Community Spirit, March 2018

C O M M U N I T Y SPIRIT / ANIMAL WELL BEING
Fireworks phobia in dogs
By María Lluch Barbera (veterinarian) &
Laila Fletcher (student canine behaviourist)
March brings the festival of Las Fallas in Valencia, with daily
thunderous explosions of fireworks at 2pm (mascletá) from the
beginning of the month, building up to five days of intense
celebration, and culminating in La Nit del Foc (the night of fire),
when the city erupts in magnificent fireworks displays and the
burning of huge statues (ninots). Spectacular it is, and well worth
seeing, but quiet it is not. Unfortunately for our four-legged friends,
most dogs suffer some level of fear of sudden loud noises (e.g.
fireworks, gunshots, thunder), and 40-50% are what is termed noise
sensitive or phobic. If your dog is whining, panting, pacing, trembling,
hypersalivating, hiding, or refusing to eat food/treats, then she is
probably quite profoundly frightened, and you’ll want to do all you
can to help her cope.
If she is used to a crate, you can cover it with layers of blankets to help
muffle the sound of fireworks (or a Thunder Hut sound-deadening cover
could be bought for it). Only use a crate, however, if your dog normally
chooses to enter it voluntarily. Closing the blinds/curtains of your home
will also help mask loud noises and prevent her seeing flashes of light.
If your dog seeks tactile comfort from you then stroke her soothingly; in
fact, just gentle but continuous pressure with an arm or leg can be
better.
Fear of loud noises is natural in dogs, and there is a strong genetic
component, especially among herding breeds. The best solution to
noise phobias, then, is to prevent them developing in the first place,
by gently and gradually exposing your dog to as many sounds as
possible during puppyhood, always ensuring the sounds are never so
loud as to be overwhelming (we will write more about puppy
sensitive periods in another issue). Of course, this is not possible if
you adopted your dog as an adult, or if she has already developed a
phobia. The key here is to manage your dog’s surroundings, minimise
her exposure to loud noises and help reduce her anxiety – this is
extremely important, as noise phobias tend to worsen over time and
generalise to other situations too.
Firstly, never ever punish your dog whilst she is frightened, as it will
only make her fear worse! If she has a toilet accident or damages
something, quietly clean up the mess and forget about it. If she
wants to hide alone in an unusual place, let her choose where she
feels most safe.