Fireworks and barking !!! help please, before we go deaf !!
Sorry if this is a long post, but I need to add some background. I am hoping some of you have some suggestions before we all go deaf in our house!! We're in the UK and next week is a huge celebration called Bonfire Night where we have fireworks, huge bonfires, treacle toffee, jacket potaoes and a really good evening 
Its a bit like your July 4th , but this is typically just in the evening. HOWEVER ...... over the last few years people have started to celebrate bonfire night early and use the oppurtunity to have firework celebrations for birthday parties etc. So, from about the 2nd week in October, every night from about 6 pm till midnight, there are fireworks going off all night long. (fireworks are not for sale the rest of the year) Monty HATES them !! and bark bark bark bark barks !!! REALLY LOUDLY !! he wont stop either !! he keeps my 2 small children awake and they are constantly tired too. Hes doesnt normally bark like this but its causing huge friction in the house. Theres nowhere we can put Monty he cant hear the fireworks (believe me, we've tried!) Any suggestions to save my sanity and marriage?????????????  |
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| Boarding him somewhere in the country, maybe? I find that when Chumley wants to bark (only when riding in cars), there is no stopping her. Sorry. |
| I'm going to suggest putting some Bach's Rescue Remedy in his water and perhaps crate him with a blanket over it. My girl is afraid of thunder and she prefers to find a dark "quiet" place when it's stormy.
I'm sure some others will have more suggestions.  |
| I have no suggestions either. My parents' sheepie is horribly afraid of fireworks (and storms, and thunder, and loud cars, the list could go on forever...) and really there isn't anything that soothes her. Can Monty see the fireworks? Maybe it is the light flashes, along with the booms that are making him bark. Or, if he can't see them, maybe just the loud noise is causing him to bark. Maybe try one way or the other (let him see them, or don't let him see them).
I know, no help at all. What is treakle toffee? |
| Hi Valerie,
Besides not being able to afford it, I'd find it difficult to Board Monty for a month every year  , I'd miss him too much.
Fortunately, we have not long ago very cold and wintery, we're going there this weekend for the weekend. Its quite isolated , so we're hoping (praying ) theres not many fireworks around there. If that works, we shall go next weekend too which is the actual Bonfire weekend, hopefully after which, it will all die down till next year, Just thought someone might have a miracle answer |
| Wow! laods of replies
He doesnt seem firghtened (which I suppose is good), more like protective. He goes round every member of the house BARKING at them until they have acknowledged him profusely. Unfortunately, its a relentless round of fireworks, often from a way off. Sometimes, we just let him into the garden and allow him to bark away (which he does) and at those times he can see the fireworks but it makes no difference. Crating is not a "UK thing ". We tend to use baskets, and he does goes into his basket, but closing the curtains, putting him in a darkened room, doesnt help, its the noise. And whats the Remedy you speak of?, can we buy that in the UK? |
| A couple of things you may want to try would be to play some bass music or a TV quite loud so he cannot distinguish the popping sounds. Another alternative is not to feed him all day and then to give him a yummy bone, or a couple of frozen stuffed Kongs to keep him busy. Put some food in it that he nver gets, but absolutely goes crazy for. Frozen it will last longer. If he is more interested enough in something else than he may ignore it. This would depend on whether or not the food is more powerful than the noise. s for your reaction to his carrying on, just ignroe it. If he gets frantic,and you get upset, tehn it only makes him worse because he will see you franticc and so his own stress level with rise.
One of my dogs goes absolutely nuts with thundersdtorms, keeps us up all nite and literally screams at the booms. She is terrified, so we just try to keep her as distracted as possible. Rescue remdy may work for you. It is drops that youi put in food or water, but it has no affect on some dogs. 'm not sure if it would work on a really drastic case of anxiety, though. A health food store should cary it, as people use it, too. |
| Hi Bosleys Mum,
Some really good tips there, I will see if some of them work. I will also try the remedy..... maybe on hubby and myself rather than the dog
(Cant wait for the avatar pictures to come back!) |
| I wouldn't be able to live without my Rescue Remedy - I don't have my OES yet, but it works wonders with my Miniature Schnauzer - we get the spray form and spray it on the top of his nose (he'll lick it off) for a less stressful event, but for 4th of July, we spray it on his gums. |
Mo wrote: Hi Valerie,
Besides not being able to afford it, I'd find it difficult to Board Monty for a month every year , I'd miss him too much.Yikes -- a month? No way! That would be worse than the barking. I didn't realize. |
| Hi Valerie,
Yea, whilst it supposed to be November 5th, people tend to celebrate birthdays and such around this time with fireworks too. Also, its a Hindu (or muslim?) religious festival called "Divali" around this time too, and thats celebrated big time with fireworks.(apologises for not being quite sure  )
So, from around 10th October to 6th November, its constant fireworks. It drives people mad, so imagine how the poor dogs react. The Law has changed this year, and fireworks are nto supposed to be let off after 9 pm, but the police are finding it very difficult to control. I will definately try the Remedy though, sounds good idea. I was speaking to Kim from the UK here last night on the sheepdog chat, and she too was having a big problem, so i just wondered if anyone had any pointers. Thanks all xxxx |
| Tasker is afraid of fireworks as well. When we expect festivities I make sure that the house is closed up, the TV is on LOUD and that he is given benedryl, 1mg per lb of body weight (per the Vet) starting the morning of and repeated the night of the fireworks. Rescue Remedy was worthless on him, I suppose it depends on the dog. |
| Hi Mo
I can sympathise, Where we live there are quite a lot of large hotels near by, they all seem to have fire work displays different nights and it goes on for weeks. Although my two dogs are not afraid of them, and we can distract them with a chew bone or kong, my mum who lives next door has a labradore that is terrified, she tries to hide under the table or in the shower and shakes. My mum gives her a herbal remedy that helps to calm her down, but the fire works go on for so many weeks my mum is concerened she may overdose her lab. Chris Frodo and Smeagol |
| We live in an apartment and so we have to be careful about the barking regularly...and with 2 dogs one a puppy we had to do somethin gabout it so we bought this machine that lets out a really high pitched noise when they bark. They don't get shocked or anything so we thought it was ok. We just got it at the drugstore but im sure you could pick it up at any pet store. You can also set it onn automatic so it goes off even if you're not there. But thats more of a long term thing..i dont know about for just one weekend..Good Luck tho |
| I've just started Mitch on Bachs rescue remedy.He tried it last night (4 drops straight off my hand) and it seemed to settle him down a bit while the fireworks where going off. |
| Hi,
All really good advice so far and I wish you the best. I can sympathize as Panda really reacts to fireworks to such a high degree. The first year he ran around in a frantic like state in the backyard, vomiting at the same time. After 16th months his reaction is better..no vomiting and no frantic like behavior but he still growls and paces when hearing the noise. I would not coddle him but would speak to him gently as I felt he could pick up things from my behavior. Gave him a kong to occupy himself with and it also helped that Merlin does not react at all, while Blue just sort of huddles near me, but neither bark...Panda learns from observation of them and I ..so it's getting better. Good luck to you and it might be tough but you may want to skip one year of Halloween or other event to stay home with them to prevent them stressing too much. My experience is whatever intitial work you originally put in..no matter how tough it is..does pay off for the future. Marianne and the boys |
| Hi
I live in London - and the celebrations have certainly started. Molly is just 12 weeks old and i've just started taking her out. On her second trip up the street a banger went off - it made me jump so you can imagine her reaction. She bolted! I had her on an extended lead but i still had to restrain her. When my husband went up to her to calm her she cowered from him which upset him. It was only about 1700hrs - it really gets on my nerves how mad people go with fireworks. She was nervous anyway about going out so it wasn't really helpful. I sympathise with you and i'm reading all the tips in case Molly choses to bark from the safety of her home! |
| I always take my two dogs outside and let them watch the (local) fireworks. Seems that if they can watch, the noise is not so bad. We oooh and ahhhh as I point them out. |
| Hi,
I have been reading all the replies and trying things out. The loud music helped a little, at least when it was all over, he settled down a lot easier than he has been doing all week. The fireworks are a nightmare! We never go out and leave Monty when they are going off, I wouldnt dream of it, but all the cossetting and loving doesnt stop him barking, and the barking is constant, as soon as the fireworks go off. I have tried at the local pet store for the herbal remedy or the 'other one' (forgot what its called now ), and they hadnt heard of either. Has anyone else in the UK managed to get it, and where from???
We tried letting Monty out so that he could see the fireworks, but he just constantly barked barked barked. (and often they are far off so you cant actually see them, just a load thundering noise) We're getting really worried, because we live in quite a residential area and can envisage complaints about him sooon
AND ... TREACLE TOFFEE..... we'll, its sort of a burnt toffee, very dark, hard toffee that tastes scrumptious! typically eaten on 5th Novemeber, but I ahvent got a clue what its made of other than dark treacle and sugar. (no doubt loads of sugar) |
| I hope it all works out for you soon.... please let me know if you find anything that works. |
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