It’s that time of year again: Fireworks!

What’s the problem with Fireworks?

For non-pet owners, they are a fantastic spectacle, a great fun evening out. For pet owners it’s the time of year we dread. Fireworks are loud, especially to pets sensitive hearing, they’re bright and they’re unpredictable. You just never know when and where they’re going to go off and how long they’re going to last.

Comforting your pet

Although you may have been told differently, when you comfort your frightened pet you will in fact not reward this fearful behaviour. It is ok to comfort your dog if he is scared. It will make it more likely for your pet to come to you if he is scared in the future rather than running away, which is a good thing.

The misconception is based on the difference between emotion and behaviour. You can’t reinforce fear, because it is an emotion. You can reinforce behaviour by rewarding, and why would you not want your pet to turn to you in their moment of need.

It’s just like when a child is scared, we also don’t ignore that, we say it will all be okay and try to encourage them to face their fear in a non-confrontational way.

General do’s and don’ts

There are a few things that anyone can do to help reduce the stress of fireworks on your pet:

• Don’t leave animals outdoors, bring them inside. Rabbits, Guinea pigs, outdoor dogs and cats, should all be brought indoors or given a secure shelter outside. Many animals panic and go missing during firework season.
• Don’t walk your pet after dark.
• If they must go for a toilet outside, take them outside on a secure leash, and make sure they are wearing collars with up to date contact information on their tags.
• Provide a safe place, for your pet, typically somewhere covered such as under the bed, under the coffee table or an open crate covered in a blanket.
• Play loud classical music, or turn up the television, and make sure the lights are on and bright and the curtains are closed. These are all ways to reduce the effect of the fireworks.

These are all simple things that be done to prevent or reduce the stressful effects of fireworks for your pet.

Having a firework sensitivity?

If your pet struggles with fireworks, please do get in touch. You and your dog do not have to put up with this phobia. Aimee can provide you with several options to deal with this issue in a positive way. She can help you decide on the use of calming remedies, such as medication both prescription and non-prescription and aroma therapy amongst other things.

If your pet has an already established phobia of fireworks, then a more proactive approach with a behaviour modification plan is going to be essential. This will involve gently and thoughtfully exposing him or her to the sound and sight of the fireworks and helping them feel better about them. The technical term for this is desensitisation and counter-conditioning and this can be very effective so that your companion and you can enjoy future fireworks without any problem.