PDA

View Full Version : My Annie and the 4th of July



frijole
07-03-2009, 12:28 PM
Am I the only one that gets ticked at the neighbors for insisting on letting off illegal fireworks for an entire week before and then after the 4th? It is driving my Annie insane!

She has always been afraid of them - she refuses to even set foot in the yard to go to the bathroom after 7pm because even a crackling noise from 3 blocks away sets her off.

She shakes terribly. Last night once again she laid down to rest and snuggled up against me so I could hold her (she isn't my cuddly one). The whole bed was moving - no exageration. She ended up once again under the bed for the night.

My complaint isn't celebrating on the 4th. Its the 30th, 31st, 1, 2, 3, 5,6,7th etc.....

Anybody else have problems w/frightened dogs? I need to give her a melatonin tonight.

On that note - happy 4th all! :D:o:eek::p

Harley PoMMom
07-03-2009, 12:56 PM
Kim,

I know what you mean...when I had my house built 10 years ago..ahh..nice country, across from me was a 250 acre farm lot, no neighbors beside me, in front of me.. you get the picture.

Harley is afraid of loud noises, whether it be thunder, slammed doors, voices or gun shots. I mean Harley would pant, follow me all around the house and shake, poor fellow, I didn't know what to do for him.

Well now...5 years later the farmer sold out and I have houses all around me...and yep this year the fire works started early, along with the shooting of the guns...but for the first time Harley wasn't bothered by them and it has to be bc of the melatonin. I wish I would have known about melatonin back then. My other pom. Bear is the same way, so I think I may try it on him and see if it makes a difference.

Lori.

Squirt's Mom
07-03-2009, 01:05 PM
Hey Kim,

We have the same problem here! :mad: I love fireworks when they are in a show but I see no reason for all the firecrackers, cherry bombs and bottle rockets starting in the middle of June! Why do states even allow them to be sold so early? And how can they sell them when it is illegal to shoot them off in the city? Kinda whacky thinking there if you ask me.

Ruby and Goldie are both afraid of thunder and firecracker noises. Ruby especially gets upset. :( She wants to hide under the bed all the time and just shakes all over which has to be hard on her hips. Goldie will calm as along as Jim is holding her, tho she will shake when the noises come.

I also use melatonin to help Ruby. She weighs 50 lbs and gets 6mg. Benadryl helps Goldie so she gets 1/2 a tab which I think is 6.5mg. Noises don't bother Squirt at all unless something happens right behind her. :p Crys just wants to get involved where ever people are gathered! :D But I don't think she even knows what to expect with the fireworks as this will be her first real exposure.

I hope little Annie can settle down a bit and this noisy holiday will be behind her.

Hugs,
Leslie

Roxee's Dad
07-03-2009, 04:16 PM
I turn the TV voulume up to try to drown out the scary noises for Rozee. Sometimes it works.

Honestly, I don't see the thrill in shooting a gun or lighting fireworks just for the noise.

mytil
07-04-2009, 06:04 AM
I really feel for you Kim and know exactly what ya'll mean. It started here last week and will continue through next week too. I think the worst part is that people here find any open space even if it is next to your house to shoot things off. One of my girls is terrified and she really freaks out when she hears a shotgun. (live in a small town with lots of rural area). I find shooting guns incredibly amazing, because what goes up, does come down - cannot tell those brainiacs. . .

We close all the windows, blast the AC and like John turn up the stereo or TV pretty loud to counter the outside noise. I have tried and tried and tried to desensitize her. It does help, especially when you find some music with a lot of bass to it.

Terry

frijole
07-04-2009, 10:03 AM
Well the melatonin helped a bit. I gave her 3 mg vs 1.5 because it was really loud. She was relaxing pretty good and snoozing a bit until we went to bed. TV volume up helps but once in bed the best I could do was to turn fans on high for as much noise as I could.

She was still shaking but not as bad as before and she stayed on the bed at least while I was awake.

It doesn't get dark here this time of year until 10. So it gets loudest when we go to bed. 4th of July I totally understand but the other nights of the week when people have to work...not right. And these things are all outlawed here! I just don't understand why law enforcement doesn't at least restrict it to the one night or special events.

Oh well... we will all live. Have a great weekend all.

judymaggie
07-04-2009, 11:53 AM
I just saw an ad in the latest issue of "Bark" magazine for "SentryHC Good Behavior Pheromone Collar" -- don't care for the name of it but maybe it is an option for the post-4th fireworks (too late for tonight's although some businesses are open around me). Ad says "available at your favorite pet specialty store". I know other folks who used the plug-ins with pheromones with success for their anxious dogs so maybe this would work also.

I was fortunate that my Maggie could have cared less about fireworks or thunder storms. I startled easier than she did!

Judy H. (always "Maggie's Mom")
Riverview, FL

SasAndYunah
07-04-2009, 02:36 PM
Did you guys know there are "Scary Noises and Sounds" CD's for dogs that are afraid of fireworks (and other sounds)? I have used them many times (well, rather instructed the owners ;) ) with good succes. However, you need to train 2 till 4 months so for this year's 4th of July it's too late. But it would be a good idea to start the "scary noise" training after this years fireworks have stopped.

It's really rather simple...and most CD's will come with a booklett how to use it. But in short.. You play the CD (the part with the noises your dog is scared off) on such a low level, your dog hardly hears it. At the same time, you do something the dog enjoys, play fetch, hide and seek, anything the dog loves to do :) Throw in a couple of treats here and there and basically have fun with the dog. And over time, slowly, very slowly you turn the volume up, little tiny steps at the time. But the volumelevel should always be at a level the dog doesn't react scared to. And depending how severely the noisefobia is, the dog will learn eventually that those sounds are okay and nothing bad will happen. In fact, good things happen ;)

I just wished all new puppy owners would use such a CD to get their new puppy familiar with those noises, would prevent a lot of stress and anxiaty...

Just a suggestion...

Saskia and Yunah :)

frijole
07-04-2009, 03:03 PM
Thanks guys! I will have to look into those ideas. She is also frightened by thunder and lightening so it would be put to use prior to next 4th of July. :) Does it matter that she is 13? :p Old dogs new tricks.....

I just got her to go outside to potty for the first time today! This is crazy. There aren't even any noises but she is paranoid. It will takes weeks to get back to normal. Well as normal as we ever are here. :D

SasAndYunah
07-05-2009, 02:28 AM
Kim, it doesn't matter at all that she's 13 :) And those CD's have all kinds of sounds like gunshots, thunder and lightning, fireworks, crying babies, trains, plains, powerdrills, etc. Just practice daily for a few minutes, act happy and as if nothing's wrong, play a game or at 13, give ger some bellyrubs (but not the consoling stroking or petting with the "sorry" voice!) while talking to her with a happy voice, throw in a treat every now and then...anything she enjoys and preferably use a remote to end the noise while you continue the fun thing you are doing for a few more seconds :) While playing or bellyrubbing, say "good thunder" or whatever you like to say...say it repeatedly and give her a treat everytime you say this. When a real thunderstorm comes along, you can say "good thunder" and give her a treat :) If the dog is scared of several different noises, like thunder, fireworks and gunshots, use one single word for them all. So when the fireworks go off, you also say, "good thunder" and give a treat... It takes some investing but it really does work..even at age 13 :) And everyone should be able to find 3 or 4 minutes a day (where you would play or cuddle anyway) and play the noises. But most just don't follow throug or move up the volume too fast...A symptom of today's society, people want quick fixes and prefere to shove some drugs down their dogs throats instead of investing actually some time in their dog. (not meant in a personal way to anyone of you...just something that annoys me endlessly in general in many areas of todays society...the "quick fix", where in many cases you get the same or actually better results because you fix the problem, if people were just willing to invest some time, dedication and attention)

Saskia and Yunah :)

fivebichons
07-07-2009, 11:31 PM
Well, I didn't even imagine getting into this, but mine won't have anything to do with this and I can guarantee they won't have anything to do with this CD. It isn't for a rescue dog. Especially, my Sophie, who has neurological and cardiac issues. Everyone's situation is different. I had one baby that didn't start having seizures until age 10 after something that happened to her at a grooming salon in Bluff Park, AL. After that, she was tense even at fireworks. She was never that way before. My fire alarm (the internal one) accidently went off yesterday and when Robin came home, he found Sophie and Marco upstairs and they wouldn't come down. I can have a treat in hand and say "good dog" when the thunder is going off. They will both hide behind me on the couch. They will not eat anything.

If they are paranoid, you need to take care of them. Just as if you want to be taken care of you were paranoid. Understood? Should I send you a CD or should I put my arm around you and make you feel safe? A simple question.

I may come across as over-protective, but at least they know that they have a safe haven. Since I've been into rescue, those that have come into my home, will forever feel safe in my arms.

SasAndYunah
07-08-2009, 05:10 AM
Heidi, I certainly understand your feelings about this and understand them very well :) With my Cukie, I also was protective of him, till the point where it was almost absurd :D But yet, that was what he needed, according to me. Everyone else had no other solution but "to put him down"...wich of course, to me was no option at all..ever.

A "problem" with a dog is only a problem when the owner sees it as a problem, that's my motto. Is a dog not properly housetrained and the owner doesn't really care to clean up after the dog all the time and to no longer have beautiful Persian rugs on the floor? Well, then there is no problem :) On the other hand, if the owner hates to clean up after the dog, desperately wants the rugs on the floor without being ruined by peestains...well, there is a problem. It's as easy as that. At least, that's how I feel about "problems" :) If you don't want to put your rescues through noisetraining and are much more comfortable with just consoling them, than that's the best way/solution for you and your pups, no doubt in my mind :)

On the other hand, if a owner wants to try and make the dog less anxious for noises, the CD training really works wel (if used correctly). It has worked miracles for several rescues I know. During this training, if done properly, the dog wont be frightened, so you won't have to let a dog suffer at all, that is the purpose. It is noting like purposely putting a dog through noises he's horribly afraid off...that would be torture and nothing I would ever be using. I have started at levels where I couldn't even hear a thing...but dogs have much better ears than us, so I always watch the dogs ears to look for the slightest hint that they are picking up on something. That's where you start the training...at zero :) For some reason you seem to think this methode is very harh or cruel....but I assure you, it isn't :) But simply holding them close to make them feel safe...as you do, is what works best for you and you should do what makes you feel at ease, that's what I want people to know. If it works for you, then it's fine, then there is no problem at all :)

Saskia and Yunah :)

fivebichons
07-08-2009, 09:55 PM
Hello Saskia,

Thank you for your detailed insight. You are correct, of course. Anything can work for any individual in the right environment. Please accept my apology. I should rephrase my statement to say "it is not for every rescue doggy." I've had some extreme cases at my house since I rescued mostly seniors from abusive puppy mills. And, having all of the fireworks go off lately in the neighborhood has not helped my little Sophie with her cardio and neuro issues. I believe any additional stress or aggitation would aggravate her conditions. You cannot protect them from the world.

I've been doing some more research on Sophie's conditions. It's always scary when you first start reading about them. :eek:

However, I do think my Marco would be a candidate for this CD. He is a bit timid when it comes to storms and to fireworks, etc. I think he would be a shining star! And maybe Robin as well, to get him out of his recliner with massage/heat! :D

Hugs,
Heidi and the Fluffers

frijole
07-08-2009, 10:22 PM
Heidi - off topic but you always have the cutest photos. Love the avatar. Cuddly little things. Pampered no doubt! :p Kim

Squirt's Mom
07-09-2009, 10:00 AM
Also off topic....but I saw on the news last nite where they have started using TV's in the HS shelters to keep the cats entertained. Apparently, the colors keep them interested; I had forgotten that all my cats loved to watch TV but once I remembered, it made perfect sense.

They have found since starting this, that the abused cats become calmer around humans after watching people on the tube and hearing voices for a while. It seems to help them become more socialized.

Now cats and dogs are vastly different critters, but I found the correlation between this news clip and Saskia's noise tape interesting. I am wondering if TV's might not help the pups in the HS shelters as well. Keeping the channel on something that is geared toward kids so there are no gun shots, hollering people, etc for them to hear, only kind voices - mostly children, lots of laughter and activity.

The HS is asking for any old TVs that are to be thrown out, be given to them instead so I hope on down the road to hear about this method being used with the pups and having the same results.

Hugs,
Leslie

PS. Heidi and Saskia - You are both wonderful, loving, exceptional ladies who have so much to offer, and have each helped me so much over the last year or so. You are each shining examples of how love and TLC can bring out the very best in a pup - regardless of their condition when they reached your arms.

Personally, I think differences in opinions are part of what makes this old world go round. K9C is our home, and these differences are the windows and doors in our home. These windows and doors allow us to see outside our little world; we can open them and let new or different ideas, beliefs, and information flow. With the windows and doors open, we will never become stagnant but remain fresh as our home grows stronger due to the understanding that comes with sharing our differences.