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COPING WITH CANINE FIREWORKS PHOBIA

 Penny Gayler is writing a series of articles in which she offers advice concerning problems faced by many dog owners. Here, Penny turns her attention to coping with dogs that are terrified of fireworks.

I knew I had a problem when Mulberry tried to hide in the fridge.

Big though my fridge may be, it was no place for a 35 kilogram golden retriever to be cowering amongst the yoghurt and last night’s leftovers.

When Mulberry and Lottie were puppies, they had been completely unconcerned during their first “firework season”. One year and some appalling thunderstorms later, the same could not be said. They were both clearly terrified, Mulberry more so than Lottie. He would do anything to escape his terror.

Hiding in the fridge was his first option; trying to get into the cupboard full of mugs and plates was another. He would “dig” in the corner of the room oblivious to the fact that it was a tiled floor. He panted, shivered and shook. He drank copious amounts of water which he trailed everywhere, leaving the kitchen resembling a paddling pool.

It would take hours for him to calm down after the last explosion. He would sit beside me, almost holding his breath, waiting for the next bang. I had to make a point of feeding him and getting him out in the garden for his toilet during daylight hours. Once the fireworks started, he would neither eat nor venture out of doors until late at night.

After the Millennium celebrations on December 31, 1999, going out for a New Year’s Eve family party was no longer an option for us. The now familiar fireworks at midnight ruled out ever leaving my dogs alone at that time.

I had hoped that the prospect of new regulations regarding noisy fireworks might solve this problem. However, despite overwhelming public support, the RSPCA was unable to persuade the Government to reduce the noise levels of fireworks that can be bought by the public – currently set at 120 decibels.

There are new rules governing the timing of firework displays. It is now illegal to set off private firework displays after 11 pm and before 7 am. There will be an “on the spot” fine of £40 for those breaking this rule. The exceptions will be the night of November 5th, the Diwali celebrations enjoyed by many Indians, the Chinese New Year, and the traditional British New Year. It will also be illegal to sell fireworks to under 18s.

However, with no curb on the noise levels, dog owners still face dealing with their terrified pets during the various firework seasons.

There are several alternatives as to how best to cope. Some people will opt for sedating their pet so that it simply sleeps through until morning. I did resort to this with Mulberry, but it still did not solve the problem of occasional fireworks going off in the street in the days leading up to Guy Fawkes Night. Modern trends seem to dictate that public firework displays occur before, on and after November 5th, but not everyone is happy to sedate their dog for two or three weekends. You would have to ask your vet to prescribe the correct drug if you wanted to take this route.

There are other possible solutions. NFDOG does not endorse products or accept advertisements. However, on this occasion, it seems pointless for me to tell you about them but not say where I get them.

It is possible to buy a CD that is a recording of fireworks. The advice is that you play the CD for short periods and reward your companion when he remains calm. Gradually you increase the volume and hopefully by the end of four weeks your dog will be desensitised.

Also, now on the market is a device called a DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) Diffuser. This is a plug-in diffuser. It mimics the properties of the natural appeasing pheromones that promote a sense of well being and are given off by a bitch when she has puppies. It is said to help relax nervous and stressed adult dogs as well as puppies. It is recommended that a DAP diffuser be used in conjunction with the fireworks CD. Both the diffuser and CD can be bought from Animals Naturally. They have a website for our on-line members www.animalsnaturally.com. Their postal address is: Animals Naturally Ltd, 15 West End Kemsing, Sevenoaks TN15 6PX. You may also be able to purchase these items from your vet.

Some consider that a suitable homeopathic/herbal remedy to use in this (and other “fright” situations) is Valerian. This is also sometimes mixed with Skullcap. Tablets can be obtain from www.healthrack.co.uk and mixed in with food twice a day. Homeopathic drops can be ordered over the ‘phone from the Homeopathic Apothecary at Wickersley in Yorkshire, Tel 01709 531177. Unsurprisingly, it is called “Firework Remedy”

If you have a dog like Mulberry who just wanted to hide away somewhere, building them a “den” can help in some cases. Simply placing a blanket over a smallish table easily does this. Put bedding under the table and place it against a wall.

I found that turning up the volume on the television or radio helped to mask the noise outside. You just have to hope the ‘phone does not ring.

Although it is difficult, sometimes it is better not continually to reassure the dog that all is well. As far as he is concerned, it is not nor will it be. All the fuss simply reinforces his belief that he is right to be worried.

If all else fails, as a last resort take the dog out for a drive in the car. It should not be too difficult to get away from the worst of the noise. Although boring for you, parking up somewhere quiet until the displays are over has to be better than having your dog frightened to death at home.

For Mulberry, relief came as he got older and he became a bit deaf – the only positive feature of his advancing years. Lottie’s hearing is not what it was and she too is less concerned now. The rest of the gang, thankfully, could not care less!

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