On new year’s eve, the sky is covered with dazzling fireworks across the cities with different artistic patterns. Yet you may not be satisfied with the loud booms and flashes the fireworks give off.
Yes, it is beautiful, but fireworks eve is not entirely satisfying in the heart of a dog parent. As I mentioned earlier, it is also quite worrisome.
If a dog parent is asked why they might reply that their dog is scared to go outside after the fireworks. It is obvious to be worried in that case, isn’t it?
Your puppy might be scared due to the loudness of the fireworks echoing in their heads, the location of the sound being hard to detect, the thought of unpredictability, fireworks being a threat in their head, and they are almost stressed. Desensitization, counter conditioning methods, and vet help can make dogs comfortable.
After all, let me not make you lost in the woods and tell you why your dog is scared to go outside after fireworks much more briefly.
Why is your dog scared to go outside after the fireworks?
1. “Something is echoing in my head, mama.”
Our pooches usually hear sounds between -5 dB and -15 dB and are more sensitive to loud songs than humans. Simply dogs can listen to what we cannot hear in their surroundings.
Moving on with this, the “bangs and booms” of the fireworks might not be in the range they can tolerate. To be more specific, fireworks emit a sound of 190 dB, damaging our pooch’s ears.
It might not only have been echoing in your pooch’s ears but also might have even damaged the eardrums of the little one if we think of the worst.
In some instances, the sound of the fireworks can even be much louder and noisier to them than firecrackers and the sound of jets.
So inside and out, the poor pooch of yours might curl up near a corner, letting you know that he is afraid of going outside even with you after the fireworks eve.
2. “Will I hear that noise again?”
After a few minutes of the fireworks ending, have you ever noticed that when you try to get outside with your pooch and he refuses? If he did, it could be due to his panic after the fireworks.
Now he is scared whether he will hear the same noise again and again. In simple words, he is unable to predict in his mind whether the loud noise will disturb him again if he goes outside.
Our pooches are entirely hating the “no warning” sounds.
Suggested Reading: Why do some dogs are afraid of air fryers?
3. “Will it harm me?”
“Will it harm me?”; even after the fireworks have stopped and you need to go outside, the pooch is thoughts about whether the firecrackers will be harmed or will still threaten his life. He is scared at the thought of it.
4. “I feel trapped.”
In certain instances, if the fireworks have been stopped, he might be still finding a way to escape thinking that the boisterous sound will be back. He will try to find places to hide.
He is even wondering about going outside and finding his own place for his survival.
Still, after all, he might have felt trapped and had nowhere to go since he had not been able to pinpoint the directions on the location of the sounds of fireworks.
As a result, he might be reluctant to come outside with you after the fireworks too.
5. “I do not know what I am feeling-Stressed.”
Last yet not least, as our adorable blossom buddies are sensitive to sounds, as I mentioned previously, they might be stressed and panicked afterward.
At this point, your pooch might even show potentially destructive behavior to cope with the stress he is going through and might want you to notice it.
Other than being sacred and destructive behavior, he might also display the following symptoms,
- Hiding and freezing
- Trembling and shaking
- Hyperalertness
- Reduce intake of food
- Panting
- Lip licking
Did you know that certain dogs are even afraid of shadows?
What can you do if the dog is scared to go outside after the fireworks?
To begin with, according to certain studies, about a 45percent of dogs have a firework phobia, so what to do if your dog gets included in this 45 percent of pooches? Let me help you out with a few things you can go with.
1. “Before the fireworks.”
Whether it is new year’s eve or some special occasion, we have an idea whether there will be any fireworks or not. So, beforehand taking precautions rather than after would be much easier for our pooch and ourselves. Therefore create a “safe haven” for your lovable blossom buddy.
Creating a safe haven might be things like making sure he is kept inside the house before fireworks start and giving him a comfortable place where the loudness of the firecrackers is heard the least.
Moreover, if he is crate trained, ensure you keep the crate available for him before the firework occasions. If you still feel like he will hear a bit of noise from fireworks, you can add some soothing music that you think will get his attention.
Do you have a basement in your home sweet home? Then it would surely be helpful at a time like this too!
Why not try it out? (Make sure you don’t make him feel lonely, though, if you cannot stay with him, maybe try giving him his favorite toys and a good meal that he loves.
These “before precautions” might help you eliminate lots of trouble. As he has been prevented from hearing the fireworks, you won’t have an issue taking him out.
2. “Talk to him.“
If it is not possible to prevent your pooch from hearing the annoying sounds and he is scared, maybe you can try to provide some reassurance to him.
Make sure you talk to him kindly and pat off his head while giving him the best cuddles your pooch can get. If he had been scared due to the noise of the firecrackers, the poor little one would have a bit of relief when he is near you.
3. “Positive reinforcement.”
As dog parents, I am sure we, doggy papas and mamas, have used this method more frequently when teaching the pooch.
So, if your doggy does not come outside, you may just try to start off with some of his favorite treats.
Try to convince him outside by letting him know he will get the treat if he comes out with you after the sound of firecrackers ends. You can even try giving him new toys; sometimes, praise might help.
These are just a few ways on what you can to get your doggy outside.
How long does it take dogs to recover from firework phobia?
Recovering from a firework phobia is not a minute process. It might differ from dog to dog based on various factors.
It might be dependent on the dog breed, the dog’s age, gender, neuter status, and even on the origin of our blossom buddy. For some dogs, it might recover in one day, some in one week, and for some, it might take a few weeks or even months.
As a fact, firework phobia, or the fear of fireworks has been found to have a strong connection with genetics.
So, as you can observe, recovering from firework phobia will differ from pooch to pooch.
How do you get rid of your dog’s fear of fireworks?
1. “Desensitization of our dog to the sound of fireworks.”
Beforehand of the firework occasions, you can try to minimize his fear of fireworks. You can begin with videos that give the sound of fireworks and let him hear it out.
The “firework videos” sounds should not make him panic and feel stressed. Therefore the sound is better to be relatively low in the first instance, yet that soft sound should be heard by your pooch.
Later on, when you feel like he does not panic and is used to the low sound of fireworks gradually begins to increase the sound.
In this way, he might get used to the sound of the fireworks, which in turn will aid him in reducing his fear when fireworks are used on the new year’s eves and other special occasions.
2. “Method of counter conditioning.”
During desensitization, it was only the fireworks video that was used. If you feel like it still freaks out your dog, you can try the method of counterconditioning.
Here you will be using dog treats in addition to the fireworks video. So when he gets used to this, he might be eventually able to get rid of his fear of fireworks.
3. “Veterinarian aid.”
If your gut instincts cry out loud, saying nothing of the above will work, and your dog is severely affected by firework phobia, make sure you consult your veterinarian. Your dog will then be prescribed medications that can be given on this occasion.
Things to be aware of.
1. “Do not punish.”
Punishing the poor pooch because he is scared that fireworks won’t be of any use. He will get much more traumatized than ever, leading to a greater disaster and risking his future.
So being kind to him and solving matters alone with time will make him recover even sooner.
2. “Be with him.”
Try not to keep him alone while the fireworks are ongoing. This way, he might be able to reduce his fear at least a bit.
Conclusion.
“Not everyone in the family likes them”, quoting this in, to wind up, I hope as a proud dog owner, you were able to enhance your knowledge on why your dog might be scared to go outside after fireworks, how to help him out, and much more.
