Loud Noise Fear

[Jespah]

This is Victoria Day here in Canada, it's a national holiday and is the celebration of Queen Victoria's and the current Queen's birthday.

Unfortunately, it is also the beginning of fireworks season. So, last night and tonight, right now in fact, we can hear fireworks going off all around our neighbourhood.

My two are terrified of the noises - the whistles and the loud bangs. They dragged me home on their walk tonight when the sounds started.

Jemma is in my bedroom and Rupe is sitting next to me panting, drooling and shaking. He also has gas - it's a full sensory fear apparently.

I know that you can get CD's with noises like fireworks and thunder on them to desensitize them, but I've also read you have to be very careful about how it's done as you can make things worse.

I ignore the noises and don't placate the dogs, so that I am not reinforcing the fear.

Anyone have any luck in getting a dog over the fear of thunder or fireworks??

[CorgiMum]

{{{Rupe & Jem}}}

I've been thinking about them today, and knowing that they were not going to have a good evening.+SAD+

Gary made a CD of noises for Monty when she was a pup and I very carefully used it to desensitize her. She too was afraid of thunder. Luckily we don't have the same issues in BC as much as you do in Ontario with firecrackers.

[corgiland]

I have been thinking about them tonight too, Deb....
and all of the ones who are afraid of the loud noises....

Thumper and Tasha didn't like them either when we had them.....

At first it wasn't bad ....but one summer we had a terrible thunder storm...and Tasha in between claps of thunder was out in the runway with Stan and a terrible one hit..and that was it...she was terribly frightened after that forever...and it rubbed off on Thump..

[2CrazyCorgis]

So sorry to hear that your dogs are having a hard time. I don't have much advice, except maybe try a little rescue remedy to calm them down a bit.

[mtoy]

I feel for you (and them). Millie is the same way and Link looks like he may follow in her footsteps. One time because of a careless relative Millie got loose when we were lighting smoke balls. She grabbed one and burned her mouth, she's been so much worse since then - even matches set her off.

Maybe a distracting noise so the fireworks are less noticeable and a remedy/sedative?

Thanks for the reminder for desensitizing. Each year I say I'm going to try it but always forget. With 2 to deal with, maybe this is the year before Link gets out of hand with it.

[mtoy]

Hey Ontario - stop shooting rockets over the river, you'll wake my dogs!!!

No kidding, right after I posted the message above this one I started hearing some bottle rockets or something. Darned Canadians!:WINK::LAUGH:

[colbycorgi]

hope you wake up to a better morning rupe and jemma

and mum deb too :)

+WUBCLUB+

[Jespah]

I forgot about that rescue remedy stuff. I'm really funny about taking things or giving my dogs things in the way of meds or herbal remedies if it's not absolutely necessary. But, given the way they both react now, it might be worth it.

The noise stopped about at about 11:00 last night, but some idiot started shooting something off at 1:30 :ARG: I "slept" with Rupert wrapped around my head, he clamboured up on my pillow and wedged himself between the top of my head and the headboard. Jemma hid in the bathroom. The cats were oblivious.

We still have 2 more fireworks holidays to get through, so I might pick up the rescue remedy. As I know what days they are, I can give them a dose before the noise starts.

We Canadians just love shooting things over the border to get you Yanks all riled up! :BIGGRIN"

[jcj528]

I feel for you and Rupe and Jemma, Deb. Zack is terrified of thunder, fireworks, loud wind and generally anything that goes bump in the night in a loud way. Its can get so bad that his whole system goes nuts. During Hurricane Katrina, it got so bad that Zack had it coming out from both ends as it were. The good news is that generally speaking the other three are not fazed by loud noises and Zack does not get sick from the everyday summer storms we get. He does suffer on the New Year's Eve, the 4th of July and Homecoming at the UM (we live down the street from the main campus) when all the firework junkies are out.

[CorgiMum]

I "slept" with Rupert wrapped around my head, he clamboured up on my pillow and wedged himself between the top of my head and the headboard. Jemma hid in the bathroom. The cats were oblivious.

The poor little sweeties.+SAD+


We still have 2 more fireworks holidays to get through, so I might pick up the rescue remedy. As I know what days they are, I can give them a dose before the noise starts.
Well at least you have make preparations, that's better I guess that things happening out of the blue on any given day.

[Akatihsa]

Monsoon season is coming here in Flagstaff (it's about another month and a half off) and I'm very interested to see how Ein reacts to the noise. She did just fine in our old apartment with the loud music, screaming, and occasional car crash at all hours of the night, but thunder is a bit different. This'll be her first real summer so we'll see.

What type of CD's do you put together to desensitize them to loud noises? Are they special tracks of thunder or just regular music really loud or something else?

[dcole]

We Canadians just love shooting things over the border to get you Yanks all riled up! :BIGGRIN" :LAUGH::LAUGH:

Poor Rupe & Jemma! Sorry I can't offer any advice Deb, as Trevor doesn't get riled up over fireworks (ringing telephones - that's another story!) Let us know if the Rescue Remedy helps.

{{{Rupe Jemma Deb}}}

[Jespah]

This is a good article on fear of noises - it's probably best to buy a cd with the nosies on them for this purpose.

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?articleid=2545

[sutulu]

Tucker is afraid of thunder and fireworks. He runs from one window to another barking his head off. And of course, Lulu can't be outdone.

So I end up with 2 barking maniacs.

Fourth of july at the lake was a nightmare. My neighbors across the street were the firework "Jonses" and everyone around the lake had to keep up with them.

[Akatihsa]

Speaking of interesting weather and our dog's reactions to it:

You'll have to click this link, 'cause I'm pretty sure I'd be in trouble with Double D for posting an image from another site. (http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e44/Akatihsa3400/Picture4.png)+POLICEMAN+:WINK::LAUGH:

Look at all the zappies!

[disraeli ears]

Oh, my - that's some weather forecast! Love Ein's dirt beard avatar, btw. :LAUGH:

Poor Rupert...Rhys is awful with thunder, but he doesn't sleep near my head - he goes and hides by the toilet. :ROLLEYES

[Akatihsa]

Love Ein's dirt beard avatar, btw. :LAUGH:

Thanks a lot! She's such a cutie we can't help but take pictures.

[bunnybutts]

Oh, my - that's some weather forecast! Love Ein's dirt beard avatar, btw. :LAUGH:

Poor Rupert...Rhys is awful with thunder, but he doesn't sleep near my head - he goes and hides by the toilet. :ROLLEYES

I thought it was a COOKIE BEARD! :CUTE:

As you know Emma had loud noise issues too. I tried to ignore the noise so she would - didnt help. After Chloe came to us with no loud noise fears it did seem to calm Em down for a while - till Chloe decided it was fun to chase noises with Emma! Sorry to be no real help.

[mtoy]

We had the first real thunderstorms of the season last night and Link freaked out. I used to think Millie was bad - ha - he barked and barked and barked and clung to us, scared. Millie hardly did anything compared to him. Oh boy, we've got some work to do.+SAD+

[Jespah]

We had a huge crack of thunder in the middle of the night, and Rupert didn't really react, they were both sleeping on the bed with me. Jemma jumped off and went to wherever it is she feels safe. I had purchased a product, that is essentially the same as Rescue Remedy last night, as they were calling for thunder last night and today.

The storms are coming from your way Deb, so all of our dogs got the same storm!

[Jespah]

The dogs went through 3 thunderstorms last night. The first one when I came home - then one at 12:30 AM and then another very prolonged one at 3:00 AM. The lightening was driving me crazy - it was almost constant.

Rupert has settled down about them now - but Jem has revved up. She was pacing all over and couldn't be consoled. I just let her be and she finally slunk under the bed. Rupe just tossed and turned a little - but at least he didn't lay across my head shaking as he usually does. I think he's still on a confidence high from his sheep herding!! :LAUGH:

[mtoy]

I know that storm (with all the lightning). We had it earlier in the night. We've been working with Link using the shake can for regular barking as it was suddenly totally out of control. I didn't want to use the can but we tried EVERYTHING less harsh than that. Now if we show it to him, making no shake noise he shuts up. And (knock on wood) the word "QUIET" now means something other than "bark some more" even without the can. Using the shake can during a storm can be counter productive with all the fear, but when he went off at the thunder last night and wouldn't stop we showed him just a quick peek at the can. He shut up and cuddled up next to me. The next round of booms brought one bark, I said "quiet", then he went and cuddled up next to Erik, and stayed there until the storm was over. Then he came back and took his normal spot on the couch by my feet.

Earlier yesterday he was outside when I was floating in the pool. My favorite ice cream truck came down the street - it has such a funny song, regular dilly doodle music followed by random animal sounds and a girl saying HELLO really loud. Link went nuts barking every time he heard the HELLO. I just cracked up and must have looked completely nuts floating and laughing like that. And it was just to precious to yell at him for barking like that:LAUGH:

[MVons]

Link must have been so confused why the little girl saying hello didn't come over and greet him. :LAUGH: I count my blessings that we don't live too close to a home caring for preschoolers. I'd never get Chester's attention, he loves kids and their sounds too much.

Does Link want to join you in the pool?

I have nearly forgotten what a thunder storm is like. We got lightening cracks without the thunder in the spring (weird). Chester did okay with our train rumble earthquake last month. Of course, I didn't think it was an earthquake, I just thought Chester was running across the house. :ROLLEYES

Deb, glad your dogs didn't need to go out for relief during that bad storm. Safer to stay indoors.

[Catillac]

I am coming back to the subject of Rescue Remedy. We're having lots of thunderstorms in the Seattle area, and combined with fireworks, oh my! I purchased this product on your recommendations. The label says two sprays into the mouth, which I assume is for an adult human. What about my Corgi? I know it's a natural product, but how much is safe? I don't see instructions per pound/weight.

On another note, I went to a new hairstylist this week. She asked me if I had a dog, and I mentioned my Corgi. She said, "Me too!" When I asked her what kind, she said, "Um. . .Welsh." :ROLLEYES

[Jespah]

I have the kind that is drops, not spray so, I'm not sure how much to recommend to you.

[mtoy]

I've heard that the dose is the same as an adult's. It doesn't matter if it's a dog, child, big adult - because it's not like a regular drug. I give the dogs a full squirt (I think it's 4 drops?).