Supporting Your Dog Through Their Fears
Halloween and Fireworks Survival Plan
Hello, and welcome.
Throughout October we’ve been helping you find some positive takeaways from the past 18 months. Today, I’m taking a break from this to give you a few quick tips to help your dog survive the next couple of weeks - with the potentially scary sounds that Halloween, Diwali, and Bonfire Night bring.
Noise phobia is sadly very common in our dogs - in fact over half our population of pet dogs are documented to suffer from some form of anxiety around loud sounds. So what can we do to help support them over the next fortnight of loud bangs? Read on…
Set up a Den: Create a calm space - perhaps an open dog crate, under your bed, or a nook in your home. Fill this space with blankets to muffle sounds and provide an option for digging. Hide treats in this space every day so your dog seeks it out to find yummy surprises. This space can be their den if the noises get too much for them.
Take Walks Early: Bangs can often be heard as soon as dusk descends. Don’t expect your dog to walk when it’s dark as this could heighten their fears and increase the chance they may bolt. Always keep them on a lead and try to get out during the brightest parts of the day for a calm, sniffing-filled walk.
Close the Curtains: Before dusk, close your curtains and turn up the lights. Add some loud TV or music as background noise.
Make the Evenings Fun: As well as offering support, we can sometimes help to distract our dogs by playing with them, doing some trick training, or throwing a treat for them to chase every time you hear a bang. Some dogs may not be able to engage with you - preferring the safety of their den - but adding fun, light-hearted activities can help lots of dogs.
Stock up on Chews: Chewing creates happy, feel-good hormones in our dogs’ bodies - plus it gives them something positive to focus on instead of pacing or barking. Not all dogs will be able to consume food when fireworks are heard - they may be too stressed - but it’s always worth offering them.
Offer Comfort: It’s a myth that you can reinforce any fears your dog might be feeling. If they seek out your comfort, provide it! Calm strokes in repetitive patterns, paced to your slow breathing, can be really effective. Equally if they seek their own space, allow them to take it.
We hope you’ll find these tips useful and that both you and your dog/s have as calm a firework season as possible.
Until next time, stay safe.
Caroline