Now it may be a bit late in the year to pop on the various firework sound tracks you can find and work on creating a positive association between the sudden, loud noises and staying calm, but don’t worry as there are plenty of other things you can do to help your dog out this firework season.
There was a time when fireworks were limited to one single night of the year, but these days it feels so much more like a whole season, and we need to make sure we can help our dogs to feel as comfortable as possible during this time, especially if they tend to struggle.
Below are some of my tips for preparing for, and on, the big night:
Create a “den” for your dog if they don’t already have one, preferably before the night itself. This will give them they a chance to familiarise themselves with the set up and get used to using it beforehand as it will provide your dog with a safe space to hide in. Include items such as their favourite beds, blankets, toys and chews! 🛏️
Pop on some calming tunes 🎶 There are countless playlists on services such as Spotify and YouTube that have specific “calming” playlists for pets. You could also try a relaxing radio station, such as Radio One Relax (through BBC Sounds), Smooth Radio, or this “Calm and Relaxed" playlist by Pooch & Mutt on Spotify 🎵
Once it reaches dusk (or if you know roughly when local displays will be starting), stay inside. Only go out if it is 100% necessary (eg. For toileting purposes 🚽) and be sure to keep them on lead! This will safeguard against any spooking and getting lost in the night 🦮
Try some calming activities - these can be things like snufflemats, lickimats and enrichment toys. All of these provide a nice distraction from the outside environment, encouraging your dog to participate in relaxing activities that engage and calm the brain. 🧠 Sniffing and licking are behaviours that are known to relax and calm a dog, so by providing activities, like the ones mentioned above, we can offer opportunities for them to enact these behaviours.
Calming treats - there are loads of treats on the market that claim to have calming properties and contain ingredients such as turkey, hemp and chamomile. Turkey contains L-Tryptophan, which helps the body create Seratonin aka "the happy hormone". Hemp is known to naturally lower stress levels and help keep them low. Chamomile has been used in traditional medicine for many years, as it is widely regarded as a herb that aids in calming by providing an antioxidant that helps decrease anxiety and aid in sleep. 💤
Long lasting chews - Chewing releases endorphins, and endorphins make the brain happy! There are so many options for you and your four legged friend to choose from - things like hooves, horns, bones, pizzles, and no-hide chews, all of which can be picked up at your local natural treat store 🐾
If you have any questions, or would like to chat about or arrange a session regarding any of the above, please drop me a message and I'll see what I can do to help!
-Keavy 🌙🐾
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