How I deal with dogs and fireworks

[DenaliDemocrat]

I have a kennel full of dogs. Four bird dogs and one protection dog. I live out in the country (but not far enough) and the rednecks around me will unleash hell tonight.

In a few hours after breakfast has digested, I will swim the dogs, me in the canoe, them swimming by me. A good 45 minutes! Then I will road the dogs for about two miles. After that, chain gang and table work on retrieves. I will make them THINK! Finally, dinner time. Then each dog gets a trazadone, a frozen kong, and put into their crate. Doors closed, lights out, all sleeping next to each other.

The house will start shaking around ten. The dogs will sleep through it. They will be exhausted.

It’s sad I have to do this, but I will not risk it.

[Chainfire]

1. When I took the dog out for her 10:00 PM pee

There were fireworks going on all around the compass. She obviously noticed it but didn't see it as a threat. Thunder has never bothered her either. I guess that we are lucky.

[Jedi Guy]

2. Same here. Our dog isn't afraid of fireworks or thunder. Doesn't care about either.

We're very fortunate. My dog from when I was a kid was utterly terrified of both, to the point that we had to get him a prescription for a sedative. Without it he'd get into my closet, knocking the door off the tracks if need be, and then curl up while shaking like a leaf. I always felt so bad for him.

[DenaliDemocrat]

7. Mine are NOT bothered, but they can BECOME sensitive

I had a friend who moved his clay range over by his kennels. After a while even the seasoned hunting dogs started to be affected.

I take no chances

[alphafemale]

10. I have never had an animal that was fearful of thunder or fireworks either.

I think those who are may pick up cues to be fearful from owners beginning at a very young age.

[Tribetime]

15. I've had some fearful some not

Depends on the dog not owner

[alphafemale]

20. People fearful of thunder and fireworks tend to have animals with same neurosis

That is an obvious thing I have noticed.

People who hate fireworks have neurotic animals who hate thunder and fireworks.

[Hekate]

32. That's odd, because my whole life I loved both thunder & fireworks. My dogs, very mixed...

As a little child I loved sparklers, the whole thing. As an adult I loved the shows put on by the city.

As the droughts intensify over time, what deeply bothers me about individuals using a lot of fireworks carelessly is the possibility of being caught in another 250,000 acre wildfire.

Dogs are individuals, like humans. But nobody wants to be caught in what resembles a war zone.

[Tink41]

46. 8 Dogs all adopted

Only 4 were frightened. The 2 I'm sitting with right now, one is calm as can be, the other has been given calming chews 12 hrs apart, also wearing a special wrap and still climbing all over me shaking.
I hate fireworks now at 50+ because I don't like what it does to my canine friends

[FoxNewsSucks]

13. I got lucky also.

My dog ignores fireworks and thunder. When I walk her at night, she pays little attention to the firecrackers across the street, and is only startled if something goes off close to her. But that would startle anyone. I also must have pretty considerate neighbors, because nearly all of them on the side of the street we're walking on will pause a bit when we go by.

[pamdb]

3. firework holes

I hate the 4th of July. Didn't used to but a series of panting, pacing, shaking dogs over the years
has made me hate it. Especially when michigan, under a repub governor of course, decided to make fireworks legal (gotta get some of that money that people were spending on fireworks in Indiana)

I don't mind organized fireworks that do the whole colors in the sky thing on the night of the 4th, but these aholes who stand out at the end of their driveway and throw things on the ground to make big boom boom (with the mentality of a 14 year old boy) I just find disgusting.

I was hoping this year, because we had been hearing about shortages of fireworks, wouldn't be so
bad but no luck.

Buying products made in China to celebrate the 4th. Go figure.

[Dream Girl]

6. Well fireworks are authentically Chinese so for once, no disconnect like Chines made American Clara

[CrispyQ]

8. Ditto.

At least with the municipal fire works there is a start & an end. We have assholes who will shoot off one, maybe two fire crackers around midnight. The dog pops up, scared & shaking, & it starts all over again. The worst is that these random, solitary fire crackers will be a problem for another two weeks.

[mopinko]

11. this year is much better than last.

the assholes at the end of my block got their hands on a couple cases of m-100's. 1/4 stick of dynamite.
they were unemployed, bored, trapped rats. they blew them night and day the whole month of june.

my hens stopped laying and my dogs lost their housebreaking.

i gave them holy hell. there was nary a boom after the 4th, and few this year.
last night was a little noisy, but not bad.

[pwb]

4. I just sit with my dog.

.

[hamsterjill]

5. I have a cat rescue.

I’ll spend the day bringing in any members of our colonies that I can catch and stash anywhere. I’ve begged and borrowed extra crates.

I’ll get the hatches all battened down by 8:30 pm tonight, say a prayer for those left out in the war, and then question myself all night because I didn’t get more of them out of the madness.

I hate this fucking holiday and the absolute morons who don’t think what destruction they cause.

[XanaDUer2]

35. good luck!

thanks for helping the cats

[hamsterjill]

54. Thank you!

Hope you survived the stress, etc., and are doing well.

[Retrograde]

49. My kittens slept through most of them

and ignored the rest once they woke up. We’ve had them less than 3 weeks so everything is still new

[hamsterjill]

55. I'm glad yours did okay.

Thank goodness. We do TNR and I worry about the colony cats. It will be several days before we know if any are missing. Plus all of the dead wildlife that will be in the roads today.

I know if at least one dog that was hit by scar last night. He was outside to pee, got panicked from the loud booms and got out of his yard. He was running in a fright and ran in front of a woman’s car. His owners were already searching for him and found the crowd around him. Took him to animal ER and I’m told he will survive with treatment.

So freaking all so unnecessary.

[leftyladyfrommo]

51. I was really worried about my outside kitty.

Someone moved off and left her. I can't bring her in because my dogs are not cat friendly. I just make sure she has good food and water and flea meds.

She was there this morning. It got really bad last nite. I think she may hide way back under the neighbor's deck.

[hamsterjill]

56. Glad she is okay.

And my thanks to you for looking after her. Humans just suck sometimes. How could someone move away and leave one? But it happens all the time.

[leftyladyfrommo]

58. My neighborhood has a lot of f jerks. Most of them

were out in full force last night.

[hamsterjill]

62. Mine, too.

Jerks who, of all people, don’t have excess money to be spending in freaking fireworks. Yes, that’s judgmental of me, but fireworks are illegal in this city, and they risk a fine if they were to be caught. Their children run around dirty and undisciplined, but they gotta pop them fireworks!!!

It just boggles my mind.

[SYFROYH]

9. What would happen if you didn't do all that?

[DenaliDemocrat]

16. Just takes one time

And now your bird dog is gun shy. Not worth the risk

[LizBeth]

12. Doesn't bother mine. I particularly paid attention last couple years with so many suggesting

dogs freak. Now, I had a son at a young age that would be so excited with family coming over, BBQ and fireworks to melt down with noise. Took him inside and focused him on clay sculpting to divert attention. We were not stopping everyone's fun because of it.

[Tink41]

47. Aspergers? Autisim?

I find this so..... Can't stop everyone's fun to protect your oversensitive child. You know, adults having a good time always takes precedence! WOW.

[LizBeth]

57. He is somewhere on the spectrum, 6 other children there and I did "stop having fun" and took

care of my child while the other 6 children continued with the fireworks. Wow, right back to you.

But maybe I should stop all bday parties, pep rallies, Christmas morning and so many other things because one child has an issue instead of creatively finding ways for the one child to be able to comfortably experience these events while others participated.

WOW my ass.

[Tink41]

59. I'm late DX at 50+

So for me reading what you did I took literally. I have lived a complete life being uncomfortable and bombarded with doing things
the normals consider appealing things. To me your reasoning sounded like people who don't have drinking issues having alcohol fueled parties and inviting family trying to stay sober.

[LizBeth]

60. You had to purposefully ignore recognition I took care of the child for your own reasoning.

Judging while not only lacking information but ignoring information given to you to get your "wow". If you would like to know the efforts of a lifetime standing next to this now adult son addressing his issues in healthiest ways, finding tools in focusing to deal with challenges and grounding when needed without stopping him and the world doing things that effect him to put him in a bubble, I can spend plenty of time writing it out for you.

[Tink41]

64. Ha!

Yes, please explain what the NT's had to do to put up with me. Or what my life was like thinking I'm normal. You think it's easy living in a world not made for us???

[LizBeth]

65. I wouldnt presume discuss your experiences. How stupid would that be? What I am calling YOU

out for.

[Brainstormy]

14. my dogs are gone now but I grieve

every year remembering how they suffered through the fireworks. They would shake until you'd think their little bones would come loose. I hate fireworks!

[womanofthehills]

17. I never got the dogs in crates thing

My dogs sleep all over the place - most often in my bed or on the deck, couch - wherever. I have a doggie door to a huge run under trees so when they hear any noise, both run outside barking like it’s the end of the world. I’m way out in the country too.

[DenaliDemocrat]

21. Having a dog crate trained is very convenient

From injuries, heat cycles, or traveling. All my dogs sleep in their crate

[Dr. Shepper]

28. Last dog got free run, but the new

rescue pups came crate trained. They are from a hoarding situation and now can’t get enough cuddling and love, so they would be all over us (licking and pawing). Unfortunately, they would prob be chasing the cats too.

The rest of the day (430am-830pm) they get nonstop attention since I get up early and my husband (not working) can be with them when I’m at work.

[phylny]

40. I love my dog crates and they don't mind it.

We use them at night because they like to sleep in ways that hurt my body, and when we go out during the day (at this point we are not gone long) because it’s safer for them in case of a fire - easy for firefighters to locate them. The dogs are with us most every waking moment and get plenty of love.

[MissB]

41. Ours are crated at night

At 8 pm, the 2 year old 90-lb lab mix stands by his crate door to go inside. He sleeps there all night. Similarly, the pup (8-mos, about 40-lbs) heads into his crate after older pup is in his. He doesn’t like to be 1st.

They come out at 7 am the next morning.

It’s convenient for training. When I’m working the pup, I don’t need older pooch “helping”. Our trainer wouldn’t even work with us unless our dog was kennel trained.

When we have older, fragile guests over, I prefer to put the pups up so my big pup doesn’t inadvertently knock someone down. He’s gentle but hey, he’s big.

When we take off for a couple of hours, they are safely stashed in their kennels. It’s not a place of punishment- it’s their safe den. When we travel, the hotel room feels like home to them because they have their crates.

They dash onto the bed in the morning when Dh lets them out. I’m usually in bed working for a bit, so I have two pups just smothering me at that point. Very cute.

Our cat sleeps on our bed, usually up against me. I just cannot imagine the dogs hanging out with us too at night.

[Yonnie3]

18. No problem with our little guy

Years ago when his vision and hearing were better, he would ask to go out when the noise started.

He would sit in the yard and look up with rapt attention at the sparkles in the sky. A boom would startle him but he would refocus on the sky immediately.

Birds were always his enemy and I believe that he was imagining he was shooting at the buzzards.

[Maraya1969]

19. When I was a kid my parents took us out to watch the fireworks. For some reason

they left our dog in the garage; maybe thinking he wouldn't hear as much there idk.

We pulled in and he had scratched a hole in the door between the garage and the basement. He had splinters in his face, his feat were bleeding and he was shaking. It was awful. My mom made my brother and I go upstairs while my father took care of him.

I have hated fireworks ever since. There is no reason in my mind. Except for the colored ones that you can watch I see no reason for setting off explosions that will upset people and animals. (I've also heard of how it affects Vets that have been in combat)

Why is allowed? Why don't they ban the ones that sounds like guns and bombs?

[RainCaster]

22. My GSD had a very nervous night

We live in the country, rural forest land full of dumbass Rednecks who love to show their Patriotism by purchasing Chinese fireworks from the two Indian reservations nearby. July 3rd and the explosions didn't stop until at least 2:30am. Our GSD did not sleep well at all.

Today I will walk her a few miles, and do lots of ball tossing, her favorite. An early dinner with a tranquilizer and she will be at ease by the time the noises begin tonight. Our hounds are far more at ease, so they will sleep through it all.

[sarcasmo]

23. Luckily the last one I heard last night was 1 AM. Around 10:30 the city sounded like a war zone.

[niyad]

24. Sorry that you have to do that.

[lonely bird]

25. Fortunately, we haven't had many problems with our dogs

Our second dog who passed away in 2013 became afraid of thunder when he started to lose his hearing. I think he felt the vibration and he didn’t know what it was. He would jump on our bed and stand there panting and shivering. We would eventually get him calmed down.

[Jerry2144]

26. We put ours

In the master walk-in closet. All the clothes and being deep in the house really does help to reduce the noise that comes in. If there is someplace like that in your house you can try it.

[Duppers]

34. Used to do this, long ago!

And I'd make a huge, cozy floor mattress, then join my big girl on the floor.

This evening, I'm going to give the big guy a few drops of Rescue Remedy, a great recommendation by Bayard. Then, when the fireworks start, I'll probably sit in the floor with him, hugging him while telling him it'll be ok.

It just occurred to me, that maybe, since this black Lab is SO dang smart, I should give him a warning that loud noises will happen. Dogs like to know their ppl can identify things that might scare them. Like people, it's the unknown that scares them the most.

We live across from the CIA training camp, so he's somewhat used to loud noise.

[Random Boomer]

27. We have two rescued coonhounds

The black&tan coonhound isn't the least bothered by fireworks. Given her behavior in the car (wild excitement and non-stop howling), she was probably a hunting dog and used to gunshots and loud noises.

Our bluetick, however, has an entirely different temperament (and probably very different history, but we can only guess what that was). Even at the best of times, she's incredibly nervous. Just dropping a pen on the floor will send her running out of the room. Thunderstorms completely unnerve her and she suffers even more over the latter part of June and into July when fireworks are going off every evening. She paces relentlessly and shakes.

Fortunately, the longer we've owned her (going on 4-5 years now), the more she's come to accept our reassurances. Her Thundershirt also helps and this year we've got some tranquilizers.

[moreland01]

29. And

leave the TV on to a station you might normally be watching.

[Bayard]

30. We have one Pyr that used to be okay with it,

But the other boy loses his mind, and he's picked up on it. They velcro themselves to us, as does the mini-doxie. We have neighbors that are always shooting off some kind of big gun.

Our girl Pyr will sleep through anything. If they do manage to wake her up, it just pisses her off.

[Duppers]

36. Rescue Remedy!

You sold me on it! 😁

[Bayard]

53. Neighbors must have gone somewhere else last night

All we could hear were a few rumbles from town.

[llashram]

31. mine like me

hate the noise and intrusion on the psyche of the pet(s) and me. What I must have done to WW2 and Korean War vets with my m-80's, cherry bombs and other noisemakers in honour of...but I as well as they, with calming aids, just have to deal with it.

[AngryOldDem]

33. My cat is very freaked out. First time since I've had him.

I live behind a school with a huge field, which this year has apparently become the neighborhood small artillery proving ground, and my bedroom faces it. Assholes begin shooting off their ammo around 10, and it goes on for a couple of hours. My cat gets a look of utter terror on his face, then runs off.

Last night, some cease-fire was declared around 11. Then around midnight it started up again, and it was so loud I was afraid something would hit my window. Swear to God, I could feel the percussion in my body. My cat, who was asleep, took off and I didn’t see him until this morning. If it affects me like this, I can imagine how he feels.

I feel so sorry for him. I had to turn on the air conditioning today, so I’m hoping he’ll be able to get a good night’s rest later on, as well as me.

This is one holiday that I don’t miss when it’s over.

[Duppers]

37. If you have a carrier...

Make him a bed in the carrier.
Then put him in the carrier before you think the damn loud banging will begin; cover the carrier with a blanket and put it in a closet. Sit & talk to him too. That might help.

[AngryOldDem]

38. That is a great idea.

He has a nice carrier that is comfy. I’m hoping that with the windows closed and the AC running, it won’t be as loud tonight.

[Duppers]

39. Good luck!

Glad to help. 😺



A few weeks ago we adopted a little girl kitty from a rescue and she is not afraid of anything! The other day, she ran upon a running vacuum cleaner and smacked it several times! I've had many cats & thought I'd seen every cat behavior but this little Puddin "takes the cake!" She's an orange tabby, btw.

[MissB]

42. How adorable!!!

Sounds like a good defender of her new house.

[Duppers]

61. She is. Thank you for saying so. 😁

She's a tiny adult kitty but ..."though she be but little she is fierce." - Mr. Shakespeare

[canetoad]

43. One of my fav sayings is

A tried dog is a happy dog.

[a kennedy]

44. To crate, or not to crate.........have always thought crates were a refuge the doggie could go

and be safe.......JMHO. We never crated our dogs......they always slept with us. Just wanted to always try a crate and see if it was true.

[Hekate]

45. I never exactly crate trained anybody, but it was super useful for the tiny dogs...

You only have to watch little ones dodging feet when company comes over to realize that they are at risk of being trodden on by accident, which would upset everybody. My late MIL gave me the litter mate of her cockapoo, who grew up to be about 12 pounds, while mine grew to no more than 8 pounds. Then I babysat her doggy every weekend.

I had a rather large crate that I set up in a corner of my big kitchen, with blankets, toys, food, and water, and that’s where they had their weekend sleepovers with each other — and also where they retreated in the face of too many ankles and feet.

[hamsterjill]

48. How much do Roman candles cost?

Seriously. I don’t know having never wanted to waste my money on something so foolish.

There’s a house on my street that has already set off about fifty of them. Doesn’t that run into some bucks?

[Decoy of Fenris]

50. I honestly don't understand this. Five dogs and four cats, never had one that was Firework-shy

Some here may say "lucky", but I can only conclude it's a matter of the owner; My parents enjoyed fireworks whenever possible, as did I, and none of our dogs were ever "Scared half to death" or "Dying" (Both terms I've seen used here in the past few days.) If you're paranoid, PTSD-striken, or otherwise crippled with some neurosis or another, I can only assume that it transfers to your poor animals through your erratic and terrified behavior. My current cat, my lil' kitten boi, is skittish AF around people (As am I) but he's never shown a lick of fear of fireworks in six years, nor did my other two, nor any dog beforehand.

Fireworks are just things that go "Boom", and unless you have one of those -exceptionally- stupid or backward inbred breeds (Small dogs, mostly) most animals have no fear of the loud noise. It's just a part of life for them, unless their Human is irrationally afraid and/or terrified of completely harmless noises.

[DenaliDemocrat]

52. Like I said before, a friend moved his trap range over by his kennels

And eventually even his seasoned gun dogs started to not like it. Dogs learn by association. One bad event and the dog can associate loud noises with it. Better to not rage chances

[Mariana]

63. My sister had a dog that learned to PRETEND to be scared.

Because, of course, she got all this attention and loving whenever she did it. It wasn't long before this dog was shivering and shaking at everything and often at nothing at all, pretty much all the time - as long as there was a person around. My sister thought maybe something was happening when the dog was home alone to make her so neurotic, so she set up a camera. Turned out the dog didn't act like that when she was home alone and a thunderstorm came through, or the neighbors started shooting or whatever. The dog only got "scared" when her people were there. She was faking all along.