By LESLIE HARRIS
It’s that time of year again. My cattle dog, Wake, scrambled under the bed at the first whistle of a rogue firecracker going off in the neighborhood. My terrier mix, Howard, rushed to my side with a look that pled, “Make it stop!” I only wish I could.
Dogs hear a wider range of frequencies than we humans, especially noises on the higher end of the spectrum. It is no wonder, then, that the loud blasts or whistling screeches we associate with fireworks displays drive some dogs around the bend.
Phobic reactions to loud noises like fireworks and thunderstorms are common in dogs. Your own dog may react with anxiety – panting, pacing, whining, or seeking shelter under the bed – when fireworks go off or a storm rolls through.
Treating a noise phobia in your dog may require a combination of behavioral and medical intervention:
- Understand that fear of fireworks is not entirely irrational. Treat your dog gently when he is afraid, but refrain from coddling him too much (you do not want to reinforce fearful behavior).
- Allow your dog a safe place to hide. Consider padding a crate with blankets or allowing him a cleared space under your bed.
- Particularly on Independence Day, provide a cool, quiet, safe room in your house with “white noise” in the background—such as a television or radio—to reduce the noise from outside the house.
- Do not take your dog with you to a fireworks display.
- Be sure your dog is wearing current identification at all times. Animal control centers experience a flood of stray dogs during fireworks season, because so many frightened dogs escape their homes or yards to get away from the noise.
- Work with a behaviorist on “desensitization” therapy. Desensitization involves exposing the dog to the recorded noises of fireworks or storms very subtly at first so as not to create a fearful response. As the dog becomes increasingly accustomed to the noise, the levels increase until he is comfortable with the noise at normal levels.
- “Counterconditioning” therapy is often used hand-in-hand with desensitization. Counterconditioning tries to create behavior incompatible with the undesirable behavior. For instance, if your dog normally gets frightened and paces during a thunderstorm or fireworks, you would get him to enjoy tasty treats while you work on desensitizing him to the noise around him.
- Some experts advocate the use of body wraps to help quell anxieties in dogs. This “hug therapy” applies constant, gentle pressure to the dog’s torso via bandage wraps or a stretchable body vest.
For dogs with severe anxiety reactions that lead to escape or injury, pharmaceutical intervention may need to accompany behavior modification. Be cautioned that some medications will not stop the dog’s fear response—but may only create a fearful dog that cannot move. Please discuss with your veterinarian the best medication for your particular dog.
With fireworks and thunderstorm season well underway, be sure your dog is in a safe, secure location when he is left alone. You will save yourself and your best friend a great deal of worry.
Leslie Harris is the Executive Director of the Dakin Humane Society. Dakin provides shelter, education, advocacy, and assistance to animals and people in need. Send questions or comments to email@example.com.