# 4th of July noise tips anyone?



## EddieME (Nov 25, 2007)

Okay,this is our first 4th of July....do any of you experienced folk have tips for soothing golden nerves when the fireworks begin?


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## Thor's Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

If you have a/c turn that on and close the windows. Turn the volume up a notch on the tv. Make sure your pup can get to his/her safe place - crate or other snug place. Try to treat the noise as no big deal. Treat it as if it were an all night thunderstorm.


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## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

See if it even bothers him first....Lucky loves Thunder and lightening but fireworks sends him in a tizzy.

TV or radio on...loud.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

I agree it might not bother him.... None of mine are afraid of it .... They sit out on the deck with us while we are watching.


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

Thor's Mom said:


> If you have a/c turn that on and close the windows. Turn the volume up a notch on the tv. Make sure your pup can get to his/her safe place - crate or other snug place. Try to treat the noise as no big deal. Treat it as if it were an all night thunderstorm.


My Chloe doesn't like thunderstorms.


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

Maggies mom said:


> I agree it might not bother him.... None of mine are afraid of it .... They sit out on the deck with us while we are watching.


My Buddy barks when he hears it.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Does your dog like to chew? I would always make sure we had a nice big meaty marrow bone just for this occasion. Sometimes distraction, if it's distracting enough, can really help.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

Most of my dogs have ignored fireworks, but Gage was absolutely terrified of any loud noise. I tried an anxiety wrap with him (couldn't see any improvement), so I would turn the radio/stereo on loud, put the fan on (we don't have AC), close the doors and windows, and try to distract him by playing with him, brushing him, etc. Don't fuss and coo over the dog, or you'll reinforce his fear.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

*Here's what we send out to our clients:*

Keep Your Pets Safe and Secure on 
Independence Day!

While fireworks offer a dazzling display for people, they can be quite unsettling to your dogs. Many dogs are afraid of fireworks, and some even exhibit an extreme, phobic response. The following tips can help:

If you have not lived with your dog(s) for a previous July 4th holiday (therefore, you don't know how he'll react to the sound of fireworks), we recommend that you DO NOT leave your dog home alone. Dogs with phobic reactions to fireworks can easily panic and injure themselves in the process. Many panicked dogs find ways to escape from their yards and can be further injured or killed while running loose.

If you are unable to stay home with your dog, keep him confined in an escape-proof area such as his crate or baby-gated in a laundry room. Close up the windows (kick-up the AC if needed) and turn up the TV or radio to help insulate your home from any firework noise. Leave your dog something WONDERFUL to do -- like extract his dinner from a tightly-stuffed KONG toy.

If you're staying home with your dog - or if he will be accompanying you to a family BBQ or outing - make sure he's nice and hungry when the sun goes down. Arm yourself with a pocket full of mind-blowingly tasty treats (like Tri Tip off the grill!) and keep him busy working and playing for treats as the fireworks blast in the distance. Play all his favorite games and teach him that the big BOOMS predict that great, fun things will happen! Remember not to coddle him if he seems worried.

We recommend NOT taking your dog with you to a fireworks display. Hearing them in the distance is quite different from being directly AT a display. Over-exposure to the sounds of fireworks can, in some dogs, *create* a phobic response.

For multiple dog families, if one dog already exhibits a fearful or phobic response to the sound of fireworks, be sure to separate the dogs so that non-fearful dog does not "catch" the fear. In dogs, fear and aggression are very, VERY contagious.

If you discover that your dog has exhibited a fearful response to fireworks, please feel free to contact us. Systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning throughout the year can often improve a fearful dog's response to the sound of fireworks. Your J9's K9s instructor can work with you to develop a training program that's appropriate for you and your dog.

Finally, be mindful of other potentially dangerous situations for dogs during your July 4th celebrations. For example, if your dog accompanies you to a backyard BBQ, make sure he doesn't over-indulge with edible handouts from friendly partygoers, or worse, help himself to cooked bones from the trash. If you find yourself at a poolside party, take care to keep your dog safe while near and in the water. Dogs who have not been confirmed as being "pool safe" should never be left unsupervised around the pool. Even confirmed pool-a-holics require supervision to make sure they don't over-exhaust themselves. Be sure to check your dog's feet. They can easily tear up their pads running around the pool and/or reduce their nails to painful nubs with excessive launching into the water. If your festivities remain on land, be certain your dog doesn't overheat in hot weather. Provide a shady spot for your dog to rest and keep plenty of cool, fresh water on hand.

Have a happy, SAFE 4th of July!

-The J9's K9s Team


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Keep him busy with training/playing and a bone to chew, and hopefully he won't notice them.

With a dog that you know is afraid of fireworks, please be VERY careful about where you put your dog. Dusty is terribly afraid of fireworks (his first 4th of July I was 9 and my parents didn't know or care enough to do anything about it, so it's gotten really bad). He's ripped holes in soft crates, he bent an x-pen, he's gotten little scratches on his face from pushing on the x-pen and the door frame trying to get into the house, he moved the large concrete blocks that were supposed to keep him from moving the x-pen, stress peed in the house at 5 or 6 years old, and would have really messed up his paws by digging at the wire door of the plastic crate if we hadn't heard that and let him out. This year we got him some sedatives from the vet (but I'm still going to beg and plead to keep him in my room, because everywhere we've put him he's found some way to potentially hurt himself and/or escape).


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

katieanddusty said:


> Keep him busy with training/playing and a bone to chew, and hopefully he won't notice them.
> 
> With a dog that you know is afraid of fireworks, please be VERY careful about where you put your dog. Dusty is terribly afraid of fireworks (his first 4th of July I was 9 and my parents didn't know or care enough to do anything about it, so it's gotten really bad). He's ripped holes in soft crates, he bent an x-pen, he's gotten little scratches on his face from pushing on the x-pen and the door frame trying to get into the house, he moved the large concrete blocks that were supposed to keep him from moving the x-pen, stress peed in the house at 5 or 6 years old, and would have really messed up his paws by digging at the wire door of the plastic crate if we hadn't heard that and let him out. This year we got him some sedatives from the vet (but I'm still going to beg and plead to keep him in my room, because everywhere we've put him he's found some way to potentially hurt himself and/or escape).


Zoie is quite firework phobic as well. She's not to the panicked clawing stage, but I swear she'd have a heart attack she's breating/panting/drooling so much. I used to use ACE to just knock her out on the 4th. It's actually counter indicated for noise phobias as it's said to just knock out the body, but not the mind, however I never saw it get worse. I've since switched to Xanax which is soooooooo much better! She's awake, alert, playing, eating... she hears the fireworks, and they still bother her, but she's able to cope with it now.

Hey Katie, play the "I'm leaving for college!" card and see if that keeps Dusty in your room!


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## martinrt (Jun 24, 2008)

FlyingQuizini said:


> *Here's what we send out to our clients:*
> 
> We recommend NOT taking your dog with you to a fireworks display. Hearing them in the distance is quite different from being directly AT a display. Over-exposure to the sounds of fireworks can, in some dogs, *create* a phobic response.


I was planning on taking my 9 month old Allee up to Estes Park Colorado this weekend for some camping. They hold a firework show up there over the lake. She just experienced her first thunder storm the other day and that did not go well. Is it really a bad idea to bring her to the show? What if we watch from a slight distance and from the bed of my car?


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Zoie is quite firework phobic as well. She's not to the panicked clawing stage, but I swear she'd have a heart attack she's breating/panting/drooling so much. I used to use ACE to just knock her out on the 4th. It's actually counter indicated for noise phobias as it's said to just knock out the body, but not the mind, however I never saw it get worse. I've since switched to Xanax which is soooooooo much better! She's awake, alert, playing, eating... she hears the fireworks, and they still bother her, but she's able to cope with it now.
> 
> 
> I'm assuming you got the Xanex from your vet? I will have to try that for Gunner. We use ACE and it calms him down some but he still trembles and pants. He is terrified of all loud noises:guns, thunder, and fireworks. So we have had alot of sleepless nights due to all the bad weather this spring and now summer! I am dreading the 4th. Selka fortunately could care less.
> ...


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

martinrt said:


> I was planning on taking my 9 month old Allee up to Estes Park Colorado this weekend for some camping. They hold a firework show up there over the lake. She just experienced her first thunder storm the other day and that did not go well. Is it really a bad idea to bring her to the show? What if we watch from a slight distance and from the bed of my car?


I think that's how my Whippet developed her firework phobia. When she was two, some friends and I went to dinner and then watched fireworks that were a few miles away from the back of the car. It was still really loud and there was nothing to insulate from the noise.

I have clients who successfully take their dogs to firework shows... all dogs are different... but it is possible that over-exposure to a worrisome stimulus can result in an extreme fearful response.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Debles said:


> FlyingQuizini said:
> 
> 
> > Zoie is quite firework phobic as well. She's not to the panicked clawing stage, but I swear she'd have a heart attack she's breating/panting/drooling so much. I used to use ACE to just knock her out on the 4th. It's actually counter indicated for noise phobias as it's said to just knock out the body, but not the mind, however I never saw it get worse. I've since switched to Xanax which is soooooooo much better! She's awake, alert, playing, eating... she hears the fireworks, and they still bother her, but she's able to cope with it now.
> ...


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## EddieME (Nov 25, 2007)

We have been invited to watch the fireworks (very close) at a friends. I think we will decline their offer this year and stay home (where they will be smaller) - Our friends will understand, they know this is Eddie's first 4th.... 

Thanks everyone, especially FlyingQuizini!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Thanks. Gunner just gets calmer , I wouldn't want to knock him out. He's too heavy to carry outside anyway!

martinrt,
Estes is where we always used to go! Boy, I wish we were there this week! I plan to go get groceries and do my errands tomorrow morning as there have already been a few boomers at night but I am sure many will start tomorrow night and Thursday they go on sale here. Then it will be HELL here. I'll get a book and sit with Gunner in the basement for the next four days!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Great! I just saw the forecast and we're supposed to get severe storms tomorrow night. When it rains, it pours.


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## Jackson'sMom (Oct 13, 2007)

Debles said:


> Great! I just saw the forecast and we're supposed to get severe storms tomorrow night. When it rains, it pours.


So maybe YOU should take the Xanax!!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

jackson'smom said:


> so Maybe You Should Take The Xanax!!


Good Idea!!!!!


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Be careful with Allie and the fireworks show. Especially since you already know she's afraid of thunderstorms, I'd be tempted to find out when it starts/ends and plan to be far far away.

The vet gave us ACE for Dusty. 25 mg tablets and he said give him 1/2 or 1 tablet (the fireworks have started already so we've been giving him 1/2, will probably give him the whole thing on the actual 4th). And he's 67 pounds, that chubby buddy! :


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Jackson'sMom said:


> So maybe YOU should take the Xanax!!


Haha! Yeah, when things get rough in my life I joke that I'm tempted to bum some Xanex off my dog!


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

> We recommend NOT taking your dog with you to a fireworks display. Hearing them in the distance is quite different from being directly AT a display. Over-exposure to the sounds of fireworks can, in some dogs, *create* a phobic response.


We live near a city park that has a fireworks display on Memorial Day after a symphony concert. You wouldn't believe all the loose dogs running around that park the next morning, leashes attached. They simply got away from their owners and ran, getting lost in the process. These dogs are definitely not safe there overnight as there are several coyote packs as well as snakes in the area. When we call the owners contact numbers on the tags, you can hear the sense of relief in their voices. Invariably they all say something along the lines of we didn't realize the fireworks would scare the dog!


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

I am excited! I thought we were going to be stuck at home ALL weekend due to Gunner's fireworks anxiety (more like freak out) but
My daughter invited us to their house for dinner on Sat. night! YEA! We'll take the boys and if there aren't fireworks going off in her neighborhood , the boys can stay there while we go watch the suburb's fireworks display after dinner. If there are alot of fireworks in the neighborhood still, we'll just go home.
But at least we get to do something! I am desperate!


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