Fireworks and thunderstorms are coming your way now...ready or not!
If your dogs are severely noise-sensitive, or even moderately sensitive, remember that fireworks and thunderstorm seasons are already in full swing. You have no time to properly help your dogs reduce their fears and cope more calmly with the noises that frighten them.
You need a Fireworks and Thunder Emergency Plan.
Fireworks and thunderstorm anxiety affects millions of dogs around the world. Proper treatments are available and can be quite successful...but they take time and require professional guidance.
So, caregivers like you need to have an emergency plan in place to protect and comfort your frightened dogs during a thunderstorm or a fireworks event.
Here's a detailed set of emergency guidelines that you can easily implement today to protect your noise-sensitive dogs during thunder and fireworks.
This emergency plan has 3 parts:
Prepare, Observe, Respond
📋Prepare
Where will your dogs go when they want to hide from scary noises? Is their special place safe, comfortable, and reasonably quiet?
Are they free to go to their safe place whenever they want to and stay there as long as they want?
Set up your dog's safe place with plenty of bedding, white noise, soft music, or a box fan to help mask the scary noises. Provide a full water bowl, plenty of things to chew on or lick, and comfortable places to hide.
Cover windows if possible, and keep the dog away from doors to the outside. Dogs who panic will look for an escape.
Have you discussed medication with your veterinarian? If your veterinarian recommends meds, don't let bias against stress meds deprive your dog of relief. Follow your veterinarian's medical advice.
👀Observe
Will a reliable person be present with the dog during the storm or fireworks? Being alone makes fears worse.
Can you recognize the dog's early stress signals so you can intervene before the dog's anxiety escalates?
Signs that your dog is severely anxious are hard to miss. Panting, salivating, sweaty paws, trembling, whining, and cringing are all signs that a dog is outside his ability to cope.
The ideal time to intervene and comfort your dog is when early signs of stress appear. Practice observing the subtle indications of distress. Pacing, fidgeting, clinging, yawning, scratching, and restlessness are red flags. Take your dog to his safe place and help him relax.
Your dogs are ALWAYS communicating with you, so there's no wrong time to practice fluency in canine body language. The secret is to observe without judgment or assumptions. Giving your dog attention when he needs your support is a responsive parenting skill.
🛟Respond
Responsiveness is a core parenting skill. Dogs - and children - express their need to be seen and heard through emotions. Dogs whine and bark; babies fuss and cry.
Do your responses bring comfort and relief to your fearful dog? Do they build trust and a secure attachment?
Never, ever, ever ignore a distressed dog. That old story about attention-seeking dogs plotting world domination is not only nonsense, it also promotes cruelty.
Your voice is very powerful. Cultivate a calm and gentle manner of speaking to your distressed dog. Speak to your dog as you would to a frightened child, not by directing their feelings (don't be afraid, don't cry), but by understanding them (I know that thing is scary and I'm right here).
Noise-sensitive dogs deserve relief from the worst of the scary noises. And you can bring relief and comfort with careful preparations, followed by mindfulness and responsiveness.
Supporting a dog's long-term recovery from noise anxiety is a systematic step-by-step process that requires the services of a professional who specializes in noise phobias in dogs. Attempting desensitization and exposure therapy without professional credentials puts your dog at greater risk of added trauma.
The emergency plan I've given you is aimed at protecting your dog from needless emotional pain. Any caregiver can easily implement it. It is NOT training, exposure therapy, or desensitization.
Responses