How we get through firework season with two anxious rescue dogs.
Firework season is upon us! While the sights and sounds are exciting to us humans, they can be terrifying to our pooches. Without any understanding or context, our dogs can find it unpredictable and confusing, especially if they are naturally cautious or nervous by nature.
My two rescue dogs, Pops and Pomegranate are both petrified of fireworks. The unpredictable bangs and the lit-up sky trigger them and if we are unprepared, it can become dangerous as their heart rates rise and stress gets the better of them.
After years of experience, we have learned that preparation is key, and we try to prevent stress and anxiety occurring before the event.
Here’s a few tips and tricks we have discovered along the way:
1: Walk your pooch in the daylight, before night falls to avoid any unplanned frights and nasty surprises. A nice long walk will also relax them later in the evening and make them feel enriched and ready to nap!
2: close all the curtains/blinds in your home to stop your dog becoming alarmed with any bright lights that may appear.
3: Provide a cosy safe space they can retreat to if it all gets a bit too much! Pops likes to hibernate in her favourite bed with a blanket by the fire, while pommie loves to the corner of the sofa. We have their favourite blankets and comforting toys ready and us humans will always be around to provide comforting head scratched and belly rubs, to assure them they are safe and loved.
4. Keep them entertained with a long-lasting chew treat! We have tried them all over the years, but our girls favourite and most effective is Whimzees. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes depending on the weight of you pooch and our favourite is the antler chew as they are infused with calming, natural ingredients such as camomile. Chewing helps to stimulate doggos and naturally reduces anxiety, so any Whimzees chew will help them unwind and relax, whilst improving their dental health too!
5. Plan ahead if you can, join local groups online and chat with your neighbours to find out when and where any firework displays are taking place, this will give you the opportunity to prepare your household and hunker down!
6. Settle down for the evening, cosy up with your pooch and let them know you’re not going anywhere! We like to snuggle up with blankets and hot water bottles and watch a movie with the volume up nice and loud to drown out any loud noises from the outside world.
7. Stay calm. Your pooch can pick up on how you’re feeling, so try to relax and it will benefit both you and your fur baby!
8. Take extra care I you have puppies, senior dogs, rescues, or dogs with any additional needs as this time of year can be especially scary for them.
