My Dog Is Scared of Fireworks. What Can I Do?
[Heads up. I’m getting on a soap box here.]
What Makes This Different
Hiding during a storm
I don’t mess around when it comes to fireworks or thunderstorm fear. These triggers cause significant distress and we have zero control over them.
If the dog is scared of garbage trucks, I can skip the walk on garbage day.
If the dog is scared of the blender, I can put him in the backyard while I make my smoothie.
If the dog is scared of strangers, I can have him stay with a friend during our party.
I can’t do anything about the weather or the neighbor’s celebrations. I can’t turn the volume down. I can’t put him in another room. I can’t avoid the situation until he’s ready. I am helpless to substantially help him.
The First Step
What can you do if your dog is scared of fireworks? First, talk to your vet about medication.
I know how to change a dog’s emotional response to something. But it requires I have some control over the intensity of the trigger. I don’t have that with thunderstorms or fireworks.
In my opinion, there is absolutely no reason for any dog to suffer when safe, effective medications are available.
I’m not a vet. I can’t tell you what medication to use. But I will say to avoid Acepromazine. It functions like a chemical straight-jacket: your dog might look fine on the outside, but he’s still experiencing all the same emotions on the inside. That doesn’t help him. It’s not often prescribed for this problem anymore, but it’s still important to know what it is and ask for an alternative if it’s offered.
Once you’ve got medication on board, then you can consider other things like playtime, music, and food toys to keep your dog occupied and build positive associations.
“What about CBD?”
I haven’t done enough study to compare the effectiveness of CBD with traditional pharmaceutical interventions.
My goal is always limiting the amount of distress in a dog’s life. If you try CBD and your dog is still distressed, it’s time to move to other options.