4th of July is not a time when your dog
will celebrate
Although Bellingham City
Council just passed the ban on consumer fireworks in Bellingham ( YAY!) it won’t go into effect until next year and
it may take a few years after that for things to actually begin to settle down.
Here is a good plan on what
to do for your dog who might be noise phobic with fireworks or other stimuli
like storms.
Counter Conditioning and
Desensitization
These two techniques are often used to change unwanted behavior in
animals. Just as the term implies, counter conditioning means conditioning
(training) an animal to display a behavior that is counter to (mutually
exclusive of) an unacceptable behavior in response to a particular stimulus.
Desensitization involves gradually exposing a pet to the sound of
fireworks, without provoking the unwanted reaction. Use of firework sound cd’s
at an almost inaudible level, while
feeding your dog amazing treats is a good place to start (no dry biscuits here…
think cheese or meat)
Desensitization is the process of exposing an animal to a stimulus
beginning at a very low intensity. So low that it does not result in the
undesired behavior. The stimulus
intensity is then increased gradually, without eliciting the unwanted behavior.
If at anytime your dog becomes stressed you are going way too fast. This process can take weeks to months… not
days.
If the incremental increases are too large, or occur too quickly,
the techniques will either not be effective, or may even make the problem
worse. Implementing a counter conditioning and desensitization program requires
some thought and planning.
Be a home body
If you know your dog has a
tendency to become stressed when
hearing fireworks, don’t leave your dog alone. You have many things in your life: work, friends, family, your dog… But your dog
may just have you. Trust me, everything
is easier for them when you are there.
Even the scary stuff.
Helpful Tools
There are many items that can
assist you in achieving a more relaxed state from your dog: Thunder Shirts www.thundershirt.com
,
Rescue Remedy www.bachrescueremedypet.com
Dog Appeasing Pheromones www.dapdiffuser.com
T-Touch www.ttouch.com
White Noise cd’s or machine
Experiment, before you
actually need it… test to see how your dog is effected so you are more
prepared.
Close the blinds/drapes
to shut out the visual effects (flashes
of lighting, lights, or sparks of fireworks) that your dog associates as
reliable predictors of the bad noise.
Close all the windows, and
use fans to help circulate the air.
Its very important that you
stay calm. If it brings you comfort to
hold and soothe your dog, then do it.
You may think its reinforcing a bad behavior, but if you are in the
thick of it we need to manage the situation- so by all means, if it relaxes you
and therefore can relax your dog, go for it.
If your dog is only mildly
sensitive, you might find using a food puzzle can distract them a lot. Try this: (it take about 4 days to prepare)
Using a small plastic
container pour in one inch of chicken broth and freeze. Once frozen layer in another flavor of low
fat plain yogurt, freeze again. Drop in
some meat pieces, or liver treats, again
with some broth and freeze… get the picture?
We are making a layered puzzle.
Mix it up by putting a bully
stick or Greenie in the center and a layer of peanut butter around it and give
it one more freezing. Pop this out and feed it in a crate or and area where it
won’t be a big deal with the floor. (in
the summer, this makes for a great yard treat)
Drugs
Although I strongly caution
against using certain types of
tranquilizers that act like dissociative anesthetics; (ones that alter
perception), which may make the dog more fearful, you may find working with a
veterinarian who has a good understanding of short acting anti anxiety medications might be a good
choice for your dog
