Fireworks

Senior Friend Joined: 07 Aug 2010 Posts: 139

That is good, maybe the noise yesterday just took him by surprise and he has forgotten all about it. It is annoying that we have to keep our dogs on the lead but I do think it is safer whilst there is a chance of fireworks going off.

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 9:42 am

Me too beardielady. Better safe than sorry. He's not a particularly lively boy, more of a sniff, meet and greet and then off sniffing again Very Happy

. But the thought of him bolting and running blindly in front of traffic - although we are rural out here, especially for outer London, there's a lot of traffic along the lane that borders the field - makes me shudder. Don't you just hate fireworks Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 11:40 am

I'm really glad that incident hasn't caused any lasting damage Mary, Jethro is obviously a very stable character. Very Happy

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 2:24 pm

Jacquie, I like to think so. (Him being a stable character. Very appropriate for an owner who used to have horses Wink

). He's his usual noisy self today too, but I'm so glad hearing him happy and barking after Saturday. His predecessor, Heidi, was petrified of all noises like fireworks, I was unable to cure her of that. I wish I'd known about FBC back then; I lost her in 2007. If only I'd had her as a puppy I might have been able to get her used to it better. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 2:47 pm

It certainly is Smile

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:27 pm

Millie is a member of the Nasty Noises Club too, she can be a total wreck sitting there shaking and juddering.

I tried tightly wrapping her in fleeces and it seemed to help but even better is the big toweling coat I bought specifically to help dry her off after wet walks. The one I have has a wide band that can be pulled tight round the body and an almost hood that pulls down over the ears. It has made quite a difference this last week. We too had daylight fireworks. I had decided to go out really early for the teatime toilet walk and was just approaching the field when it started - you have never seen a dog race across to her favourite spot and squat so quickly, but, more important - she didn't turn and bolt.

Joy and Millie

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 6:07 pm

Wow Joy, she was brave. Jethro tried to slip out of his collar on Saturday, and when that failed it was all I could do to hang on to him for the last few yards home. So far tonight its been quiet, but I don't suppose that will be the case for much longer. Its so unfair, for the last couple of years we've had hardly anything in the way of fireworks round here, possibly because of organised displays. I'm dreading the next couple of weeks, more for the cats than Jethro. Jethro says give Millie a Hi5 from him, he's extremely impressed.

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2020 6:26 pm

Well done Millie Very Happy

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2020 1:20 am

judy g wrote:

...Sir Barkalot? Cool

Are you referring to me Judy? Smile

My little Sir Barkalot is indeed on Pexion . Yes it is primarily for epilepsy but it is now prescribed for noise sensitivity. Barks was put on it when he was a patient at Lincoln Uni behavioural clinic. After anectdotal evidence from owners of dogs with epilepsy that their dogs seemed calmer and more relaxed on Pexion, Lincoln did a study to investigate its use for fear/noise sensitivity.

Barks has a very extreme noise sensitivity and has been taking Pexion daily for the last 4yrs. For him its not just fireworks and loud bangs that are a problem. Unfortunately we live in an area where we regularly get those awful military jets and those are his biggest fear.

Barks hasn't had any adverse side effects from taking Pexion. It has helped, along with the behaviour work we were told to do but he does still have fear and anxiety. However Lincoln said they rarely see dogs as fearful as him and that he would never be a "normal" dog. He used to be scared all the time - even when there weren't noises he'd be worried waiting for them to come. The Pexion has enabled him to relax more when things are quiet and to recover much more quickly when there have been jets etc.

Barks could be on a higher dose around fireworks night (he's on 2 x 400mg tablets a day and that can be doubled) but with divali, xmas and new year they actually last from about mid October to mid January Twisted Evil

and I'm reluctant to keep him on the higher dose that long in case he habituates to it and then can't cope back on the lower dose.

I've actually found the best way to deal with fireworks (and jets) is to have him in the kitchen with radio up, washing machine on and hob extractor on high! He can't hear much over that lot and can seem unconcerned Very Happy

So I haven't bothered to try him on the higher dose.

Tomorrow (5th) he's actually at the vets in the morning to have a lump removed and to have some x-rays. Vet doesn't think its anything to worry about and fingers crossed he's right. On the plus side, Barks might still be a bit sleepy from the anaesthetic by the time the fireworks start so maybe he'll sleep through it Smile

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2020 8:54 am

Awww Barks....well done you for getting him on that trial and for trying so hard and so successfully to help him - lucky lucky dog, I say. All dogs should have such devoted and proactive owners Very Happy

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 7:03 pm

Well, they kicked off round here about an hour ago. So far we've had a couple of display type loud ones and lots of ordinary ones, including cracklers. One of the cats is being exceptionally brave, lying on the bed and listening to the fireworks above the tv and my cd player. The other cat is in hiding, and Jethro is at my side which isn't normally the case. In all other years he has barked at them in the garden (needs a wee once in a while otherwise he would be indoors until the worst of it is over) but he'd sooner be with me at the moment, by the side of the bed. He's not unduly worried - so far. I think its going to depend on the loudness of the display type ones.

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 9:31 pm

What a pain Mary, sounds like the incident the other day may have just unnerved him a little bit. Amazingly so far it's been all quiet here, fingers crossed that continues.

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 10:11 pm

Its been quiet here for the last 3/4 of an hour, just the odd not very loud firework. The cats want out but I'd rather not until after midnight. Topsy has stayed on the bed all the time, and Turvy's been out of hiding/sleeping for about an hour. Jethro's apparently not too bothered now, he's eating supper in the hall and will go in the garden for a wee (he only poos out there if the need is absolutely dire) before bedtime. We seem to have gotten away with it very lightly tonight. Diwali begins on the 12th and there are a lot of Indian families round here, so here's hoping it won't be too bad. That finishes on the 16th. Do you think there'll be much at the weekend?

Friend in Training Joined: 13 May 2017 Posts: 17

we had some very loud fireworks tonight that lasted about an hour and sent Fraser into a frenzy for nearly 3 hrs. I had a snood on him which helped a bit. I now know how diffficult it is to eat dinner with a hairy jelly that is determined to sit on your lap. we did manage some quality grooming though and that has seemed to help.

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2020 11:36 am

I'm not sure about the weekend as no big displays allowed, I'm hoping that people will have made use of the good weather last night and got it all over with, maybe too optimistic though Rolling Eyes

Good luck with Diwali.

So sorry to hear about poor Fraser Sad

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2020 1:23 pm

Poor Fraser. Jethro's not a people-comfort-seeker in that way, he's never been a snuggler of me (everyone else though Rolling Eyes

). Having him beside me was the nearest I've come to a proper cuddle with him. He's back to himself today, all bark and exuberance!

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:54 pm

Can I have a round of applause for my brave brave boy - we were walking in a fairly closed in residential area this morning when there was a huge bang - far worse than any firework - thought WW3 was kicking off - and then a couple of minutes later another one. I'd forgotten the Armistice Day guns. He was not a happy bunny, pulled desperately to get home which was about 30-40 minutes away. I took him away from it into a side road and started doing some of his training exercises, and he was foot perfect. We did that for 5-7 minutes, after which he was his normal relaxed self. I think he's wonderful. We've been out mid afternoon and he was fine with that.

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2020 11:21 pm

Well done Jethro! Very Happy

Friend for Life Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Posts: 19308

WTG Jethro, clever boy Very Happy

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2020 12:00 pm

Wow! Clever boy Jethro Very Happy

We had an unexploded bomb in the Village (outskirts) which they did a controlled explosion on Shocked

Actually non of us noticed! Laughing

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2020 12:40 pm

OMG Jacquie! This gun was the loudest thing I've ever heard - first thought was, someone's let off some display fireworks in a skip or something similar, in a closed up area too close for comfort. They used to do the gun from RAF Uxbridge, but as that's now gone for housing it couldn't have been there. Sounded far too close. Jethro actually chose to go the same route this morning until the road before the side turning we took, but he wasn't unhappy or anything. Couldn't ask for more from him Cool

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:23 pm

He's such a good boy, I am impressed Very Happy

Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:44 pm

Mary done good - she would say that Jethro and his forebears and breeders did good ....but I say that Mummy Mary did good, too! Very Happy

( I am not biased at all...he may be my dogson but I am not biased at all )

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 4:17 pm

Peeps in our village warn on the village FB page when they are going to let them off. Gives everyone 24 hours to prepare Very Happy

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 4:23 pm

Not on FB or any other social media. You're lucky living in a village which sounds like it has community spirit. Its ok round here, we're at least half a mile from the nearest shops and they're accessed via a footpath across the playing fields and then a short walk. We're almost villagey but not quite. As I type this I can hear loud fireworks coming from the direction of the local bridleway fields near the riding school. I think tomorrow night is the big one for diwali fireworks. Took Jethro for a late afternoon/early evening walk, a couple of loud bangers went off about 3/4 of a mile away but he wasn't worried by them.