26/09/2024
Fireworks Night and Dogs
While fireworks are great fun for us as humans, they can be extremely frightening for our household pets – including our dogs. In a lot of cases dogs and fireworks simply do not mix and if your dog is afraid of fireworks, the party season can be a very stressful time with flashes and loud bangs happening without warning.
There are a few things that you do ahead of and during the fireworks season to help keep any dogs afraid of fireworks calmer and less stressed while others are enjoying the festivities.
Why do fireworks scare dogs?
Fireworks can be frightening to dogs because of the loud bangs, the flashing lights and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives. With multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays, dogs will rarely be able to pinpoint where the booming explosions are coming from. Not knowing what an explosion is, where it’s coming from, or where and when the next one is going to be must be truly terrifying for some dogs.
Are fireworks too loud for dogs?
Dogs are renowned for having an incredible sense of smell, but their hearing is remarkable too. Dogs can hear sounds that are four times further away than we can, and they can also detect significantly higher frequencies. A dog’s acute sense of hearing means that loud noises that are tolerable to us might be uncomfortable and unpleasant to them.
Can dogs be traumatized by fireworks?
It’s natural for a dog to be wary of loud noises, particularly if they don’t know what the noise is, or where it’s coming from. Evolution has hard-wired dogs with incredible survival instincts, and loud unexpected noises can trigger a fight-or-flight response. Your dog’s reaction to loud noises is largely determined by their personality and past experiences. If your dog was scared by fireworks once, then chances are, they will remember it and be scared again.
Start getting your dog used to sudden loud noises
Getting your dog used to loud and sudden noises can make them more relaxed and less reactive when the fireworks outside get going. There’s a good range of CDs and playlists of fireworks, storms, and loud noises available, and playing these can really help your dog desensitise to the noise.
Start by playing the sounds at a low volume, and as your dog gets used to it you can slowly increase the volume over a period of time so that they become used to the noise. This can work especially well with young dogs and puppies, and can let you nip any problems in the bud before they even arise.
Noise aversion can be influenced, to some degree, by breed, age and s*x. Even the way your dog reacts to loud sounds could be partly controlled by their genetics, with research showing that German Shepherd Dogs are more likely to pace when stressed, while Border Collies and Australian Cattle Dogs are more likely to hide.
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