Pricey

Hi all November the 5th is fast approaching, in England that means 2 things bonfires and fireworks. As I type this I can hear fireworks banging away, so far hector is being a cool little fonzie, only occasionally sitting up at an especially loud one. I have heard so many horror stories about dogs having melt downs around this time of year, but I also know many who don't care. Any advice as to how to handle him when things really get going? I know there are drugs available but I don't really want to dope him up unless he's really bad.


Many thanks
Pricey and Hector

daveangie

Hi iam from England and also got a Hector basset.

We have just got back from a firework display (hector too, we do sit in the car and he is fine) i have heard a DAP diffuser works you can get a plug in one or a collar for him, my son uses one for his JRT, he brought his from pets at home.

Hope this helps.

Mikey T

Glad to hear they celebrate my birthday in England with such fanfare.

Wworm

Cute-- 2 Hectors from England!

Worm wasn't bothered by fireworks this year (our first 4th of July together). Here's to hoping for Hector? Maybe Thundershirts? and being around Hector can help. Tho the 5th of November is fast approaching-- I've seen Thundershirts in a petstore here recently. otherwise have to get online.

2 ??s Worm wants to ask-- is Pricey another dog or is it the hooman? (haha, we've been debating that awhile here...). and what is the 5th of November about?

thanks & hope it goes ok this year.

__________________
see what the Worm is up to: http://bassetworm.blogspot.com/

Mikey T

you can look at the Jourth of july thread but the bottom line is this don't expect a problem unless he has showen noise phobia in the bast for most dog it is not a problem at all. If you take precautions before hand you will never know if there is a problem or not. did the percaution help an otherwise noise sensitive dog or is the dog not noise sensitive to begin with.

If you want to have something on hand icase there is a problem in addition to or instead of DAp is thundershirt/tt wrap tight fitting shirt or simply jholding the dog thightly Melatonin 3 mg for the average size basset.

That said a slow biuld up to the fifth is not a bad thing as it gets the dog somewhat use to the noise when nothing bad happend because of it they buid up a resistance to it. Now if you expect the dog is noise sensitive you can play a game ie counterconditioning to have him equate fire works with good thing ie evertine a explosion occur dog gets a treat no matter what the dog is doing. this is classical conditioning change the dogs base emotional state to sound of fireworks. if the treat are good enough the fireworks over time will be a harbiniger of good thing comming and change the emotional state of the dog from being anxious to being excited. This type of training is general reseved for those dogs known to be noise phobic rather than as a precautionary step as it is a long process of yousing recorded sounds at increasing levels so as to avoid a reaction in the dog and unintional reward the dog for a rection to the noise that you do not want. For example if the dog always cringes when there is an explosion and you reward for the noise ate the same time you are rewarding the cringing behavior. so trying classical conditioning on a dog that is think operant ( consequence to behavior) you could end up reward what you don't want and making it worse. by lowereing the threshold of the volue to one the dog does not react to that solve this problem.

Thunderstorm Phobia

Pricey

Hey Worm pricey is me (hectors mom) my friends call me Pricey as my surname is price. November the 5th alias guy Fawkes night to commemorate/celebrate/remember the foiling of the gun powder plot (by guy Fawkes and his gang) to blow up the houses of parliament here. It is tradition to burn a "guy" and release fireworks. Not one of our nicer traditions considering what happened to him and the reason why he tried to do it, but I do enjoy it non the less haha.

Mikey T

I though my post above made it abundantly clear, Celebrating my birthday

well celibrating might be to strong a word "His effigy is often burned on a bonfire, commonly accompanied by a firework display"

rummor also has somthing about a plot to blow up the house of lords in 1605 by some Guy , with the peculiar first name of Guy

Pricey

Oh happy birthday for the 5th Mikey! I will light a firework for ya.

Hector isn't sensitive to noise at all, I work in a noisy garage where he acompanies me every week day so I am hoping it will be ok.

Mikey T

Basical dog that are sensitve to noise have a problem with fire works those that are not don't Thunder strom phobia is not as clear cut because it appear for some wind and /or build up of stactic electricity, lightning are as big or even bigger factors

Fischer for instance is not thunderstom phobic if he has a problem it is general the day after a storm when the winds pick up he does not like wind tha cause noise especial flapping of material. other loud noise do not phase him

henry'smum

Henry has a thundershirt and while he is great with loud noises he needed it for the 4th a i think the combination of lights, bangs and screaming kids for a week drove him nuts! We love our thundershirt pricey - he is wearing it in some of the pics in the album and while some folks are unsure of its usefulness, we wouldnt be without ours.
Also I have made bonfire toffee so i suppose i will also ave to make a bonfire and celebrate both bonfire night and Mikeys birthday!
[Maybe all of you Americans should light a firework in honour of us English folk lol!]