dogs, fireworks, and sedatives

[TrophyHusband 0]

this weekend we went camping and as usual, we took our golden retriever, emma. last night there were firework at the campgraound where we were staying. i expected emma to be scared and nervous, but she went absolutely insane. i had to carry her back to the trailer, and she was going absolutely ape shit white i was getting her crate. i put her in her crate inside of the trailer and since there was nothing else i could do, i went back outside to watch the fireworks. after a few minutes, i went to check on her and she had broken out of the crate and was trying to dig out of the trailer. i got on the floor with her and just held her. every muscle was hard as a rock and she was shaking and panting and drooling. it was absolutelty horrible to watch my pet go through what was by far the worst 45 minutes of her life. i will never make one of my dogs have that experience again, but i'm hoping there's another solution besides leaving her at home. we got her to be a part of the family and like to take her any time we can. i would hate to leave her for 3 or 4 days, or in this case, it would have been a week and a half. are there doggie sedatives that i can give her?

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[MikeForsythe 0]

This stuff works great. I have used it for years when flying dogs from Europe to the USA.

Time and pressure will always show you who a person really is!

[shropshire 0]

Sorry to hear that

Also, we have not found anything that works with our girls apart from hugging them... They really dont like fireworks either. Nothing else sets them off, but they are really nervous around fireworks.
I dont like the idea of drugging them but we tried some sediatives last novermber... they did not seem to work.

Come late october early november (traditionally, lots of fireworks in the U.K then) and new years eve, we have to stay with them in the evening and turn the T.V or music up louder than normal.


Sort of strange really....because traditrionally, SPringers are gun dogs

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[lilDevil 2]

Quote

This stuff works great. I have used it for years when flying dogs from Europe to the USA.

My friend uses that for her girls when they get stressed and it works great, its also good for people.
Imagen how loud fire works sound to a dog must be painfull my dobie was the same, I sat with her till 3am one New years trying to stop her shaking, wish I had found that stuff then.

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" Cant keep a good woman down "
Angels have wings, but devils can fly !

[TrophyHusband 0]

it had to have really hurt her ears. we were so close that you could barely detect the time difference between the flash and the bang. i could feel the percussion even inside the trailer. some of the fireworks extended directly over our heads. maybe instead of a sedative, i'll skip the show and just take her for a ride until its over. unless she was nearly knocked out, i don't think she would tolerate it.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[NWFlyer 2]

Wonder if you could get her to tolerate some noise-cancelling headphones.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[SkydiveStMarys 0]

Try having FOUR dogs that react this way! I have a love/hate relationship with the 4th of July. OBTW..they really dislike thunderstorms too.


Bobbi

A miracle is not defined by an event. A miracle is defined by gratitude.

[Armour666 0]

hold and soothing is the worng thing to do. The dog think of it as aceptiable and award for being afraid,

Start sound traing with a recording very low and increase over time if showing signs of fear back off a bit and then continue to increase again. also after some time setting off smaller fire works where they can see it helps to.

Took my a few month to gun train my old dog for hunting pretty much the same process.

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."

[Stacy 0]

Actually, a s harsh as it seems, hugging them is the worst thing. It reinforces the behavior. They need to know it is OK to be scared, but not OK to bust out of crates, etc.

We have one that is absolutely terrified of thunder and fireworks. She goes comatose and crawls ina closet and will not go outside for at least 6 hours after the noises stops. It's awful. We use rescue remedy as well, along with all natural chicken jerky chews called "Mellow Mutt"- the jerky is laced with lavendar, hops, etc etc.

We used to use a tablet called "Quiet Moments"- but it made JAzz sick. The filler is all milk powder, and she is lactose intolerant.

[BRYANGOESBOOM 0]

I just make them deal with it. They sit watch and eventually get use to it. Maggie my boston actually likes them. Roman candles are her favorate she loves to chase the little flaming balls.
Bella my american bulldog pup just got her first taste last night. She gets freaked out around anything loud.I had her sit and watch and after about five minutes she was cool with it.

Not only will you look better, feel better, and fuck better; you'll have significantly increased your life expectancy. --Douva

[Armour666 0]

thats where people have a tough time they dont want to see thier pet suff and they think they are comforting them but they are just reenforcing the behavour. Making them deal with it is tought love it has to be done for thier safty inless you can compleatly keep them from being exposed to what they have fears of.

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."

[ltdiver 3]

My 14 year old dog used to be okay with it. However, last year I came home with her clawing at the fence and being absolutely terrified.

The older dogs get the more sensitive. I stayed home with her this July 4th and she was okay. That may have been because she was inside and we had the air conditioning going, providing 'white noise' to drowned out the outside stuff.

I'll be home for her on July 4th until the day she passes. I owe her that much.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[peanutgallery 0]

My dog is also terrified of fireworks, she will find the smallest crevice that she can fit in to hide. This past fourth of july we found her behind the toilet! We are also campers and you can find campsites that do not allow fireworks. That is what we do. Actually, a few weeks ago we were at a BBQ with the dog and they were setting off fireworks (which we didn't know about until it was too late) but, while she was still pretty scared, she seemed a little more at ease actually seeing them and seeing that they were just noise and couldn't hurt her, just something to think about. Good luck.

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke

[TrophyHusband 0]

i wanted to just make her deal with it, but she broke the crate and got out of it and then damaged my trailer. we have a hybrid trailer with the beds that fold out of the ends like the beds of a pop-up trailer. she had ripped open the canvas that covers the screens and was working on the screens. if i hadn't checked on her, she would had gotten out and we may have never found her. a had to stay in the trailer through the show and it just broke my heart to see my princess so upset. at the time i didn't care about training her, i didn't care about the damage to my trailer, i didn't care about missing the fireworks show, and i didn't care that i have to buy a new crate. all i wanted to do was calm her down. i've never seen an animal act that. it was absolutely heart-wrenching to witness. while you may be right that i did the wrong thing, it was all i could do. these weren't just fire crackers and bottle rockets, this was a professional fireworks show. i will take your advice though and work with her through the next year. we're getting a puppy in october, so i will be able get both of them used to gun fire.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[MMinNJ 0]

Melatonin. It can be be purchased in any pharmacy type store and is a horomone that the body produces naturally to help you stay asleep. Whenever possible, it should be given before the source of anxiety is presented to your pet. If you have questions, ask ypur vet.

[Armour666 0]

not a nice feeling seeing a family companion is such fear.

Start with a recording and get her in a playfull mood somthing sahe is confident in the play it ver soft to the poing you can barly hear it. when she show no fear reward. the keep doing the same gradualy increasing. a recording of Thunder , fierworks traffic trains ect oll common things that are loud and would come across should be used (as if they are afraid of one lound type of noise usualy they will have a fear of others) over a period of time once the sounds are to a louder point intrudece them to the sounds in real life at a didtance and decrease the distance with the same if they are showing now fear and are confident reward.

shouldn't take to long a (few months)to get her use to the sound. depending on the dog you may never get them to the point of not being compleatly comfortable with the sound but you can get them to a point where they are not compleatly paniced and fearfull that they are goign to hurt them self.

Be consistant thats important for every one in the family to be involved, Don't want to give mixed signles of you training her and some one eilse when she is in fear comforting her. Use a reward that she is realy fond of. Here is a good one about using rewards in traing http://www.circleoflifedogtraining.com/coldt052707_018.htm

Hope it goes well for both of you

SO this one time at band camp.....

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most."