[Grommett]

Last night some kids let off some fireworks and it was all Olivia could do to try and crawl inside me.

This is our first year with her, and I am now worried about the 4th. We live right by the lake and every year the local fireworks are made even louder by the show the city puts on over the water.

I am thinking I may have to take her in and see if we can get something to calm her, but I am also worried of her being drugged. Anyone have any advice?

Another strange thing is that Buddy, our lab, has never shown that fireworks bother him. But when Olivia jumped up in my lap he also jumped up next to me, and whenever she shook he kind of whined. It was like he knew by the way I was trying to calm her that something was wrong.

 

[faysie]

I'm expecting similar. This will be our first fireworks holiday with Dixie, who is scared to death of thunder. We'll have to be home, for sure.

Good luck.

We try to keep music playing and the tv's on when it's thundering, unless it's in the middle of the night. Try it.

 

[Elvismom]

Several of our dogs are petrified of fireworks. We get doggy tranks from the vet to get them through the 4th. I don't like drugging them, but I worry even more about NOT drugging them.

Chris, slave to Elvis, Georgia, Ginger, Maggie & Crissy

 

[AmyB]

Spencer has always been terrified of fireworks. Depending on how long/loud they are, he has made himself sick (vomiting & diarhea) in the past from the stress. Every year on the 4th, I always plan on staying in, with all the windows & blinds closed & the TV turned on rather loud! The vet gave me some mild tranquilizers that I have used on occasion, but only if necessary. I hate to drug him, but don't want to see him make himself sick either. I was always told to not make a big deal of it & overly comfort or baby him, because that would make him think there is something to be afraid of. However, at the first pop, he is a shaking, drooling mess. Poor babies!

 

[Anonymous]

General was a little spooked at first to so I took him outside and confronted the situation with him, assuring him that it was ok and now he just barks at fireworks. In fact I am not sure which is worse, the barking or the skidishness.

 

[Twinkie's Mum]

Well, we are having a thunderstorm right this very minute and Twinkie is just whining and shaking. She has to be laying right next to you on the couch and touching you ... plus her daddy had to go out for a little bit, and she's definitely daddy's girlie. That said, I'm thinking about asking the vet for something to calm her for the 4th. I'm dreading it. She's quite pitiful. Our last dog did not get like this until she was quite a bit older. Twinkie's only 2 or 3.

Janet 'n Twinkie

 

[Jose']

I joke about the (few) benefits of being owned by a dog that drools, has selective hearing, doesnt 'sit' unless there is something in it for him, goes flat on walks, sheds like its his job, chews things (still at 5 years old)... :roll: :lol:

but his best quality is that he is completely oblivious, downright CLUELESS about fireworks, thunder, lightening. Thats God's way of not giving me more than I can handle!

 

[Dozer-Digger]

I had trouble last year with fireworks. Dozer hid downstairs, but Digger doesn't like to go downstairs, so he hid in the bedroom.

My problem is my town has their fireworks at the city park 1/2 block away from my house, close enough to see hot ambers land in my yard. And 1/3 of the fireworks were the big bright flash of light with a loud bang, like your house was struck by lightning. The dogs didn't like them at all.

This year will be a better show. The volunteer fire department, that does it as a fundraiser, and spent almost $3000 last year and it lasted over 30 minutes. This year they are spending more on a faster paced, electronically run show.

Not bad for a town of 800 people, but the 100 or so dogs in town may not agree.

 

[Terry]

Jose, Moe is the same way... completely unfazed by thunderstorms! We often sit on our porch to watch them while Moe sleeps (SLEEPS!) at our feet. If he gets the urge to piddle, he wanders off into the rain (even if it's pouring buckets), slowly meandering about the yard and siffing here and there for the perfect spot to relieve himself, completely oblivious to bolts of lightning, loud cracks of thunder, and torrential rain. Then, after peeing, he meanders back to the porch, often taking a roundabout route to investigate this or that, before settling at our feet once again and dozing off. I am very thankful for his laid-back attitude towards all things loud and/or wet.

Terry

 

[Lina]

It is a common thing for dogs to be stress out about fireworks.
It is a good idea, to keep your dogs indoor, in a bedroom or in a crate.
I don't know if there is any stress relieve medication that you cangive to your dog. You might want to contact your vet. They might be able to prescribe something safe.

Or another idea is, you can drive far away from the firework's action and spend a night there. Take it as your short vacation.

Both of my hounds seem okay with firework (I guess). But of course, every 4th of July, both of them fall asleep already when the first firework started. They didn't seem to be bothered with it.

 

[Rubydoo]

Ruby is PETRIFIED of loud noises and fireworks are the worst. But then again, thunderboomers are pretty bad too.

 

[corvuss]

Luckily we aren't close to any fireworks shows & the closest locals with their own fireworks live at least a few streets away. Not much problem on the 4th.

Thunderstorms are a whole different ballgame, both dogs having anxiety attacks, & pace endlessly. :x Lots of fun, esp. at 3 am.

I need "doggie downers" for this pair sometimes. I don't like doing it either.

 

[Houndiemom]

FIREWORKS

i GOT EEYORE ON JULY 6 THREE YEARS AGO AND HE WAS 8 WEEKS OLD I TOOK HIM TO THE FOURTH OF JULY PARTY AND HE ENJOYED ALL OF THE KIDS AND PEOPLE SO MUCH AND THE HOT DOGS THAT THE FIREWORKS DID NOT EVEN BOTHER HIM... STIL TO THIS DAY THEY DONT BOTHER HIM I THINK SINCE HE WAS EXPOSED TO THEM AT AN EARLY AGE HE ISNT SCARED OF THEM.

 

[Jersey Girls plus]

A vet told me to try peppermint oil on their pads. It works sometimes, but sometimes not, maybe because I don't do it early enough?

If it's a really bad storm, I go to the tranq's. The pointy ear dog used to be the worst, but now storms don't phase her at all. Fred sticks to my husband like white on rice in a storm.

Alice

 

[Anonymous]

We are so fortunate since Annie loves storms and fireworks..can you believe it?

The whole neighborhood laughs at her because she stands in our backyard on top of the hill on the 4th and can see three different firework displays and turns her head looking at them all. In the meantime the kids behind us are busy shooting off their own fireworks display and she couldn't care less about the noise.

Last night we had storms and cried since we wouldn't let her out to be in the middle of them.

She is crazy but we would rather have it this way than her being afraid.

Kathy

 

[opus]

Oh poor old pups! How awful for them. Opus couldn't care less about fireworks. The first year we lived in Barcelona we took him down to the beach to watch the huge fireworks display-and he fell asleep half way through. I hate the idea of drugging dogs, I think it's better just to try not get fazed and let the dogs deal with the noise-however they can. They always look to the owner for a reaction first and if you're not really stressed, they eventually think-'hey it's not so bad, look at her, she doesn't care.' Food helps, my mother's dog used to be terrified of loud noises, especially the banger used to scare crows off the crops but eventually he got used to it-thanks to buttered scones. She literally lured him up the lane and sat on the grass feeding him as the banger went off. Now he snores away in his basket during the very worst noise.
Arlene and Opus.

 

[TeufelsMOM]

fireworks and teufel

I am thinking about taking Teufel to see fireworks this year, she is 6 months, and so far the only thing she doesn't like is water, and stares at the sky as if to say aww comeon now!!! :lol: Thunder and lightening hasn't bothered her at all. I will bring her blanket, a bone and a few hotdogs and see how she does.

But since she is sooo very spoiled, if she wants to go home we will.

Controlled by teufel.

"its a basset hound thing"

 

[Emma and Doris]

Since the bassets are primary hunting dogs, I guess they are not
supposed to react on shots and fireworks. Mine doesn't.
But the rottie I had before was terrified.....

 

[Kezzy&Snoops]

I have a Springer that came from a rescue centre. He was supposed to be a working dog, but:

1 - would not drop anything he picked up
2 - at the sound of shots, he's run home

His owners tried to take him to a vet to be put to sleep for this reason, the vet referred them to the rescue centre and he was thrown out of the van and left.

Every time fireworks go off, he was a nervous wreck - would shake and whine and try to hide.

Then last year, we got Snoopy Basset, who knows no fear. I've walked him while fireworks go off, and he doesn't even look up or flinch.

The good news for us is that it seems his ambivalence to fireworks may have rubbed off, as the last time fireworks went off, his calmness seemed to also calm Rusty Spaniel down - he was nowhere near as nervous.

 

[Rubydoo]

What is the mild tranquelizer that you get from the vet? I need to get something for Ruby because we're new in our neighborhood and who knows what the neighbors do (even tho we're in fire danger). The neighbors are big partiers and I wouldn't put it past them to do this.