urge to herd Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 There are a few fireworks here on New Year's Eve, and a lot on 4th of July. The last few months, every time there's a noise of any kind that makes Gibbs tuck his tail and lower his ears, I say, '"What's THAT noise?" and toss him a treat. A couple days ago I was out walking him, close to where we live, off leash. Someone exploded something or other a couple blocks away, and Gibbs headed straight for me. Tail still tucked, but he didn't run away. He got his cookie, we resumed our walk, and all was well. Thank goodness I'm learning a few things about dogs! Ruth and Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jule Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Wonderful and well done ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Whoo hoo! Nice when it all comes together like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 I throw a "party" for my noise phobic dog on days like the 4th of July. I play a loud movie, close all the drapes and break out the extra special toys and treats. I stay animated and distract him with play. He also gets drugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highway61 Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 ....He also gets drugs. Doggie valium? My BC freaks out over loud bangs from the sky so the vet prescribed it and I got it filled. But haven't (yet) had a reason to give him some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 Gibbs is the first bc I've had that hasn't freaked out about fireworks. To be fair, they are very, very close. He doesn't like them, stays fairly tense until they go away, but he's not trembling or trying to find a place to hide like my previous dogs. I've been most concerned about the running away in a panic. It still might happen, so I remain vigilant. But seeing him run for me, instead of losing his head, made me feel a lot better. Thanks for all the kudos! Ruth and Gibbs, who says Happy New Year ETA - my drug of choice for my previous dogs was diphenhydramine, aka benedryl. Inexpensive, recommended by my vet, and available over the counter. Having 3 sleepy dogs instead of 3 panicked dogs was much nicer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted December 31, 2015 Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 I like 3 mg melatonin (6 if the dog's really scared and 3 hasn't taken enough of the edge off). The problem is that it doesn't work for all dogs, but when it does it's wonderful. Just calms them down w/out sedation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chene Posted December 31, 2015 Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 Yes! That's so exciting, well done you two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amc Posted December 31, 2015 Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 Outstanding! Good work, Ruth and Gibbs! Have a very happy New Year! Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2015 You and Ray, too, Amy! Gentle Lake, I don't like melatonin for myself, so I don't keep it. Diphenhydrazine is what I use for occasional sleeplessness, and I'm never groggy the next day, which I was with melatonin. And I mean very, very groggy. I've briefly looked at some overviews of studies about melatonin - one of the problems was a very small sample size. Along with the grogginess melatonin lowered my blood pressure, (caused me to pass out a couple times) And I'm leery of introducing a hormone into my body or my dog's body without larger and more long-term studies. Thanks for the cheering section! Ruth and Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ourwully Posted January 1, 2016 Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 A little bit back Juno was scared of every noise she heard but she is now much better so I know how happy you must be with Gibbs reaction. With Juno I used the same approach but I also think she was just going through a long fear period. It is interesting how we learn about dogs. One of the techniques that I have found most useful is the Look At That Game from Controlled Unleashed. Bringing the dog's attention to the distraction and then rewarding it seems like a funny way of dealing with things but it has sure worked for me. It seems like every day I am saying something like "look at the car, look at the bike, look at the hiker, or look at the squirrel" This principle Acknowledge the Distraction/Threat and then treat is so useful. For example, Juno will bark from inside our window at strangers or dogs that walk down our street. When my mum is visiting she will yell at Juno, "Stop that barking". Basically she is just wasting her time. I tell her to go up to Juno and say something like, "Good girl, you scared them away" and then give her a treat. My mum doesn't understand this approach but it works. When I do this with Juno I can almost hear her saying, "Okay I've done my job, I can move on now." Happy New Year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted January 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2016 Exactly ^^^ My version of 'Look at That' is check it out. With previous, more fearful dogs it was, 'Let's go check it out' and I would accompany them as they inched a bit closer to the Scary Thing. Gibbs was introduced to 'Check It Out' pretty quickly after we got him. And he was cautious, but willing. Then he got into the spirit of the thing, and CIO now is cue for him to relax and give a quick sniff and go right on doing what he was doing. Works like a charm. And he's in it for the cookie, you betcha. Ruth and Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.