How to Help a Dog Overcome a Fear of Fireworks or Thunder

According to a survey by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), around 49% of dogs show a fear of loud noises, including fireworks or thunderstorms.^[1] Unfortunately, many owners accidentally reinforce their dog's anxiety by petting or fussing over the dog when it is anxious. This action tells the dog that they are doing the right thing to act afraid and the petting reinforces the fearful behavior.^[2] In the short term there are strategies that can help decrease the dog's' fear, and in the long term you can attempt to desensitize the dog to loud noises so that it is no longer so fearful.

EditSteps

EditUsing Short-Term Strategies

1. Minimize the stimulation. Insulate your dog from the bright lights and loud noises of storms and fireworks. Bring the dog indoors, and close all windows and doors. Draw the curtains so the dog can't see the flashes. If appropriate (not during an electrical storm) put the TV on with the volume low, to act as a distraction. Remember to act normally and go about your normal business so as to send out the message that everything is OK and you aren't worried.^[3]
   
2. Give the dog a safe place to hide. A fearful dog instinctively wants to hide. If the dog chooses to go to ground and hide under a bed or behind a sofa then let it. You may wish to provide additional security by laying a blanket over the edge of the bed to provide additional sound insulation.
   
   • If the dog is crate trained, it may wish to go to its crate. Cover most of the crate with a thick blanket so that it is even more cave-like and secure than normal. Place something with your scent on it inside the crate to add to the dog's feelings of security.^[4]
   • If your dog is not crate trained then consider doing so as part of your strategy for helping him overcome this fear.
3. Use pheromones. When a lot of fireworks are anticipated plug-in DAP diffuser in your house beforehand. These devices give off a synthetic dog pheromone that makes dogs feel safe and secure. The diffusers help to give an anxious dog heightened feelings of security, and can diffuse some of its anxiety.
   
4. Put a Thundershirt on the dog. These work by fitting the dog snugly and pressing against its body. This is akin to swaddling a young baby, which gives a sense of security and safety. For some dogs it takes the edge off of the anxiety and helps to bolster their confidence.^[5]
   
5. Consider using medications. Some dogs are so fearful they try to escape, harm themselves, or lose control of their bladder or bowels. If your dog has this type of extreme anxiety then get it checked by your vet. If there is no medical explanation for the dog's extreme fear, then the vet may be able to prescribe medications to calm the dog during the event.
   
   • There is no one drug that is perfect, but one useful combination is diazepam and propranolol. Diazepam is a tranquilizer, which lessens the feelings of anxiety, while propranolol is a beta blocker, which prevents the heart from racing. This combination helps to keep the animal relaxed during a scary event.^[6]
   • Acepromazine (ACP) sedates the dog but it still experiences the fear. So externally the dog seems improved, but it is still fearful. This is why this drug has fallen out of favor.===Using Short-Term Strategies===
6. Minimize the stimulation. Insulate your dog from the bright lights and loud noises of storms and fireworks. Bring the dog indoors, and close all windows and doors. Draw the curtains so the dog can't see the flashes. If appropriate (not during an electrical storm) put the TV on with the volume low, to act as a distraction. Remember to act normally and go about your normal business so as to send out the message that everything is OK and you aren't worried.^[7]
   
7. Give the dog a safe place to hide. A fearful dog instinctively wants to hide. If the dog chooses to go to ground and hide under a bed or behind a sofa then let it. You may wish to provide additional security by laying a blanket over the edge of the bed to provide additional sound insulation.
   
   • If the dog is crate trained, it may wish to go to its crate. Cover most of the crate with a thick blanket so that it is even more cave-like and secure than normal. Place something with your scent on it inside the crate to add to the dog's feelings of security.^[8]
   • If your dog is not crate trained then consider doing so as part of your strategy for helping him overcome this fear.
8. Use pheromones. When a lot of fireworks are anticipated plug-in DAP diffuser in your house beforehand. These devices give off a synthetic dog pheromone that makes dogs feel safe and secure. The diffusers help to give an anxious dog heightened feelings of security, and can diffuse some of its anxiety.
   
9. Put a Thundershirt on the dog. These work by fitting the dog snugly and pressing against its body. This is akin to swaddling a young baby, which gives a sense of security and safety. For some dogs it takes the edge off of the anxiety and helps to bolster their confidence.^[9]
   
10. Consider using medications. Some dogs are so fearful they try to escape, harm themselves, or lose control of their bladder or bowels. If your dog has this type of extreme anxiety then get it checked by your vet. If there is no medical explanation for the dog's extreme fear, then the vet may be able to prescribe medications to calm the dog during the event.
    
    • There is no one drug that is perfect, but one useful combination is diazepam and propranolol. Diazepam is a tranquilizer, which lessens the feelings of anxiety, while propranolol is a beta blocker, which prevents the heart from racing. This combination helps to keep the animal relaxed during a scary event.^[10]
    • Acepromazine (ACP) sedates the dog but it still experiences the fear. So externally the dog seems improved, but it is still fearful. This is why this drug has fallen out of favor.===Using Short-Term Strategies===
11. Minimize the stimulation. Insulate your dog from the bright lights and loud noises of storms and fireworks. Bring the dog indoors, and close all windows and doors. Draw the curtains so the dog can't see the flashes. If appropriate (not during an electrical storm) put the TV on with the volume low, to act as a distraction. Remember to act normally and go about your normal business so as to send out the message that everything is OK and you aren't worried.^[11]
    
12. Give the dog a safe place to hide. A fearful dog instinctively wants to hide. If the dog chooses to go to ground and hide under a bed or behind a sofa then let it. You may wish to provide additional security by laying a blanket over the edge of the bed to provide additional sound insulation.
    
    • If the dog is crate trained, it may wish to go to its crate. Cover most of the crate with a thick blanket so that it is even more cave-like and secure than normal. Place something with your scent on it inside the crate to add to the dog's feelings of security.^[12]
    • If your dog is not crate trained then consider doing so as part of your strategy for helping him overcome this fear.
13. Use pheromones. When a lot of fireworks are anticipated plug-in DAP diffuser in your house beforehand. These devices give off a synthetic dog pheromone that makes dogs feel safe and secure. The diffusers help to give an anxious dog heightened feelings of security, and can diffuse some of its anxiety.
    
14. Put a Thundershirt on the dog. These work by fitting the dog snugly and pressing against its body. This is akin to swaddling a young baby, which gives a sense of security and safety. For some dogs it takes the edge off of the anxiety and helps to bolster their confidence.^[13]
    
15. Consider using medications. Some dogs are so fearful they try to escape, harm themselves, or lose control of their bladder or bowels. If your dog has this type of extreme anxiety then get it checked by your vet. If there is no medical explanation for the dog's extreme fear, then the vet may be able to prescribe medications to calm the dog during the event.
    
    • There is no one drug that is perfect, but one useful combination is diazepam and propranolol. Diazepam is a tranquilizer, which lessens the feelings of anxiety, while propranolol is a beta blocker, which prevents the heart from racing. This combination helps to keep the animal relaxed during a scary event.^[14]
    • Acepromazine (ACP) sedates the dog but it still experiences the fear. So externally the dog seems improved, but it is still fearful. This is why this drug has fallen out of favor.===Using Short-Term Strategies===
16. Minimize the stimulation. Insulate your dog from the bright lights and loud noises of storms and fireworks. Bring the dog indoors, and close all windows and doors. Draw the curtains so the dog can't see the flashes. If appropriate (not during an electrical storm) put the TV on with the volume low, to act as a distraction. Remember to act normally and go about your normal business so as to send out the message that everything is OK and you aren't worried.^[15]
    
17. Give the dog a safe place to hide. A fearful dog instinctively wants to hide. If the dog chooses to go to ground and hide under a bed or behind a sofa then let it. You may wish to provide additional security by laying a blanket over the edge of the bed to provide additional sound insulation.
    
    • If the dog is crate trained, it may wish to go to its crate. Cover most of the crate with a thick blanket so that it is even more cave-like and secure than normal. Place something with your scent on it inside the crate to add to the dog's feelings of security.^[16]
    • If your dog is not crate trained then consider doing so as part of your strategy for helping him overcome this fear.
18. Use pheromones. When a lot of fireworks are anticipated plug-in DAP diffuser in your house beforehand. These devices give off a synthetic dog pheromone that makes dogs feel safe and secure. The diffusers help to give an anxious dog heightened feelings of security, and can diffuse some of its anxiety.
    
19. Put a Thundershirt on the dog. These work by fitting the dog snugly and pressing against its body. This is akin to swaddling a young baby, which gives a sense of security and safety. For some dogs it takes the edge off of the anxiety and helps to bolster their confidence.^[17]
    
20. Consider using medications. Some dogs are so fearful they try to escape, harm themselves, or lose control of their bladder or bowels. If your dog has this type of extreme anxiety then get it checked by your vet. If there is no medical explanation for the dog's extreme fear, then the vet may be able to prescribe medications to calm the dog during the event.
    
    • There is no one drug that is perfect, but one useful combination is diazepam and propranolol. Diazepam is a tranquilizer, which lessens the feelings of anxiety, while propranolol is a beta blocker, which prevents the heart from racing. This combination helps to keep the animal relaxed during a scary event.^[18]
    • Acepromazine (ACP) sedates the dog but it still experiences the fear. So externally the dog seems improved, but it is still fearful. This is why this drug has fallen out of favor.===Using Short-Term Strategies===
21. Minimize the stimulation. Insulate your dog from the bright lights and loud noises of storms and fireworks. Bring the dog indoors, and close all windows and doors. Draw the curtains so the dog can't see the flashes. If appropriate (not during an electrical storm) put the TV on with the volume low, to act as a distraction. Remember to act normally and go about your normal business so as to send out the message that everything is OK and you aren't worried.^[19]
    
22. Give the dog a safe place to hide. A fearful dog instinctively wants to hide. If the dog chooses to go to ground and hide under a bed or behind a sofa then let it. You may wish to provide additional security by laying a blanket over the edge of the bed to provide additional sound insulation.
    
    • If the dog is crate trained, it may wish to go to its crate. Cover most of the crate with a thick blanket so that it is even more cave-like and secure than normal. Place something with your scent on it inside the crate to add to the dog's feelings of security.^[20]
    • If your dog is not crate trained then consider doing so as part of your strategy for helping him overcome this fear.
23. Use pheromones. When a lot of fireworks are anticipated plug-in DAP diffuser in your house beforehand. These devices give off a synthetic dog pheromone that makes dogs feel safe and secure. The diffusers help to give an anxious dog heightened feelings of security, and can diffuse some of its anxiety.
    
24. Put a Thundershirt on the dog. These work by fitting the dog snugly and pressing against its body. This is akin to swaddling a young baby, which gives a sense of security and safety. For some dogs it takes the edge off of the anxiety and helps to bolster their confidence.^[21]
    
25. Consider using medications. Some dogs are so fearful they try to escape, harm themselves, or lose control of their bladder or bowels. If your dog has this type of extreme anxiety then get it checked by your vet. If there is no medical explanation for the dog's extreme fear, then the vet may be able to prescribe medications to calm the dog during the event.
    
    • There is no one drug that is perfect, but one useful combination is diazepam and propranolol. Diazepam is a tranquilizer, which lessens the feelings of anxiety, while propranolol is a beta blocker, which prevents the heart from racing. This combination helps to keep the animal relaxed during a scary event.^[22]
    • Acepromazine (ACP) sedates the dog but it still experiences the fear. So externally the dog seems improved, but it is still fearful. This is why this drug has fallen out of favor.

EditTraining a Dog to Overcome Fear of Loud Noises

1. Act normally. It is important that the owner ignores any fearful behavior the dog is displaying. While it is perfectly natural to want to reassure an animal in distress, in reality it trains the dog to give in to the distressed behavior. Retraining is doomed from the start unless you understand this.^[23]
   
   • By acting unconcerned you send out a strong message that you are not worried and therefore the dog has nothing to be fearful of.
2. Never force a dog to face its fears head on. In other words, don't take a fearful dog to a fireworks show and expect it to adjust. This is a technique called sensory flooding and it is inhumane. The dog is bombarded by what it fears and instead of overcoming that fear, the dog may become traumatized and emotionally damaged instead.
   
3. Exposure the dog to a very low level of the feared sound. Train the dog to remain calm during the sound by rewarding calm behavior with a treat or affection.^[24] This is different than sensory flooding because you are using very low levels of sound and working gradually.
   
   • To do this, purchase a CD of the sound the dog fears, for example fireworks or thunderstorms. The idea is to play the CD on the lowest possible volume so that the dog remains calm. Praise the dog and reward it for being calm in the presence of the sounds.
   • If possible, leave the CD playing quietly in the background for an hour at a time but don't leave the dog alone while it is playing.
4. Gradually increase the volume of the feared sound. Once the dog is regularly taking no notice of the quiet background sounds, turn the volume up a tiny amount. This should be slightly louder than previously, but not enough to make the dog shows signs of anxiety, such as lip licking, pacing, whining, shivering, or shaking.
   
   • Again, reward the dog with love or treats for being in the presence of the alarming noise, but not being fearful of it.
   • Repeat this exposure until you are sure the dog is not reacting at all, and then you are ready to turn the volume up one more notch.
5. Expose the dog to the CD sounds on a daily basis. If at any stage the dog becomes fearful, restart the next session with the volume one notch lower. Don't forget to act very relaxed yourself while doing this training. The dog needs to see that you are unconcerned.
   
   • It may take a large amount of time, but with determination and dedication, it is possible to help your dog overcome its fear of fireworks or thunder.

EditTips

• Remember that loud noises are often worse for dogs than humans because dogs have such sensitive hearing. They may be aware of an approaching storm half an hour before it arrives. Then when the fireworks or thunder do start, what is uncomfortable to our ears is so much worse to sensitive canine ears.

EditSources and Citations

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