01/10/2024
I hope you find this helpful, it really is the very best advice 😊
Firework Fright?
It is knocking on to that time of year again, bangs and flashes and celebration for all...except of course for those dogs with fear and phobia, and the owners that don't want to leave their dogs alone due to anxiety. So what can we do to banish the heebie jeebies? There are counter conditioning and desensitisation programmes that can help a great deal but commitment is required! If you are up for the challenge then there are some things that you can do to prepare.
1/ Begin desensitisation right now, today. Go onto you tube and find some firework videos - long ones are best - and play them in the background at a low volume. This should be audible but not causing distress. The volume should be increased gradually until the dogs begin to screen the sounds out as non-threatening stimuli even when at a high volume. This is possible because dogs are extremely adaptable.
2/ DON'T reassure your dog(s). When we use soft words and touch we are rewarding the behaviour with a reward and associating the emotion of fear and anxiety with the sounds - this is an extremely powerful way to condition a dog to be afraid as it uses both operant and classical principles in a big fat double whammy, so hands off! When we cuddle a fearful dog we are being selfish and making ourselves feel better - but we are not helping the dog one bit. During desensitisation continue as normal about your daily routine and be 'no-nonsense', so no staring at them anxiously to see if they are coping or talking to them with worry in your voice - they value our confidence in times of uncertainty and will learn through observation that there is nothing to be concerned about - if the dog(s) seem a little on edge this is OK and will pass within a very short time as they adapt, but if they are genuinely afraid then you have moved too fast too soon so reduce the volume a little and go more slowly.
3/ Do this every day at least once for half an hour minimum. Perhaps during preparation of food and feeding time - if the dogs can eat then they are not unduly worried, this also associates the food to the sounds.
4/ Desensitisation alone is very unlikely to make a huge difference (sorry but it's true) so DO NOT stop there, this is where most people slip up, but the sound on a playback is not the same as the actual event when the air is buzzing with celebration and the sound and smell is ever present - the same goes for storms and thunder etc. the dogs can feel the atmosphere and sense it well-before we can. At the point when the sounds can be played loudly with a neutral response this is when we bring out the big guns! Classical counter conditioning!
The next part is fun but requires more time commitment - but first lets look at the way that dogs operate. The reason that fireworks are difficult to deal with is because they consist of sporadic unpredictable bursts of noise with long silences in-between, this is difficult because dogs think and learn in two ways;
Firstly the basis that if a stimulus is present for long enough, and if nothing life threatening happens during it, then they habituate to it and accept it as non-threatening, this is adaptation and an evolutionary advantage to accept everything that is safe.
Secondly what is rewarding is repeated and what is non-rewarding is not.
So fireworks are difficult for two reasons; firstly because the dog never has the opportunity to habituate and adapt to the noise - it is not constant so the dog is in a roller-coaster of anxiety and relaxation instead of maintaining the anxiety for a finite amount of time and then accepting it as non-threatening - this is compounded by the fact that they only occur once a year so they can't adapt properly. It is self rewarding because the automatic response is to use flight and run from the 'potential threat'. When a dog runs from a threat - or even feels like running from a threat - and then the noise stops (fireworks and intermittent so this happens constantly) then a flood of chemicals and relief will reinforce the fear - again an evolutionary advantage geared towards avoiding hazards! I went into flight mode, the noise stopped, I remained safe, must repeat! Although this is not a conscious decision and is passive and maintained through association it is an extremely powerful reinforcement for fear and flight. So back to counter conditioning...
6/ Counter conditioning relies on passive learning so this means that if we present the problematic stimulus along with something that elicits a positive response enough times, then the stimulus alone will elicit the positive response. We know that feeling sorry for the dog touching and stroking don't work well - so what can we do instead? Well we can use a very smelly treat, and preferably movement and activity to associate the bangs as a really fun experience. So for example we play the soundtrack and every time there is a particularly loud bang or fizzle we celebrate! Lots of 'Hooray' and happy dances around the house, smelly treats cascading from the air, throwing a ball, running a lap around the garden - whatever your dog loves most that engages the emotion of curiosity, excitement and fun!! Then go back to completely ignoring the dog again until the next loud bang. This makes the process quicker - we want the dog to get the point that the bang brings the goodies, no bang = no goodies. Loud bang = celebration! If you put a word in such as 'bingo!' or 'noisy' every time you jump up with treats or toys at the sound of the bang too then this will be better associated when the fireworks are real and there is extra pressure on the dog(s).
With commitment this can work really well but it will all go to pot on the day if you don't set up your dog for success, so walk his or her legs off well-before the noise starts, then feed a big meal with some carbohydrate to put the dog in a sedate and relaxed frame of mind - a poultry based meal is best as this contains lots of tryptophan to promote serotonin production that calms and relaxes the dog. Carbohydrates hurry the absorption and give the dog that 'after Christmas dinner' feeling when all they will want to do is sleep. Making a 'den' that is in the family room can help for residual anxieties, putting chewable items in there is a super idea as chewing is an excellent self-help mechanism for stressed dogs. If the dog is calm enough then puzzles and mental work toys are brilliant because if they are thinking then they are not going to slip into self-preservation or 'instinctive' mode as easily. Having a movie night and watching TV with the volume up and the curtains closed will also help a lot. If there is a particularly loud bang then you can use your cue 'bingo' or whatever you choose and throw a really high value treat in their direction - if they have to engage the nose to find it then even better.
This will really help but commitment to prepare in advance is essential for success! Another possible tactic would be having a dog party and inviting some dogs and owners along - this can be powerful - if the dogs on the guest list are unworried by the noises then your dog will learn through observation that everyone is having fun, drinking wine (not the dogs obviously) and that the other canines are happy and relaxed.
OK off you go, find a you-tube play-list and get started! If you put in the commitment and a little time then firework fright can be a thing of the past!
