Firework season has started

So firework season has started where I live - twice this week, and went on for hours last night.  We can now expect this regularly, not just 5 November, but well into the New Year.  Densil is not frightened of them in that he doesn't cower and try to hide, so no use building a den.  He just runs around barking and hyperventilating.  We do the usual thing - turn tv up loud, draw curtains, but he can still hear them.  Last year I tried a frozen kong, but that only kept him quiet for 1/2 hr.  (Pat spray and rescue remedy don't seem to help much either and I don't want to put him on zylkene for the next 3 months). Any other suggestions?  We couldn't hear the tv last night over his barking

We use the Adaptil spray on Rockys bedding which helps to keep him calm, he did sleep through some fireworks last night, amazingly.

We had a lot go off night before last, think that was Diwali or something too. Why does it all come at once

Same here - do all the same things as you have too. We use sedatives from the vets one year, that seemed to settle her, but I'm unsure if she was still freaking out in her mind, but unable to react? So I haven't used them since. It's so hard

Luckily my living room is right in the middle of the house with no windows so nicely sound insulated, Ledger has a thundershirt which certainly helps in that he calms down quicker, and just bought a DAP diffuser Saturday night he did bark a couple of times at the really loud ones but it wasn't the constant fretting that he has had previously

That's what I'm worrying about Rachel, that sedatives are just to strong, and Debo's heart won't make it.

Fireworks every night now since last week. As soon as it gets dark now Densil is just waiting for them to start. He went out into garden tonight for his toilet and just stood barking at the sky and they weren't even letting any off

Skye refuses to go in the garden now when it's dark but luckily will hold on till morning
When we go to bed she ends up trying to lay behind my head and ends up on my shoulder (no mean feet for a 3stone staffs)

Only had a couple of loud bangs here so far, being pretty rural. Unfortunately we were walking past the garden where they were being set off and they exploded right over our heads. Not sure whether Bo was more puzzled than frightened, he ran up and down chuffing with his mouth closed like he does when he sees tinfoil, people on horseback and - to my eternal shame - people with learning difficulties.

He's upstairs on the bed at the moment and I'm in the next room. Normally he stays downstairs so it must have freaked him a bit. Having said that a few months ago we were outside in a thunderstorm and lightning struck about 200 yards away and the instant clap of thunder was so loud I thought we'd been blown up. Bo just chuffed a bit and then forgot about it.

I'll say this very quietly... I think we now have 2 dogs who are fine with fireworks. This might be the first year in 17 that I haven't had a stressed dog to deal with.  

There are a few things I've found helpful, either short or long term. The main one I've used over the years has been to keep working with the dog, being super happy about each bang and rewarding him looking at me with a treat. That's not treating the fear, that's treating the not-fear. We're sort of fortunate to live in a rural area with lots of pigeon scarers during the growing periods, so I used those bangs as training. Hey, yipee, a bang!

Bobbert used to be one of those who would work himself into a lather, trying to dig through floors or climb out of closed windows. We actually managed to get one year both at this time and at New Year, that he slept through everything! So hard work but it's what I'd do again.

I think it was maybe a sign of his deteriorating health that last year went rather to pot again. Last New Year I resorted to driving round in the car for an hour - that works a treat but I know it's not really feasible to do that for hour on end day after day!

One other thing I found helpful during storms as well, was to put his harness on and ask him to lie quietly. I'm not talking about force, I'm talking about a trained 'down' request with copious treats. I'm a believer in the theory that the position of the body can affect the way you feel, so if you're standing all tense you feel tense, whereas if you lie down and let your muscles go it's easier to relax. By having the harness on I found I could stop Bob pacing around and winding himself up more, and because we'd done mat relaxation training before I could then ask him to lie down and relax. I was totally gobsmacked when it worked, I have to say!

Feel sorry for the dogs who hate fireworks

After the weekend, Debo's is fine on the morning walk and starts to be scared by afternoon, when he would react on any loud noise, you could clap your hands and he would go bananas
By evening I have to drag him out, there are no fireworks even.
We were planning to go out for new years eve, but now I think will stay , I'm scared that the fore works and us not being there might be too much

Hello, I am new to the forum... just been to vets as my gorgeous ten year old staff is now so afraid of everything I dont know what to do.... fireworks started it after years of her not bothering at all... we cannot even have fairy lights on now.... her life is miserable... she wont go for a walk or a wee, shaking when it goes dark, pacing, not eating.... its not even as though fireworks are one night these days it will now go on until January! A cloudy day is hell, rain bothers her and even someone shutting a bin lid this morning started her off... I know staffs can get a form of dementia which can be like this... any thoughts would be welcome
Thank you for adding us xx

aww jo,must be awful to see Betty like this,how did she get on at the vets earlier?have you tried any thing with her to try and help?

Hiya!

We have tried allsorts
Now shut all curtains... covered glass back door... tv on a bit louder.... desensitising CD doesnt work, tried that before... tried not reinforcing behaviour... vet has taken bloods and she has some of the calming 'dap' tablets as the diffuser/collar doesnt help... believe it or not we went for a fab walk today, she loved it even though it poured down...she came back and had a big dinner and has been chilled out snoozing since... didnt bat an eyelid at a firework earlier... vet did say sometimes the tablets work very quickly, sometimes take 2 days and sometimes do nothing at all... I am hoping she falls into the first category! I even have the fairy lights on and she is fine... thanks for asking, I love her so very much and she has been unrecognizable as my dog.... I know she is getting older, I just cant bear to see her so distressed xx

Have had adaptil plugged in for days now seema to have helped but then again dont think Vin has heard them. Tomorrow will be the tester as local rugby club have their main one tomorrow and its very close to us

And here too ! Aggghh!

Aww Betty I hope the meds keep her settled Jo, it's so hard to see them distressed.

my sash is 10 also jo and seems worse each year,thou we too have found a walk around 3 before it gets dark to wear her out seems to work with all the other things too,it is upsetting for us to see them so distressed .

No looking forward to tonight. It has been getting worse every night over the past week or 2. Normally Densil goes to sleep around 7.30/8pm but he is now awake all night. As soon as it gets dark he is hyperventilating and running around waiting for the fireworks. I have tried everything dap spray, rescue remedy, frozen kong, loud tv etc. There isn't much point in ringing the vets for any sort of tranquiliser as it was like trying to get blood out of a stone to get something for his car panics and in the end I had to go to another vet. Problem with those tablets is they have to be taken on empty stomach, so no good in this situation. I have heard people mention Benadryl so was thinking of trying to get some of those today.

Aw Densil! Just the same as Betty... panting, heart racing, the lot... however she has had her second tablet this morning, didnt bat an eyelid last night, played ball, went for a wee in the dark and was very chilled... tonight will be very loud here so we shall see... poor doggies
Betty was a rescue at 1 year old and grew up walking in Swinley forest with the army shooting... never bothered her... this just started last year... I can honestly say I have never seen anything like the way she was the other night, really thought I was going to lose her... the vet was fantastic, though he was my second opinion as got no help really from the first one... a good vet will help xx

Thanks for that - may see if I can get some adaptil tablets then as the spray and collar did not work. Not only is he hyperventilating he is clawing at the door and crying to go out as he just wants to get out there and bark at them, so need something to calm him down.

Try a large cardboard box with a blanket over it or a crate and perhaps some of your old clothes with ur scent on them for bedding. Some music would be good too

Densil won't go into a crate or box I'm afraid - he was crated with a rottie when a puppy. He doesn't have the sort of fear where he wants to go and hide so no use building a den. Tried music instead of tv last night but didn't work. Guess the only solution is to move house, lol.

Oh what a dilemma heres a link to give your dog a massage http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6VnW5LwQ0E alternatively phone the vet see if he can offer any advice sorry i cant help more.

Thanks. Rang 2 vets today - neither had the adaptil tablets in stock and one had never heard of zylkene, (although you are talking to reception staff when you ring, but I would have thought they have prescribed zylkene) which he has been on for a week now, so guess will just have to live with it.

Pets at home sell this zylkene

The first bangs of the night have already begun. Thinking of everyone for who the next hours will be hell.

Started here half an hour ago, but just another night really, we expect it all the way up to christmas and into new year now, with just the odd quiet night (hopefully)

As expected last night was the worst so far. Densil was hyperventilating and scratching to get out of the door all evening. I tried putting on the calming music for dogs via You Tube - didn't work. I pretended to be sleepy lying on the settee - didn't work. He finally fell asleep from exhaustion at 9pm for about 15 minutes until they started up again. Thankfully didn't hear much after 10pm so slept through most of the night apart from around 1.30am. I am going to buy some Benadryl today and try that for Saturday night which I expect to be the next big one.

What about these?

http://hoppiesdoggies.co.uk/mutt-muffs-uk-ear-defenders-dogs/

Yes I had thought about ear muffs, but not sure if he would keep them on. Also as soon as it gets dark now he is just waiting for it to happen and we can't block off his access to the window so even though we shut the curtains he can still get in there and see them going off. Wasn't too bad last night but he still didn't got to sleep until around 9pm. After this weekend I am hoping it will die down until xmas/new year season starts up.

I tried ear muffs, no use, Betty was her typical stafford self and refused to keep them on! The tablets have helped but she is still a mess, even in the day she is on the alert so any bang or clang sets her off... poor doggies... bit calmer last night but some expected over the weekend then hopefully it will stop for a bit until Christmas.... nightmare... never thought she would be refusing walks, heading home if we do go for a walk and she is holding on for a wee until she bursts... sad times

Not having any trouble getting Densil out for wees- quite the reverse, he keeps wanting to go out in the garden and is just looking up at the sky waiting for fireworks! on the other hand if it is raining he will not go out. in the end I have to throw some treats out onto the lawn and then go out with him and shut the door until he has been

Last 3 nights have been hell! Hoping they have used up all their fireworks now and we can get some peace. Densil is just panting and barking all night until we go to bed and he is exhausted in the daytime. A contact in America has said that she uses Melatonin tablets for her dogs and it calms them down. In UK you can only get it on prescription so will ring vets on Monday to see if I can get some as expect the next round to start up around christmas/new year.

I do hope the worst is over for everyone.

Re the earmuffs, I see them as something you train your dog to accept, like you would a muzzle. Jo, have you still got yours? Might it be worth trying to train Betty to wear them away from firework season? It might not work, but might be worth a try.

I've just signed an E petition to restrict the sale of fireworks http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

Signed and shared.

lovemystaffies wrote:I've just signed an E petition to restrict the sale of fireworks http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/

Thanks for this - signed and shared. Fireworks still going off on Sunday night as I right this. It is getting so ridiculous, gone are the days when it used to be 5 November and New Years Eve.

Signed! Worst night in 3 weeks of constant fireworks tonight! I have a 20kg staffy scarf as I type this

Not very impressed with my vet. Rang this morning and explained that Densil is totally stressed out - he is now exhausted - hasn't been out for a wee or his walk this morning - now 10.30am and he is fast asleep. They said there is nothing they can give him apart from the zylkene, dap spray which I have already tried. I have now rung another vet and waiting for reply. Problem is I have to use the first vet as the only one within walking distance, with no car and densil suffering from car stress. Densil isnt the only one now stressed out - I am as well. Had the tv really loud last night and couldn't hear it for his barking.

So sorry, let's hope it ends soon

So sorry to hear that Densil is still stressed out by the fireworks, I hope they are done with soon too.

Did you get Densil from Wood Green ? Have you tried to contact them to see if they help at all ? They have been good with suggestions for Rocky on other matters as he came from there too

Contact in America recommended Melatonin - apparently it works for dogs with noise/firework phobias. In Uk you can only get it with a vets prescription. Tried both local vets and they wouldn't give me one. One wanted to give me diazepan, but I told them it's been 3 weeks constant of fireworks and I'm not giving him that every night for that amount of time, so they are contacting the vet medical council to see if they can give me a prescription for the melatonin. Yes, did get Densil from Wood Green and my ring them, but we have tried all the advice - draw curtains, loud tv, calming music, toys to play with, rescue remedy, dap spray, zylkene (which he has been on last 10 days). Instead of sleeping in the evenings he is constantly awake and listening for the fireworks and panting/whining and scrapping at the back door to get out. As a result he is exhausted in the daytime - this morning he slept all morning and didn't go out for a walk until lunchtime, not even for a wee. I have been walking him extra in the daytime to try and tire him out but that didn't work either. This evening is a bit quieter although I have heard the odd bang. I am hoping it all dies down now until nearer christmas.

Yes, I hope we get a bit of a break from them here too, well at least until Christmas/New Year anyway.

Sorry I'm not sure what else to suggest. The adaptil DAP spray works for Rocky, he has some quiet music on in the bedroom as he sleeps on our bed anyway. We just put his blanket on the bed with the spray on it which helps to calm him into a sleep.

There may be some other suggestions in the thread below, not sure if you had seen this:

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t59555-different-things-to-try-in-the-upcoming-fireworks