Fear of Fireworks

I had gone to a seminar on rescuing and adopted dogs at Pasadena Humane Society, never intending to come home with a dog, but that's how Conner came into my life. I like terriers because they're feisty, quick learners, tireless, and generally fearless. He's a Jack Russell mix, so he fit the bill -- and how could I resist that face???

I knew that Jack Russells are perpetual motion machines who have no "off" button just like the Energizer Bunny. I got used to that because he was such a clown and made me laugh. But I wasn't prepared for his fears -- the first came the instant we arrived at home. I live on the second floor, and he was afraid of stairs. He had to get over that one quickly or he was going to go back to Pasadena. He did. Phew! There were other fears, too, but we worked on them, and he did well.

Except for fireworks. Every New Year's Eve and 4th of July, he would panic, start shaking, wedge himself under the bed, and then become catatonic. Early on, I had to drag him out the next day, but he still would not eat. Then he would come out to get something to drink, and I would take him outside to eliminate. He would come in the house, still shaking, and go right under the bed. (Interestingly, my other dogs had not had any fireworks fears before Conner came, but his fear became contagious to one of them, although not anywhere near the same degree.)

I read everything on the Internet about fear of fireworks along with magazine articles and books and also tried everything (except drugs -- I stay away from them myself, and I try to use them as a last resort for my dogs) -- from melatonin to peppermint to desensitization tapes to earplugs. Nothing worked, and this year it was going to be drugs because I didn't want him to be soooo scared.

Then, by chance, Conner gave me the answer.

There was some construction that had just started a couple doors down during the spring, and the noise was bothering him so much that he would not eat breakfast. I left the food down hoping that he would eat, but he wouldn't go near it. Then I dropped something on the rug and had to vacuum it up. As soon as the vacuum started, he went to his food and began eating. Wow! I stopped vacuuming, and he stopped eating. I started vacuuming, and he started eating. The noise of the vacuum cleaner had drowned out the construction noise.

So I decided to try it out over the 4th of July. Thankfully this year, there were very few neighborhood fireworks before the 4th, but there are always several major fireworks displays all over Los Angeles which generally last from 9:00p.m. to 11:00p.m.

At 8:55, I closed the windows, turned on all the fans, the vacuum cleaner, and all the radios and TVs in the house full blast. The radios and TVs were on different stations. I put earplugs in MY ears. But for the next two hours, Conner stayed in the middle of the floor or moved into his favorite spots in different rooms, which was his normal routine. Yippee!!! It worked.

But sometimes I bask in glory before it's time. I turned on the eleven o'clock news, and what's the first news story? Fireworks. He went under the bed and stayed there all night but came out on his own in the morning and went for a walk with no problem and then ate breakfast. Ta-da!

I think this went well because we had previously worked on Conner's other fears and he had overcome those. If your dog has generalized fears and especially fear of noises other than fireworks, it may not work. or it may take longer than just one evening, so start a few days before and slowly build up the volume. Then on the 4th or the 31st, start about 9:00 with the TVs and radios on -- don't use the vacuum if he is afraid of it -- and put them at normal volume. Gradually increase the volume throughout the evening as long as your dog is comfortable. If he becomes uncomfortable, then stop. Again remember, this method may not work for your dog.

Just to be on the safe side, you might want to give him some Rock Rose (which is the Bach Flower Remedy for terror) for a couple days or some melatonin. Always check with your vet first.

Good luck, and please let me know how it works -- or if something else worked for you. Email me at caryl@DoggieManners.com and put "Fireworks" in the subject line.