Firstly, I must apologise! I suggested in my last blog that this one would be about skin conditions. You were probably really looking forward to reading about flaky skin, mange, fleas and ticks 🤔🤢 In retrospect, it may not have been our most popular interest piece if published? 😂 With Halloween and fireworks night fast approaching, I felt it prudent to discuss a more pressing matter. A majority of our dogs struggle in the last week of October and first week of November, due to the audible bombardment of door knocks and fireworks that are let off in the community, celebrating Halloween and Guy Fawkes night🥲👺🎆 Therefore, we should look at calming our dogs during fireworks.
The Concept of Halloween
Firstly, my humble opinion! My daughter is no longer a child, therefore, we no longer have to prance about the streets wearing costumes that have no thermal protective properties, in the typical UK climate that requires jackets this time of year. Furthermore, as us Brits are a little more reserved than our US neighbours, the requirement to knock on a random stranger’s homestead front door is still slightly unusual in my opinion.
I get it in America! Community, big Halloween parties, colonial tradition etc. However, in my opinion, we are merely swiping something fun from our neighbours and now I do not have young children, my immediate concern is for my other baby’s welfare. If you’re not sure who I mean, the GOOCHI POOCHI logo should indicate who my other babies are?
Please Do Not Think I Am A Karen?
Please don’t think I am a Karen that moans and tuts during this period. It just means that I and other dog owners have to prepare efficiently, to ensure our dogs are as comfortable as possible for a couple of weeks. If you don’t know what I mean by ‘Karen’, check out @Duncanyounot on TikTok or Insta for great examples of a ‘Karen’ 😂…God, I hope no one thinks I am a Karen? Without digressing though, I want this blog to help dog owners’ understand why their dog gets anxious and how we can try to mitigate the issues.
Lastly, can somebody also explain to me why, every year, we feel it necessary to acknowledge and celebrate the individual that tried to blow up our Houses of Parliament? 🤔😂 Again, not a ‘Karen’ 🤞
Guy Fawkes was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. The plan was to blow up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament on 5 November 1605.
Why Do Our Dogs Hate Fireworks?
The PDSA indicate that our dogs’ senses are much more sensitive than ours. In fact, most sources suggest up to 4x more sensitive. Therefore, loud bangs, high pitched sounds, unexpected flashes and unfamiliar smells can be scary for our pooches 😢 Thankfully, there are measures we can take to alleviate that discomfort.
Most dogs react to stressful situations differently, so firstly, make sure you can identify your dogs anxious behaviour. What I mean is that some breeds of dog may pace back and forth, such as the German Shepard. However, breeds like the Springer Spaniel may hide when nervous? Understanding your dog’s behaviour is important, as we have stated before:
Prevention is better than cure!
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Start Preparations Early
There are sound effect CDs available. These can be used to introduce your dog to unfamiliar sounds from the puppy stage. If your pooch hears the sound of fireworks at a young age in a safe, calm environment, they’re more likely to be calm and unafraid when they hear real fireworks. If you are past that stage and your dog is older, you can still use this method but start the process prior to the fireworks period starting.
Several weeks before the fireworks start, you can start playing the sound effects CD. Start with the volume low and incrementally increase the volume as the weeks progress. Obviously, I’m not telling you to have it playing 24/7 😂 allocate a time each day, preferably in the evening to go through the sensory training. Remember, positive praise and affiliation is key. Any negative association, as mentioned in my previous blog on bathing, will mean you have to start again.
Things You Can Do To Calm Your Dog’s Anxiety
The below suggestions will help you and your dog be as settled as possible during the fireworks period:
- Create a den – My dog is happy and stops shaking when he is under our bed. He sleeps on our bed anyway, so we let him take the lead and come out when he is ready.
- Use a pheromone plug-in – We don’t use one, but I have heard great things about them. Most pet stores sell them. Just another layer you can add if your dog is especially anxious.
- Keep your dog inside – Sounds obvious, but with our busy routines this may be difficult. See if you can change the routine slightly, but make sure you do it a week or so before, so there are no association issues.
Extra Measures You Can Take
- Close windows and doors
- Give them space and let them come to you naturally as required
- Keep your mood as calm and normal as possible
- NEVER PUNISH YOUR DOG for anxious actions during this period
- Feed them a calming supplement, normally available from your vet or local pet store
Hopefully a lot of what we have discussed and highlighted isn’t news? However, life can get in the way and we are not telepathically connected to our dog’s minds, so it can be difficult to see a solution or understand how to comfort them?
Realistically, our dogs will be ok when it all ends and after a couple of days it will be forgotten. However, they have 10-20 years of that particular anxious cycle, so it’s important for us to make each firework period as comfortable as possible for our furry family members.
If anything, I hope it clarifies or just revises? I’m not sure what the next blog will be about, but if you have any suggestions please leave a comment?
Good luck during the fireworks
Chat soon
‘Karen’, I mean Louisa 😉
On behalf of GOOCHI POOCHI