Extreme fear of fireworks

[waffles]

Last night we discovered that our Levi is petrified of fireworks. This board is the first place I thought to start looking for advice.

We live in an apt. so I took him out last night on leash to go to the bathroom. 30 seconds later a simple bottle rocket went off a few houses away. Levi cowered at the "whistle" noise then tried to bolt when the "pop" noise happened. I couldn't control him, he pulled as hard as he could to get back to the door, clawing his way on his stomach. It was the most scared I have ever seen a dog. We came back in and he ran and hid behind the bed. I called him out a few minutes later and he scooted real fast to me, curled up on the couch and panted heavily for an hour, refusing to move or play with his favorite toy, but he did take a treat. We tried taking him out again before bed time and again he was loosing his mind (the neighbors were unfortunately still shooting bottle rockets off). So he went 10+ hours without peeing. This morning he was still hesitant to go outside.

 

My big fear is that we play, hike, etc. off leash a lot. He was so scared that he definitely would have run off and not listened (his recall is about as 100% as you can get). I am worried that we may be out somewhere away from home when a firework goes off unexpectedly and he runs off. I also don't want him living in fear for a whole night after hearing them.

 

Does anyone have experience with getting their dog past a fear so extreme? When we got Levi he was scared of a lot of things (cars passing, bicycles, cats, the leash, etc) but none were this bad and all were overcome with building positive associations with his triggers. I tried taking a yummy treat out last night but he wouldn't even look at it while the fireworks were going off and these were just simple bottle rockets! Thunder does not scare him though.

 

I know this is long but I hope someone can give me some good advice. I don't know have any experience helping a dog with a noise fear.

[jfaircloth]

I'm so sorry you're having this trouble with Levi. I've never had a BC who wasn't afraid of thunder and fireworks, and I've found that they each have their own unique fear responses.

 

Our current BC, Gomer, is extremely fearful of both. He literally tries to climb the walls or get behind pieces of furniture that he couldn't possibly fit behind.

 

Does Levi have a favorite game? Gomer loves to retrieve tennis balls, inside and out, so when there's a big thunderstorm, I've taken to playing "hall ball" with him. This both distracts him and gets him to associate the thunder with something positive.

 

Our other effective method is one we generally use at night when we don't want to get up and play ball. In that case, my husband and I put him between us on the bed and hold onto him, not allowing him to get up. Since he's a snuggler anyway, this eventually forces him to relax and ultimately fall asleep. Again, he's relating something positive (snuggling) to the noise. Since we've started using these two methods, Gomer's reaction to less severe storms is now non-existent, and his reaction to more severe storms is less pronounced.

 

Just some suggestions...I'm sure others will post lots of great ideas.

[WildFlower]

The BC that I grew up with wasn't afraid of storms or fireworks until she was about 9 years old. But it was pretty bad once it started.... She would destroy things, "dig" in the bath tub or closets, pant and pace, etc. We tried crating her, turning up the TV, closing the blinds, etc but none of that helped.

 

We started usings Calms Forte a herbal remedy and that seemed to work for a bit, but ultimately we ended up consulting with our vet and being prescribe a mild sedative (and we only gave her a 1/2 tablet at that). We only medicated her when we thought that there was going to be a big storm or on July 4th. If it was a "quick" summer storm, we let her "dig" in the bathtub or hide in a closet.

 

Neither of my dogs are currently sound sensitive but I have taken care to take them outside on the 4th in the back yard and play with them while fireworks are going off.

 

I would caution you about allowing Levi off leash during "firework season" if you are truly concerned about him bolting and not responding to a recall.

 

I hope others will have some good advice and good luck!

[Root Beer]

I wish I had good news for you on this, but I don't. I've been living with this with Dean for 4 years now and we never have found a solution.

 

In the summer, I make sure he gets out to potty before dusk, just in case. If fireworks go off, he's in for the night. I have, especially on 4th of July, actually driven him to other areas to find a quiet place for him to pee at night. I have also taken him for drives to get him away from fireworks.

 

He is on meds (he is also phobic of thunder and gunshots), but they really only help him recover. While fireworks are going off, he turns into a zombie, drooling, pupils dialated, a shell of his normal self. But the meds make it so he can mentally return after its over.

 

I've tried DAP, Melatonin, Rescue Remedy, Desensitization, you name it. None of it worked for him. Those things DO work for some dogs, so they are certainly worth a try.

 

I wish you the best with this. You might consider keeping him on leash from now until mid-July when you are hiking, just in case.

[bcnewe2]

I hate to say it but around here It's a half a xanex (sp?) And we can function through it. We are also very thunder phobic, same treatment. Without the meds. I've seen Dew go about 16 hours without pottying. Poor babies. I don't bother taking them out during fireworks or bad thunderstorms till after the fact. I've tried other things, lots of them. Nothing worked. If a stray thunder or firework go off, mick's ok if he's touching me. Poor Dew is just frantic but she runs for somewhere we know. Like the car, house or barn. New house has huge basement, I just had the steps walled off, she thinks I've just built her a perfect bomb (thunder,fireworks) shelter. I'm going to put a doggy bed under there for her.

Good luck on figuring out what works. Jazz is 15 now, most of her hearing is gone. She is finally OK with storms. What a perk of old age deafness...

I think sound phobias are highly contagious and genetic. Raven (who's 12) has never feared noises. She has lots of other quirks, but noise phobia is not one of them. That's 1 dog out of about 12 that wasn't/isn't noise phobic for me.

Kristen

[Liz P]

There is no way to train a dog past a true phobia. The best you can do is manage. Don't let him off leash unless in a securely fenced yard during fireworks or thunderstorm season, or at all if he is so bad that he might bolt and never return. Talk to your vet about medications to help him relax during periods of scary noise. (Do NOT use acepromazine!!!!)

 

I am lucky that my phobic dog gives me 3 loud booms before he panics. If I don't get him leashed in time he runs for the house or car. That is the only reason I allow him off lead, and I don't do it if I know there will be loud noises.

[rushdoggie]

I hate to say it but around here It's a half a xanex (sp?) And we can function through it.

 

Same here, and I don't hate it one bit. I am thrilled that I found something that offers my poor dog relief from the incredible stress and fear of the unpredictable scary sound.

 

Ross (who is gone now) was PETRIFIED of fireworks and alarmed at thunder, and he taught my oldest Papillon to be afraid too. Fireworks are legal here for a whole week and my neighbors (otherwise very nice people) shoot off hundreds on 7/4, right in our culdesac. Its a family event with kids and grandkids.

 

The first year we lived here was horrible. Then, I got them drugs and they went from being terrified to somewhat alarmed. When they ramped down a bit, we were able to turn the a/c on, the TV up and we eat dinner and potty early for a week so no one has to go outside in the evening.

 

I'm all about giving my dogs meds if they are really scared of something thats unpredictable and out of my control. It makes them feel a lot better.

[SecretBC]

I'm looking forward to putting my Thundershirt to the test during the fireworks this year. Last year Secret hid in the bathroom. If we are outside when the neighbors start up, she goes to hide in the garage. I can get her to play frisbee through the little whistler types, but as soon as they start snapping, crackling & booming, she runs for cover.

[waffles]

Thank you everyone for your replies. You pretty much confirmed what I thought, that helping him overcome this fear is going to be very difficult if not impossible. I swear I have never seen a dog so scared and stay so scared even after being inside where we couldn't hear them (and again in the morning was cautious). The good thing is that most people use fireworks at night and we never go off leash near dusk. I just fear the unexpected I guess and would hope he would run to the car if we were out somewhere, the other night while on leash he pulled to go to the front door.

 

I now know that I will be home during the evening of the 4th. I am very happy though that even the worst thunderstorms don't faze him at all. What medications would you recommend I talk to my vet about?

 

Liz P: What is acepromazine and why do you warn against it?

[mbc1963]

::Sigh:: Fireworks are illegal in my state, but they shoot 'em every night from June 20 to July 30, it seems. New Hampshire and plentiful fireworks are just a few minutes away.

 

One odd thing that really helped my dog in his first summer: I found that he paced and panted with fear during thunder/fireworks. BUT, if I allowed him to be on the couch or in bed with me, where I could have one hand on him, he calmed down considerably. He's still nervous, but that hand on him seems to be enough to get him through.

 

I know people will tell you not to "reward" fear with petting, but to me this is like jiggling a crying baby. It's soothing, and it quiets him, and I can get some sleep.

 

And THAT'S how my dog ended up in my bed, even though I swore it would never happen.

 

MBC

[Carson Crazies]

I do not allow my thunderphobe off leash in the open during thunderstorm and firework season, except under very special circumstances (ie 0% chance of storms, no storms for days before or after, and way out nowhere near other houses). She bolted off into the woods twice when I first got her, and I've not risked it since.

 

I am encouraged that your dog is heading for home - but I'd be very careful at this point. Also I agree about not using Ace.

[Liz P]

I don't like the way Ace works with cases of phobias or extreme fear. Given enough of a stimulus (like a particularly loud boom), the dog's body can overcome the effects of the drug and they can suddenly be very mobile and very much panicked.

[rushdoggie]

Anti anxiety meds like Valium and Xanax are preferable for fear than Ace...Ace can cause side effects that might make fear worse.

[dsmbc]

Yup, I have one that is also terrified of Fireworks and thunderstorms. During this time of year, especially after all of the sever thunderstorms we have had, she gets loud noise fatigue and is scared of every bang. She also bolts for the back door. Luckily we have a fenced yard. I do use a dap collar and a thunder shirt. They are not cure alls, but they help reduce the level of her fear. When loud noises happen, she likes to go to one of her safe spots - her favorite is to pile into the pillows on the bed. I let her go as does make her feel better. I will take a clicker and a handful of something irresistible, like pork roast and gomup and sit with her, clicking and treating for a look at me or a lift of the head. The thunder shirt and dap collar help just enough that she will respond a little and not just be "checked out" from fear. This helps her bounce back quicker. last summer I couldn't get her downstairs or outside even the next day without picking her up and carrying her out. This summer she will go out gladly the next day. Anything that he finds super valuable can be used as a counter conditioner. I like the ball in the hall idea. they will likely never get over it completely, but with a lot of work and tlc, you can help make it a little less scary for them.

[arf2184]

My old dog Lucy was thunderphobic and fireworks were even worse. We gave her valerian (herb) and it helped. She mostly panted, whined, barked and paced. If I gave her a valerian and sat and watched tv with her, she was ok.

 

Bear is also anxious when there's thunder and fireworks. I think he picked it up from Lucy. As long as he's inside with people (especially me) he does ok. Bear is not as bad as Lucy was and probably not as bad as Levi, but here's what works for him. Maybe it'll help a little.

 

(1) don't make a big deal out of it (if he thinks your worried, it makes it worse...even if its him that you're worried about, not the fireworks/thunder),

(2) give him something to do (for Bear, this means give him something to put in his mouth and chew on...he's a Lab)

(3) put on some normal everyday noise to help block out the scary stuff (music, TV, video games, etc)

(4) stay close by (don't plan on going out if there will likely be fireworks; Bear likes to be in the same room laying a few feet away from me, if I get out of sight, he starts panting, whining, and pacing)

 

Meg is startled by loud noises, but thunder and fireworks don't bother her.

[bella_bc_husky]

What you just described is EXACTLY what I just went through a month ago with my pit/lab mix. He was ok with noises last year; we have had him for about a year and a half now and he is more afraid than he was in the past by far (although he is a very anxious dog to begin with, but this new stress is extreme). So I did some research online, found some ideas to desensitize him by playing thunder in the background (which really only works if you have long periods beforehand to work on), some other ideas to try, and came across the thundershirt. I had then called my vet since we had a week of constant thunderstorms and fireworks rotating and ended up getting him prescribed with quite a hefty dose of xanax, which I don't like because he is a zombie on it. It was good in a pinch and at the beginning, but the vet also recommended I check out the thundershirt so I figured I'd give it a try. I just got it in the mail yesterday and I put it on him as soon as I opened it. He *instantly* looked calmed. I went off to work today with it on him and am not sure if it helped or not but we are supposed to get scattered storms this weekend so I'll be able to watch the results. You should check into it -- it doesn't work for EVERY dog, but it does come with a 45 day guarantee in case you are not happy with it and there is a way higher percentage of dogs it has worked for as opposed to those it has not. If you do some searching online you can get free shipping too. I'm thinking I may look into it for my border collie/husky mix, as it is supposed to be like "swaddling" a baby and she could sure use some comfort to calm herself down (especially since I just walked in the house to find her destroy a giant stack of paperwork that I just brought home from work...... *sigh*).

Also, do NOT comfort the dog yourself by cuddling or extra attention during a thunderstorm or fireworks... it's like telling the dog that there really IS something to be worried about.

Good luck!

[Star]

I wonder if those fuzzy/foam balls we put in horses ears for noise sensitivity would work with dogs?

 

http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/1070/PEP508?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google%2Bdata%2Bfeed

 

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp?pn=X1-10488&tid=froogle5&CATALOG_CODE=1X814&EID=X1814001&zmam=1460880&zmas=1&zmac=88&zmap=X1-10488

 

I disagree about not cuddling or comforting your dog when she is frightened. She only understands so much....and I think knowing you are a safe haven should be one of those things she understands.

[waffles]

Update:

So... Tuesday night was the night the fireworks happened. Wednesday night I took Levi out for his final potty time and he acted normal. My boyfriend took him out Thursday night and said he was normal. Last night around dusk (the sun had set, the sky was blue but still light enough to see everything) I called Levi to go outside and he was not excited. Stood in the hallway. I put his leash on, and as soon as we got out the door he turned around. We get outside and he acted nervous, scanning the area with his eyes (as opposed to his normal sniffing for a spot to pee). We walk for 1minute and he bolts the other way towards our building door as if he saw a ghost. I spent 15 minutes with him where at times he was walking normal-loose leash, and at times pulling frantically to get back inside. He finally pee'd and we jogged back inside where he hid behind the bed. We played with his squeeky ball and he seemed okay. 2 hours later we took him out again and he refused to go to the bathroom or do anything except pull frantically.

 

This morning (our apartment is quite dark with all the curtains closed) I called Levi to go outside, which he always rushes to door in the morning. Today, he zoomed right into his crate when he heard me call. I had to use treats to lure him to the door and get his leash on. Once outside he seemed 95% normal, I think because he realized it was daylight out. I did bring yummy treats out and clicked/treated for sniffing (as opposed to scanning nervously), peeing, and pooping. I would like to use some Control Unleashed (I have read the book) ideas to help. Should I click/treat for looking at me, looking calm, etc. Any advice here?

 

I am seriously considering medication the more I read about this type of fear. I don't want to see this get worse since the 4th of July is coming. Unlike thunderstorms though I typically will not get a warning that a neighbor is going to shoot off fireworks. How fast can medication take effect? I read this article Storm Phobias about using benzodiazepine (BZ) and how it worked in a few minutes. Any insight on this?

[Root Beer]

I disagree about not cuddling or comforting your dog when she is frightened. She only understands so much....and I think knowing you are a safe haven should be one of those things she understands.

 

Whether or not it is a good thing to cuddle or comfort the dog depends a lot on the dog. Back when I tried to do this with Dean to ease his noise fears, it actually made him worse. Not because the fear was "reinforced" or it caused him to start to play-act being fearful (would that he were actually capable of that during a storm!!) but because it actually caused him additional stress. I can sit close - even up against him - he doesn't care, but if I try to pet him when he's experiencing a high level of anxiety, he becomes more anxious. So, the best thing to do is leave him alone in the safe place he has chosen with a towel to drool on, or to be near him but leave him in peace, and let him get through it. Afterward, when he comes back, we usually have a love fest and he seems to appreciate it. (And yes, this is on meds that actually help him!!)

 

Tessa, on the other hand, is very much helped by cuddling during storms. Whenever there is a storm and she throws herself into my lap, I pet her and I actually feel her shaking decrease. When she gets into just the right comfort zone, she relaxes. Over time, her fear of thunderstorms has greatly diminished and she has gotten to the point where she often chooses to lay near me, and is much more calm, instead of throw herself into my lap (which, I will admit, I miss!!) She can eat during a storm and even get up and follow me around the house.

 

Back when I was working him through fear of other dogs, being petted and comforted helped Speedy gain confidence to the point where he no longer needed that.

 

So, I've found that petting and comforting a fearful dog can help build confidence if the dog actually finds it to be comforting. If the dog does not find it comforting, it can be a not-so-good thing.

[Root Beer]

This morning (our apartment is quite dark with all the curtains closed) I called Levi to go outside, which he always rushes to door in the morning. Today, he zoomed right into his crate when he heard me call. I had to use treats to lure him to the door and get his leash on. Once outside he seemed 95% normal, I think because he realized it was daylight out. I did bring yummy treats out and clicked/treated for sniffing (as opposed to scanning nervously), peeing, and pooping. I would like to use some Control Unleashed (I have read the book) ideas to help. Should I click/treat for looking at me, looking calm, etc. Any advice here?

 

One thing you could do is create some kind of "signal" that you are going out and it is not going to be a fireworks time. Not sure if it will help, but it's an option.

 

Whenever you know for a 100% fact that there will not be fireworks, you could have him go into his crate and/or onto his mat and reinforce him for it. Then release and cue outside. Go out together for a few minutes, bring him back in, and repeat. I would do this about 5 times in a row every day for about a week.

 

I actually would not click/treat/reinforce for calm outside. I would let him just be "normal" out there. If he sniffs or scans the environment with concern, I would just let him do it. In fact, I would say "go ahead and worry", give him a few minutes and then take him inside to crate or mat and reinforce there. Hopefully after doing that for a short time, you would start to see a lot more confidence and comfort upon going out after he has been at his crate/mat before going out, and that confidence and comfort level would become the reinforcer outside.

 

What I would be looking to do is build some kind of a "zone" that will indicate that going out will be "safe". If, at any time, you think fireworks might go off, I would not use the crate/mat before going out.

 

After doing that for a while, maybe you will be able to use the crate/mat as a "reset" when your dog is nervous when you go out.

 

I'm not sure if it would work, but it would probably be worth a try. It would give you something constructive to focus on when you are dealing with this, and that also might help you deal with this. It is a very upsetting, frustrating, and challenging situation for those of us who love these dogs and have to watch them suffer through it. Often, knowing that we are doing something helps.

 

I am seriously considering medication the more I read about this type of fear. I don't want to see this get worse since the 4th of July is coming. Unlike thunderstorms though I typically will not get a warning that a neighbor is going to shoot off fireworks. How fast can medication take effect? I read this article Storm Phobias about using benzodiazepine (BZ) and how it worked in a few minutes. Any insight on this?

 

Please talk to your vet. My vet will only prescribe Clomipramine for Dean. It's a year round medication. It does help him a lot, but he is still noise phobic. It helps greatly with things like how he is after the incident. He used to be like your dog - refusing to go out for days after fireworks, being afraid of every little noise after a big noise incident. Now once it's over he recovers. He's back to almost-normal very quickly, and back to normal within a day or so. He won't go out to potty during fireworks or immediately after, but within a few hours after he will, or I can drive him down the road and he will go, as long as fireworks are not going off.

 

Your vet might suggest different meds, but talking to the vet is the first step. And you might need to talk to more than one vet. The first vet I talked to would not prescribe meds for him because he wasn't running away or being destructive. I had to do a little bit of work on my part to get a vet to prescribe meds, but Dean is normal and happy most of the time. The meds gave him back the life he was quickly losing that summer.

 

Based on my own experience with my own noise phobic dog, I would actually talk to the vet about meds before trying any CU work or other training. Everything I did with Dean training-wise made things worse until he got on the meds and they reached therapeutic levels. Now training helps in a lot of ways.

[waffles]

Root Beer: Thank you so much for your input. I have so much to think about now. Hopefully tonight will go better than last night. I like your crate idea before going outside and going out multiple times in a row. If I am home tonight before it gets fully dark I plan to take him out during sunset, after sunset, and then when it is completely dark.

 

I can't thank everyone enough for the advice and making me feel not so alone in this. I'm glad that fireworks season is short and hopefully he never develops a fear of thunderstorms which we get frequently here!

[mickif]

One of my pups is over the top about fireworks, gun shots, loud neighbors, you name it. I use his thundershirt, really takes the edge off. We are then able to play games during thunderstorms. Last one was right overhead. He learned to come sit at our side when he would hear the next rumble start. We would just say, "what do you do?" and he would come sit. Of course we shaped this behavior prior to. I use the thundershirt any time he might be in a stressful, reactive situation and he is super reactive!

[waffles]

I am definitely going to order a Thundershirt today (hopefully in time for the 4th of July weekend). I was also looking at Rescue Remedy and was wondering if anyone had any input? I am not opposed to using a prescription medication but was hoping that a combination of more "natural" things (Thundershirt + herbal supplement + safe place, etc) would work. If not, then I would talk to my vet if all else failed.

 

Besides Rescue Remedy (which had mixed reviews) does anyone use anything else that works for their dogs?

[Root Beer]

Besides Rescue Remedy (which had mixed reviews) does anyone use anything else that works for their dogs?

 

You might want to research a supplement called L-Theanine. I have not tried it, but am interested based on what I have read about it.

 

Rescue Remedy did nothing for Dean, although I do understand it helps some dogs. Melatonin, which some people also have success with, also did nothing for him.

[elegy]

The Karen Overall article linked is an excellent one. Patricia McConnell had some good stuff about thunderstorm phobia on her blog awhile ago, too.

 

We do Xanax here. My first thunderphobic dog, an old pit bull, took Clomipramine twice a day during storm season with Xanax on top for storms. Thankfully my BC doesn't need that much (yet?). The Xanax does it. He's also much more comfortable if he can sit in my car in my attached garage during storms. I'm not quite sure why, but as long as he knows he feels better there, I don't care why. Bathtub is his second choice.