A canine psychologist shares top tip to soothe your anxious pooch during bonfire night. <\/p>
Flashing lights, loud explosions and huge crowds of people: fireworks nights have all the ingredients for an unpleasant experience, and yet, each year we\u2019re dazzled around the country by the impressive light shows.<\/p>
However, for our furry friends, the experience is much less enjoyable. A lot of dogs can find the experience of fireworks to be frightening, even if they can only be heard and seen at a large distance.<\/p>
Luckily, if your pup has a bad relationship with the sparklers in the sky, there are ways to make the whole process much more relaxing. We spoke to Dr Zazie Todd<\/a>, an animal behaviour expert to get all of the top tips on how to calm your dog during fireworks.<\/p> If you\u2019ve ever tried to whisper about going for a walk in the presence of your dog, you’ll know they have excellent hearing. And this becomes a problem when confronted by especially loud and frightening noises, like fireworks.<\/p> Without the context of what these sounds are, it can all be quite an intimidating experience. \u201cWe know why all these loud explosions and bright lights are happening, but dogs have no idea,\u201d explains Todd.<\/p> \u201cUnless we\u2019ve done something to teach them that these sounds are okay, they\u2019re quite likely to be frightened. And if they find it scary, they will probably keep on getting more frightened each time.\u201d<\/p> So, how exactly do you teach your dog that the big bangs outdoors aren’t really a threat? Well…<\/p> Read more:<\/strong><\/p> Closing your curtains and putting on the TV is one way of shielding your dog from the noise and light outside. But while this may make fireworks less noticeable, it won’t block them out completely. \u201cWhile this helps, it’s even better if you\u2019re there to give them a treat whenever there is a particularly loud bang,\u201d says Todd.<\/p> \u201cA room with the blinds closed and some kind of cosy sound playing is where a dog will be happiest, but it should be their choice. Set the room up, but don\u2019t lock them in there. It won\u2019t solve the problem, but it will help.\u201d<\/p> It is often said that you shouldn\u2019t comfort a frightened or fearful dog as that will reinforce the fear, but there’s no science to support this. <\/p> \u201cIt is perfectly fine to comfort your dog, and you\u2019re actually an important attachment figure for them. They\u2019re looking to you when they\u2019re stressed to make them feel better,\u201d says Todd.<\/p> \u201cUnfortunately, fireworks can be such a fearful thing for them that your comfort is unlikely to help them cope, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should ignore them.\u201d<\/p> It takes planning, but training a dog correctly when they\u2019re young can result in a lifetime of calm bonfire nights.<\/p> \u201cPuppies have a sensitive period for socialisation that\u2019s between three and about 12-14 weeks. In order to prevent fear of fireworks, we recommend playing them really quiet firework sounds during this period,\u201d says Todd.<\/p> \u201cThis helps them have a more positive experience and feel less stressed by them in the future. They don\u2019t have to be puppies \u2013 you can train them at any age. But it is easier when they are younger.\u201d<\/p> But what about if your dog is already scared of fireworks? This exposure training can still work, but a different approach could be more fruitful. Instead of getting the dog used to the idea of loud bangs and flashing lights, forming happy associations with the experience can be a great way to reduce their fear.<\/p> \u201cDesensitisation or counter-conditioning is the idea that any time there is a loud noise, we\u2019re going to give the dog a nice treat, something they are going to enjoy,\u201d says Todd.<\/p> \u201cOver time, this works to create what we call a conditioned emotional response. They might even grow to like the sound of fireworks!\u201d<\/p> In some cases, dogs can be perfectly fine with fireworks for a long time before suddenly developing an acute fear of loud bangs. In this case, it’s worth seeking professional help.<\/p> \u201cScientists at the University of Lincoln have linked a dog’s fear with pain.<\/a> If the fear of fireworks is a late onset, it is well worth getting them checked out to be sure,\u201d explains Todd.<\/p> This could well be due to another experience but a trip to the vet is a good place to start to be safe.<\/p> Some of the strategies above involve a fair bit of forward planning, but what if there isn\u2019t time to train your dog? <\/p> \u201cA vet can discuss medication and will quite often prescribe something to help a dog get through fireworks,” explains Todd.<\/p> Obviously, this is best used as a one-off technique and it is better to work on training a dog in the long term.<\/p> Zazie Todd is the creator of Companion Animal Psychology<\/em>, an award-winning blog that shares the latest science about our animal companions and evidence-based ways to care for them. Todd has a PhD in Psychology, a Certificate of Training and Counselling from the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers, and an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour from International Cat Care. She is the author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy<\/em> and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy<\/em>.<\/p> Read more:<\/strong><\/p> A canine psychologist shares top tip to soothe your anxious pooch during bonfire night. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":35806,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/simple-ways-to-calm-your-stressed-dog-on-fireworks-night-according-to-an-expert.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/simple-ways-to-calm-your-stressed-dog-on-fireworks-night-according-to-an-expert-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/simple-ways-to-calm-your-stressed-dog-on-fireworks-night-according-to-an-expert-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/simple-ways-to-calm-your-stressed-dog-on-fireworks-night-according-to-an-expert-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/simple-ways-to-calm-your-stressed-dog-on-fireworks-night-according-to-an-expert-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/simple-ways-to-calm-your-stressed-dog-on-fireworks-night-according-to-an-expert.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/simple-ways-to-calm-your-stressed-dog-on-fireworks-night-according-to-an-expert.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A canine psychologist shares top tip to soothe your anxious pooch during bonfire night.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/35805"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why are dogs actually scared of fireworks?<\/h2>
Tips on how to keep dogs calm during fireworks<\/h2>
Create the right environment for your dog<\/h3>
Don’t be afraid to comfort them<\/h3>
Try desensitisation training<\/h3>
Go to a vet<\/h3>
Seek medication<\/h3>
About our expert, Dr Zazie Todd<\/strong><\/h2>
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