Dogs and fireworks, a bad combination

Firecrackers can turn a festive evening for humans in a night of endless panic for dogs. To some extent, this fear has a genetic predisposition, but there is also an important part of learning. Police dogs and hunting dogs often bear very well gunfire and explosions that have similar and specific training for it.

The fear of firecrackers is one of the most common phobias and dogs called acustofobia. It usually appears during the first year of life and worsens over time. The reactions of the dogs vary in intensity, from mild uneasiness to a panic reaction. The most sensitive dogs can learn to react with fear signals that anticipate the arrival of firecrackers.

Unlike storms and thunder, fear of fireworks and firecrackers besides being predictable is rewarded unconsciously. When the dog shows any of the symptoms of this phobia, as hypersalivation, continued panting, trembling, urination and / or defecation in inappropriate places, escape or destructive behavior, etc., we usually calm and soothe with kind words, gestures, caresses, or even we got on the skirt. This unconscious reward further increases the fear and stress response.

There Susceptibility Test Sounds which evaluates the degree of stress you have a dog as their symptoms.

The best option, anticipation

The fact that the firecrackers and fireworks are often concentrated in specific dates allows us to anticipate with time and not hastily go to the vet to try to fix it. In most cases it will be too late.

There are three strategies for tackling the phobia of fireworks:

Behavior therapy:

It is making noise desensitization against exposing the dog to sounds of low intensity and duration. As they will to accept the intensity and duration of these climbs. During exposure to sound at all will reward the animal calm demeanor and ignore this fear behavior, not punish or yell for any reason. It's a long process, but it is not traumatic and solves the problem without stress and lifetime.

Pharmacological therapy:

The vet has a wide range of anxiolytic drugs to treat these specific fears and phobias. Although not the best option work very well, provided that we anticipate and times administered before exposure to firecrackers.

Natural Therapies:

Currently you can use dog appeasing pheromone diffuser or as a necklace. The advantage of the latter is that wherever you go the dog, the collar goes with it. These products should be used to provide days before a "safe zone" and even days to set the reminder that there has been no danger. There are also nutritional supplements based on alpha-casocepina presented in capsule form. Should be administered at least one week prior to normal dose, but if we start a day or two before we can give you double the dose by weight touches as it has no side effects. We also have Bach flowers and other natural therapies that generally help to reduce stress.