thundercoat sounds worth trying too.
 
Have you tried her with a thunder coat I used to poopoo these until I tried one on Taya and Derby being overly nervous traveling they both settled down with them on so much so that we don’t need to put them on anymore fireworks don’t seem to bother them either anymore so win win.
I have heard some remarkable results on these jackets But as you know I can't get anything like coats harnesses and collars she is not familiar with anywhere near her (shes off hiding and turning into a smiling viper) she is worse than the fireworks trauma When we rescued her the collar she had on was growing into her neck so that's out Thank you very much for this Annie I think getting some tablets as yorkslass suggested is worth a try and maybe some of them plug in aroma calming aids
 
Have you tried her with a thunder coat I used to poopoo these until I tried one on Taya and Derby being overly nervous traveling they both settled down with them on so much so that we don’t need to put them on anymore fireworks don’t seem to bother them either anymore so win win.
Our Saffy has a thunder coat and they do work.
 
Well we have just had a right laugh we have just visited pets at home you can take your pets with you I went to the calming aid isle I saw a sales lady about and asked did they have any thunder jackets i would like to see one (NOT FOR ROXY) she asked after making a fuss of Roxy Is it for her she said wait a minute and she came out of the back with a xsmall £22 the tablets where more (i finished up with) i mentioned we cant get a coat on her she said if you can get one on her dog you can on any dog it just takes patience she got on the floor talking baby talk Roxy was all over her she placed the jacket on her back Roxy then got as close to the ground and slightly weed and then snapped at her she then asked have we used the calming spray I said she will get out of your way so she suggested that we use a bandanna with the spray on that she again went for her she is not having any of that
 
I know it's really a longshot, but have you tried leaving something you want her to wear, lying around so that it smells of you and your home? I know someone who slept with a dog harness in their bed for two weeks to get the dog to accept it. But tablets would be easier/ cheaper as she may still not accept and it's already bought..
 
I know it's really a longshot, but have you tried leaving something you want her to wear, lying around so that it smells of you and your home? I know someone who slept with a dog harness in their bed for two weeks to get the dog to accept it. But tablets would be easier/ cheaper as she may still not accept and it's already bought..
We have owned Roxy just over 3 years, she was a rescue dog of 10 months very nervous she is coming round on certain qualms as time goes by, she rolls a lot in horrible things so she as learnt to accept putting her in a bath (she has a time scale then she gets you, NO DRYING OR BRUSHING), the coat situation as never changed I have changed the dog coats because of Velcro thinking it was the noise of that was scaring her for lots for jumpers which she as, acting as toys she spends hours chatting them and if you are sat down she likes to put it in front of you to play tug of war and for us to try and get it over her head which you never succeed she is faster than you, but you never know ONE DAY, it seems that these tablets might be taking effect, Has anybody had the injection from the vet for calming, what have been the results I MEAN FOR THE FIREWORKS SITUATION
 
My previous dog, Jazz - had him from a pup to when he died aged nearly 15 - he hated fireworks or any sudden loud bangs, over the years I tried everything, nothing seemed to work, and the older he got the worse he was, even though he got quite deaf by the end. Sorry I can't help.
Reg isn't bothered by them at all, luckily.
 
should ban the stupid things!!!! (the Fireworks, not the dogs :: ).
got a cat that is not keen (is any animal though?) and just try and keep her occupied with treats and stroking. Luckily don't have too many going off other then on a couple of days, but I know some areas are plagued with them for weeks and weeks virtually non-stop :(
 
Boring old stick in the mud fart that I am, but I have been saying for years and years they ought to ban fireworks (even professional displays) and then my biggest grudge is bloody Haloween, the trick or treaters and the USA promoted shoite we have to endure these days!

But back to the OP @Lorraine , we have had rescue dogs for the last 30 or so years and boy oh boy have some of them had enormous chips on their shoulders. We even had one where the founder of the breed specific charity was even thinking of having 'Dillon' put down as he was so nasty, but it was just like one of the horses who we adopted, my most amazing Wonderous whispered some sweet nothings into their ears and exhailed her breath up their noses and they became as gentle as a lamb.

All your beloved four legged friend need is total confidence in you and if you tell Roxy it is OK then as long as you are in Roxy's line of sight then you shouldbe OK.
 
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I am a retired behaviourist and have had a noise phobic foster dog. Judging from your description of her I would suggest that your best bet would be to employ a qualified behaviourist either from COAPE or APBC to come out to the house. They should be able to help with all of her behaviour problems. Probably too late for the fireworks this year but might be in time for New Year. On the foster dog that I had we used ear defenders - yes they do them for dogs. They are called Mutt Muffs but you do have to get the dog to wear them. It took a week or so of careful introduction for my foster dog to get used to them. After that she would offer me her head to put them on her. We also used medication and Pet Remedy along with a special diet to help her to relax. I am proud to report that we got a complete cure! I almost forgot that pain is a big factor in exacerbating noise phobia. The dog jumps when they hear a noise and a pain is triggered so that they think it is the noise that is hurting them. My foster dog had spondylosis of the spine which was undiagnosed by previous owners. She showed no symptoms but the vet said she would have been in a huge amount of pain :( She was on strong pain killers too!
 
Dickie doesn't bother but the fireworks have been more and louder this year. Wish they were banned except for professional organised displays xx

But even the professionally organised displays can go horribly wrong!

I was once at a display at the Rosslyn Park Rugby Club where the layout and management of the display had been authorised by the local fire brigade. It was a fantastic display until a giant roman candle somehow toppled over and one of the balls of explosive light popped out and went straight into the watching crowd immediately in front of where I was standing.
It hit a beautiful 18 or so year old girl directly in her chest, I was the first one there, threw her to the ground and tried to smother the effervescing fire ball with my waxed cotton Barbour jacket but to little or no effect. The stench of burning flesh was beyond being gut retching as she suffered 3rd degree life threatening burns which resulted in this simply gorgeous girl having to have a double mastectomy.

From that day on I have always been against any kind of firework display, private or professional and having also been a horse and nervous dog owner, to see these beautiful creatures being scared to death, well words almost fail me!
 
That is so awful! We had a similar thing happen at an organised display without the terrible consequences. A rocket was placed in a holder but it toppled over and shot into the crowd right past my daughter's eyes! She was temporarily blinded but did recover. The rocket embedded in a lady's jacket but fizzled out. If we were to invent them now they would be banned :(
 
The tablet situation so far I started Saturday morning just gone, so she as just completed 6 days (1/2 tablet twice a day she weighs 3.5 kilo) I am not seeing any difference accept she is slightly drugged up (will sleep) for about 1 hour after each dose. The fireworks have been quiet since Sunday until tonight she is terrible, behind the sofa as we speak and won't come out.
as anybody used the tablet form of calming with success
 
Vets are not really good on behaviour problems. You really need a whole dog approach to behaviour. A sedative that will work in the surgery might not be the right one for an abstract fear like noise phobia. Sometimes sedation can work against you because the dog can still hear the noises but feels unable to deal with them (trapped) which makes the fear worse. It is like us being in a field when you spot a bull coming towards you. If you are free to run away then you feel less afraid than if you have your legs tied together.

I would rule out any kind of pain or, if present, deal with it and then go for a multi pronged approach of trying to deaden the noise and lift the dog's mood.
Even though I had worked in dog behaviour I still called out a senior behaviourist to work on my foster dog's problem. We got her on pain relief, lifted her mood by a special serotonin lifting diet, got his recommendation of drugs from the vet, used the ear defenders and followed his advice on handling her once noises triggered her fear. It was amazing to see the difference in her. At the time their were crow scarers going off in the fields, nail guns on a building site next door and the occasional pheasant shoot. Once everything kicked in she became calm and was, therefore, able to learn that the noises were not harmful to her. Fear prevents learning so when you can relieve the fear the dog can learn that noises are harmless.
 

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