The dog is afraid of fireworks. Why and what to do?

Reasons for fear

The reason for the dog’s fear of firecrackers and fireworks is in its hearing – the dog hears sounds 4 times louder than a person. Just imagine how loud the explosion of a simple firecracker seems to a dog. The instinct of self-preservation makes the animal quickly hide away from the source of the sound.

Often the fear of loud noises is acquired. For example, if one day a dog was greatly frightened by something sharp and loud (thunderstorm, champagne cork, etc.), it is very likely that he will be afraid of loud sounds all his life.

Also, fear may be due to the increased sensitivity of the animal. In such cases, the dog may become afraid of even relatively quiet noises.

What to do?

When a dog is under stress, it first of all seeks support from the owner. For this reason, you should always remain calm and have a good relationship with your pet. This will help the dog overcome the fear with little to no consequences.

In no case should you yell at your pet and scold him for his natural reaction. In a stressful situation, you need to calmly stroke him and talk to him.

There is a technique that helps to accustom a dog to loud sounds, but this should only be done under the guidance of an experienced trainer, since careless and incorrect actions can lead to the opposite result: your pet will experience even more fear.

Memo for the owner

On holidays, animals experience great stress due to noisy companies, explosions of firecrackers and other sounds that are unpleasant for sensitive ears. It will be better if you refuse to use pyrotechnics, although this often depends not only on you. Many people go out to celebrate and set off fireworks volley after volley. It is not in your power to stop them, but you can ensure that your pet is as safe and comfortable as possible during the holidays.

1. If you go for a walk on a festive evening, and leave the dog at home, it is necessary that the windows in the apartment be tightly closed. Do not close the doors to other rooms – this will allow her to choose the most comfortable corner herself. Do not forget to leave fresh water for your pet, you can still turn on melodic music for him, this will distract him from the noise on the street;

2. You can build a secluded house for your pet in advance, in which his favorite toys will lie. You can put something with your own smell there to make the dog feel calmer;

3. If you are celebrating in a noisy company, make sure that the dog has the opportunity to go to a secluded place if he feels uncomfortable;

4. Most importantly, your dog’s collar should always have a dog tag with the owner’s name and phone number.

In any stressful situation for a dog, the most important thing is for its owner to remain calm. Animals do not understand explanations, they feel and adopt our emotions, and it is in our power to calm them down and let them know that nothing threatens them.

December 25 2017

Updated: 19 May 2022