How to Fix Your Dogs Fear of Fireworks with a Bluetooth Speaker, a Tuffies Nest and Loads of Tasty Treats

Recently I’ve heard some horror stories about dogs taking off in a state of panic in reaction to fireworks. I’ve also seen lots of social media posts demanding they be banned and you can understand the passion of some dog owners after spending entire nights consoling their petrified pooch from under the table. You can’t blame dogs for their reaction either, as far as they’re concerned the apocalypse has started. But let’s face it, fireworks aren’t going away any time soon. Here are some things you can do to mitigate or even cure your dog’s fear.

French Bulldog Dressed as a Ghost on Halloween/Bonfire Night

Temper Your Own Behaviour

Dogs are pack animals and are incredibly aware of the behaviour of other dogs and humans in their company especially when it comes to threat response. If you rush to the window to “oooh and aaah” at fireworks you’re basically telling them there’s something to worry about. Instruct everyone in the house to maintain calm body language and ignore the blasts as much as possible.

“Jumping in at the Deep End” Doesn’t Work

There’s a common theory on bringing your pup along to fireworks to “face their fear” early on and whilst there is some truth to the idea that early exposure to triggers is a good thing, there are a million other reasons why this is a bad idea.

Spooked Pug Wearing a Denim Jacket

Firstly, if your puppy takes a disliking to them it’s going to be a long road back – don’t risk it. Secondly, even if you’re a long way from them, the noise of real fireworks is way too much for a first-time exposure. Your dog’s hearing is extremely sensitive so whilst it may not sound that loud to you, it will to them. Thirdly, maybe you have plans on Bonfire Night or New Years Eve and if your dog does have a bad experience they aren’t going to cooperate, even if those plans after the fireworks are to go inside at someone’s house, they’ll be a wreck for the whole evening. You could force them to stay out with you but usually fireworks continue late into the night and making them endure that is just plain cruel.

Desensitising

The noise is usually the main trigger, not the visuals so a Bluetooth speaker is the best place to start. Here’s what to do;

Find a firework video online and play the noise through your speaker. Using your phone to control the volume, start very quietly and reward with a treat every time you hit play. In bad cases you could start just playing it through your phone’s speaker, but you should move on to a larger speaker of some sort eventually because it’s the deep bass noise that spooks your dog. It’s better to treat them before they bark but even if they’ve already started, give them a treat anyway. Your aim here is to tackle the underlying anxiousness about the noise, you can get rid of the barking later. Having said that, if they do bark then go back down to a volume they can handle calmly. You’ll eventually get to the point where your dog’s immediate reaction is not fear, but anticipation of a tasty treat. From here it’s just rinse and repeat, making it louder as their tolerance increases. Have patience though – as soon as they go over that panic threshold it’s very difficult to get them back. Once they can handle it at normal volume play it through your tv to add the visuals.

Labrador Listening

The final stage is real fireworks which is a bit trickier because you probably don’t have control over when they’re going or off or how close or loud they are. Around Guy Fawkes night and New Years Eve try and constantly keep a pouch of treats on you as you walk around the house, preferably something high value like cheese or chicken. Listen closely to the bangs and every time you hear one, even if it’s really faint, say “yes” and immediately treat your pup. Don’t be afraid to make it rain treats if there are lots of bangs in a row or a particularly loud one.

Be Careful with Your Progressions

Throughout this process keep checking for signs of stress in your dog, you don’t want to move too fast and these signs can be very subtle. Obviously if they’re whimpering you’ll need to go back a step, but yawning and panting are also symptoms of an anxious pup. Excitement in general isn’t a good thing because it can quickly turn to fear. Be strict with yourself and only move on to the next progression when there is zero reaction from your dog, not even an ear twitch.

Long Haired Dachshunds Chilling Out

Damage Limitation

Sometimes the real fireworks come before your dog is ready for them, in which case it’s all about damage limitation. Use a room with thick curtains or make a den for them that blocks out flashes and as much noise as possible. Put a TV or radio in there and crank the volume. In the hours leading up to it, take them for a long walk preferably somewhere they can be off the lead to expend as much energy as possible and hopefully snooze later through the bangs. If they decide to retreat to a cupboard or under a blanket, leave them there – wherever they feel most comfortable is the best place for them. Give them a good chew to help distract them from the noise, or if they’d rather have their favourite toy to chew on, use that instead. Lastly, and I know it’s obvious but plug any holes and make sure there’s no way they can escape from your home/garden. Even if you have high walls/hedges around your garden, use a lead to take them out to toilet. A spooked dog will give Michael Jordan a run for his money!

Collie Jumping Over Branch

Youtube/Behaviourist

I know I sound like a broken record with this but YouTube is the best place to learn how to train your dog and there’s plenty on there about firework desensitisation. As a last resort you could pay a behaviourist to help your dog get through their fear or take them to the vet and enquire about calming medication.

Good luck and remember, just like any learning process it’s about slow and gradual exposure and that may be a long road but it’s much easier to face and fix the problem now than having to worry about them on every Bonfire Night and New Years Eve for the rest of their life. It’s worth mentioning too that lots of dogs can dramatically improve in quite a short space of time, especially when they’re younger, so invest your time now!

Happy New Year!

Tuffies Nest with Autumn Check Sock

Somewhere Cosy?

The Tuffies Nest Dog Bed Sock is a great place for your dog to feel safe and secure because it covers the top of the Tuffies Nest to create a cosy den with a small gap to peak out from. Our Mini Wolf Den similarly allows them to burrow and if you have a Tuffies Mattress Bed we do Tunnel Covers that allow them to climb inside and feel protected.

Tunnel Mattress Dog Bed Cover