MANY dogs would be quivering already if they knew bonfire night was just around the corner. While many of our canine friends couldn't give two hoots about fireworks, there are a great many more that are terrified by them.
The noise level of fireworks is supposed to be controlled by law, as well as restrictions on the times of displays; but many areas are subjected to hours, even days, of loud bangs.
Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, offers the following tips for Londoners on how to help your faithful firework-phobic friend get through firework night as safely and happily as possible.
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# It may sound obvious, but never take your dog to a firework display, do not leave it tethered outside or in the car while fireworks are being let off.
# Hard as it might be to do, try your best not to comfort him, as you will encourage his fears. Ignore your dog as much as possible when he seems scared, so that he learns to cope on his own. If you give him too much fuss he'll think this means that there really is something to be scared about.
# At very noisy times around bonfire night, provide your dog with a safe hiding place (a cardboard box would do) in his favourite room of the house, close the curtains and turn up the volume of your television or radio to drown out the firework noises. Remember not to shut any internal doors, as he may feel trapped and panic.
# Don't leave your dog alone in the house, as he may panic and injure himself.
# For dogs with very severe fears on the worst nights, your vet may be able to prescribe Diazepam. This will not stop your dog from being scared on the night, but causes short term memory loss, so that he won't remember being scared in the morning. This stops the cycle of fear becoming worse, but it is important to do some training to lessen the problem for the next time. Other sedative drugs tend to make the problem worse.
The noise level of fireworks is supposed to be controlled by law, as well as restrictions on the times of displays; but many areas are subjected to hours, even days, of loud bangs.
Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity, offers the following tips for Londoners on how to help your faithful firework-phobic friend get through firework night as safely and happily as possible.
continued...
# It may sound obvious, but never take your dog to a firework display, do not leave it tethered outside or in the car while fireworks are being let off.
# Hard as it might be to do, try your best not to comfort him, as you will encourage his fears. Ignore your dog as much as possible when he seems scared, so that he learns to cope on his own. If you give him too much fuss he'll think this means that there really is something to be scared about.
# At very noisy times around bonfire night, provide your dog with a safe hiding place (a cardboard box would do) in his favourite room of the house, close the curtains and turn up the volume of your television or radio to drown out the firework noises. Remember not to shut any internal doors, as he may feel trapped and panic.
# Don't leave your dog alone in the house, as he may panic and injure himself.
# For dogs with very severe fears on the worst nights, your vet may be able to prescribe Diazepam. This will not stop your dog from being scared on the night, but causes short term memory loss, so that he won't remember being scared in the morning. This stops the cycle of fear becoming worse, but it is important to do some training to lessen the problem for the next time. Other sedative drugs tend to make the problem worse.