Used to have a dog that went insane at the sight of sparklers. Good times.

Marley'sGirl: My dog is fearless - she loves to stand outside in the middle of thunder storms. Sorry your dog is a pussy.

Insane as in trying to chomp down on the sparklers. Wild-eyed, hackles up, jumping and leaping like a dervish trying to get to the sparklers. Fear and loathing with teeth on July 4th.

Um, basement?

"Desensitize anxious dogs by introducing music or similar sounds. "

I recommend the 1812 overture by Tchaikovsky. Lots of cannon fire at the end. Also Double Nickles on the Dime by the Minutemen. Not that it has any fireworks to desensitize your dog, it's just a kick-ass album he will love.

My funniest 4th story was like twenty years ago in Anchorage where we were out in the yard throwing fire crackers and lighting off little flying things. From somewhere came a friendly pit bull who loved fireworks as well - loved to chomp on the lit ones, and wanted to swallow the spinning butterflies. We had to throw stuff at it to send it home before it went home without a jaw. Good fun for about an hour, though.

My wife had one dog who would freak out in the car every time they went under a bridge.

The other dog hates fireworks. But he's deaf now.

snowybunting: Also Double Nickles on the Dime by the Minutemen. Not that it has any fireworks to desensitize your dog, it's just a kick-ass album he will love.

CSB: I saw them almost exactly one month before D Boone died. They were opening for REM at what I believe was the last show of the Fables of the Reconstruction tour. Great show.

I_Can't_Believe_it's_not_Boutros: CSB: I saw them almost exactly one month before D Boone died. They were opening for REM at what I believe was the last show of the Fables of the Reconstruction tour. Great show.

One of the few Fark CSB's that really is a CSB. That had to be an amazing show.

"Shut the fark up. *thwack*"

Problem solved.

/My dog hates thunder/fireworks/garbage trucks dumping things in an empty bed. Freaks right the fark out.

I can look forward to my 200 poound mastiff sleeping in my room that night.

...he's also scared of mailboxes...

snowybunting: "Desensitize anxious dogs by introducing music or similar sounds. "

I recommend the 1812 overture by Tchaikovsky. Lots of cannon fire at the end. Also Double Nickles on the Dime by the Minutemen. Not that it has any fireworks to desensitize your dog, it's just a kick-ass album he will love.

Seriously, many classical pieces are about as effective for calming dogs which is not much. The dynamics found in classical are much more extreme than most any other style of music. My "chickendog" found it unnerving more often than not and I had to cut way back on it while he was alive. It seems anti-intuitive, but apparently the consistent volume of even metal soothed him more than classical, and it masked out fireworks noises better.

Benedryl often does NOT calm dogs like it does for humans. Do NOT count on it to calm a frightened dog unless you already know it will work on your dog. If you don't want to get something from the vet, you'll have better luck with petstore preparations for calming pets or an herbal like Valerian and Skullcap.

I always kept Acepromazine from the vet on hand for Chickendog (aka Wheelie Boy in my profile). He got it for the 4th, New Years, and earthquakes (he had been only a couple miles from Northridge epicenter and was permanently traumatized by it). Only problem with was when the cheese ball/drug handoff went awry and Beaglish Girl grabbed it. His dose was twice what she would have taken, and while it wasn't dangerous enough to run her into the ER, she was one buzzed pupper that year!

kibblesnbits:
I always kept Acepromazine from the vet on hand for Chickendog (aka Wheelie Boy in my profile). He got it for the 4th, New Years, and earthquakes (he had been only a couple miles from Northridge epicenter and was permanently traumatized by it). Only problem with was when the cheese ball/drug handoff went awry and Beaglish Girl grabbed it. His dose was twice what she would have taken, and while it wasn't dangerous enough to run her into the ER, she was one buzzed pupper that year!


While I don't drug my dog, I've found that a beers and maybe a vicodin or two is the perfect blend where I giggle at her trying to get her 80lb frame under the couch during firework season.

bim1154: MythDragon: [www.photo-dictionary.com image 640x480]
"Shut the fark up. *thwack*"

Problem solved.

/My dog hates thunder/fireworks/garbage trucks dumping things in an empty bed. Freaks right the fark out.

Our dog has gotten worse over the years. Never bothered her when she was younger but now (age 10), we are waiting for her to have a heart attack at some point. Really pathetic to see. T-storms and fireworks are what pushes her over the edge.

My Beaglish Girl started getting sensitive to them at about that age too. As a pup, my husband and I had set out to train her to accept fireworks because there's so many around here, including three pro shows within earshot. We started with cap guns and popping balloons. POP, goodie for a couple months beforehand. Then on the 4th, BOOM goodie. So from her first July 4th, she was fine for many years.

However as she aged, her hearing changed and it's like she no longer recognized the noises, so then she worried about them for several years, but not enough to need tranqs. Now she's 16, almost completely deaf and they don't bother her at all.

snowybunting: kibblesnbits:
I always kept Acepromazine from the vet on hand for Chickendog (aka Wheelie Boy in my profile). He got it for the 4th, New Years, and earthquakes (he had been only a couple miles from Northridge epicenter and was permanently traumatized by it). Only problem with was when the cheese ball/drug handoff went awry and Beaglish Girl grabbed it. His dose was twice what she would have taken, and while it wasn't dangerous enough to run her into the ER, she was one buzzed pupper that year!


While I don't drug my dog, I've found that a beers and maybe a vicodin or two is the perfect blend where I giggle at her trying to get her 80lb frame under the couch during firework season.

Better than getting under the coffee table which tips the beer over! My husband's dog used to do that one.

Thunder doesn't bother my dogs, but they hate fireworks. We'll be camping this year and when the fireworks start, we'll put them in the RV with the AC on and music playing. I'll have to bring some classical CDs.

This was New Years Eve 2011. 2 of our 4 dogs decided they needed to be under my desk when they heard fireworks. I know it looks like he's trying to get busy with the other dog, but he is only 5 months old - a baby dog - in this picture. He's just scared. He's 165 lbs now and wouldn't fit under the desk if he tried.