Getting Your Dog Through the Fireworks

Do fireworks make your dog pace, cower, whine, or tremble? Your dog isn't alone   around 45% of dogs are terrified of fireworks, according to a study published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Your dog doesn't have to be afraid, though   there is an abundance of ways you can help your dog cope with sound aversion.

Photo by Suvan Chowdhury from Pexels

In the United States, many people observe July 4th as a day of celebrating their country and its independence, and fireworks have been a big part of the traditional celebrations ever since the first anniversary of Independence Day in 1777.

Unfortunately, many animal shelters report that their busiest days are July 4th and July 5th, and this isn't a coincidence. Shelters end up being flooded with panicked pets who bolted away from their families in fear, as well as worried humans trying to find their animal companions. For more information on pet safety and how to find lost pets, check out our blog post about Petco Love Lost.

Considering that the use of fireworks in the United States doubled between 2000 and 2017, it looks like this tradition isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Understanding why your dogs are terrified of fireworks can help you understand them and what they need.

So why exactly are dogs afraid of fireworks in the first place? Is it a matter of nurture or that of nature, or perhaps a bit of both?

When dogs are exposed to sudden loud noises, their brains release adrenaline and cortisol, which is an important stress hormone. The amygdala, hippocampus, and parts of the frontal cortex change when exposed to sounds like thunderstorms and fireworks. All those parts of the brain deal with, among other things, emotions and stress responses. Essentially, many dogs have a biological stress response when the fireworks are going off.

Our assistant spokesdog, Theo, doesn't like sudden loud sounds.

As far as nurture goes, a 2013 study by the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences measured fear responses to loud noises in dogs. They considered fear responses to be any of the following: trembling, shaking, hiding, seeking comfort, destruction, urination, and salivation. How other dogs around them react to noises can also impact a dog's perception of danger. Dr. Rachel Casey explains that dogs' early environment and exposure to loud noises are involved in whether or not fear responses to certain noises develop.

The same study discovered that dogs raised by the same humans who bred them were less likely to be afraid of noises later in life, perhaps from a sense of general security in their environment. The research also showed that hunting breeds were not as sensitive to loud noises (perhaps bred for the quality of not being skittish around shotguns and the like), but cross-breeds were more likely to be noise-sensitive.

For the argument of nature, there was a study done in 2015 by researchers at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Oslo. This study examined over 5,000 dogs from 17 different breed clubs across Norway, and they looked at four different types of loud noises: fireworks, thunder, traffic, and loud banging. 23% of the dogs in the study displayed fear responses in at least one of the four categories.

Specific breeds showed genetic predisposition to having a fear response or lacking said fear response, in general: More fearful dogs included Norwegian buhunds, soft-coated wheaten terriers, and Shiba Inus. Dogs least bothered by the four presented noises included Great Danes, Boxers, Chinese Cresteds, and Pointers.

The NULS study also showed that female dogs were 30% more likely to be fearful and neutered dogs were 72% more likely to be afraid. Older dogs were found to have a 3% increase in sensitivity, though hearing loss could have something to do with that number.

Bessy, our former spokesdog, shows her feelings about fireworks.

Understanding the fear is only part of the story. Having strategies to help your petrified pup for holidays like the Fourth of July and New Years is also important. Thankfully, there are many different strategies that you can mix and match as best suits your canine and situation:

• Take them for a walk beforehand
• Taking your dog for a long walk before the sun sets can help tucker them out and put them in a calm state.
• Make sure your dog's lease/harness are extra secure just in case some folks decide to start the explosives early.
• Insulate them indoors
• Keep your dog inside in a safe, enclosed area where she can't hurt herself in a panic.
• Make sure that the safe space is away from outside walls and windows, to prevent your dog from being able to see or hear the fireworks. Some people use basements or closets as insulated areas.
• Make sure that you start hanging out in the safe space before the fireworks start.
• Provide familiar, beloved toys in the safe space.
• If your dog finds comfort in his crate, make sure that option is available to him. Not all dogs find their crates to be a source of comfort, so don't force your dog to stay in his crate.
• Keep them company and remain calm
• When in stressful situations, dogs often look to their owners for comfort. A study has shown that dogs feel safer when their owners are around when confronted with a potentially threatening stranger. Essentially, people can help their dogs feel less stressed simply by being nearby.
• Try to stay home with your dog and keep them company in the safe space, or at least leave them in the care of a person you both trust.
• How you act in this situation is important, too. If you're stressed out, your dog is more likely to be stressed out. A soothing, calming voice and relaxed actions will make your dog feel at ease. An open access study showed that human behavior influences their dogs' comfort levels. An unfamiliar situation was created: green streamers were attached to an electric fan, which blew the streamers around. When dogs and their humans were presented with the unfamiliar situation, humans who were instructed to act calm and happy did so, and their dogs were more likely to approach the green streamer fan to investigate. When their humans acted afraid, the dogs were less likely to approach the unfamiliar situation.
• Providing soothing touch in the form of long, slow, firm strokes can also help keep your dog calm.
• Distract them with play
• Some dogs respond well to physical distractions. You can play tug of war and other games with your dog to keep them distracted, if they seem interested.
• Some dogs might also respond well to practicing commands and tricks to keep their minds occupied and not focused on the sounds that stress them out.

Hank and Theo are here to remind you to provide plenty of water to your pups on hot summer days.

• Play soothing sounds
• TV, fans, white noise, and radio are all examples of background sounds that can help drown out the sounds of fireworks.
• There is a compilation of classical music called "Through a Dog's Ear" that has been shown to have a calming effect on dogs, so this is another option for soothing sound.
• Have snacks available
• Before the fireworks, make some tasty food or get out your dog's favorite treats. Feed your dog the special food or treats one piece at a time throughout the fireworks to distract and countercondition, to help them associate fireworks with yummy snacks instead of stress.
• This can be done in combination with practicing commands and tricks, as well, using the treats as a reward.
• You can try hiding treats in the safe space and encouraging your dog to find them.
• You can feed your dog dinner through a toy, like a Kong dispenser, to keep them engaged and busy and not focused on the fireworks.
• Practice desensitizing them beforehand
• You can play sounds of fireworks softly on a phone or computer and pair them with treats/play to help get your dog used to the sounds in a relaxed, fun environment.
• The volume of the sounds should be low enough that your dog notices them, but isn't stressed out (panting, pacing, hiding, etc). Making sure to keep your dog below the threshold of being stressed out helps keep them in a state where they can learn the sound isn't a threat. If the sound is too loud and they're panicked, it's much harder for them to learn that it's safe.
• Increase the volume gradually, vary the source of the sound, and use different recordings to help your dog acclimate more realistically, so when the real thing happens, they aren't surprised that it doesn't come from your phone and doesn't follow the same pattern they're used to.
• Anxiety wraps and thundershirts
• The theory of anxiety wraps and thundershirts is that gentle pressure applied to a dog's torso in the form of a vest or wrap produces calming effect, like when swaddling a distressed baby or hugging someone who's upset.
• Temple Grandin, professor of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University, discusses anxiety wraps in her book Animals Make Us Human and advises putting the wrap on for 20-30 minutes, removing it for that amount of time, and then reapplying it.
• Make sure to acclimate your dog to the vest by putting it on a few times during pleasant occasions, so the vest isn't unfamiliar and so it isn't solely associated with stressful experiences.
• This is best used in combination with other techniques.
• Medications/synthetic pheromones
• There is an FDA-approved drug for canine noise aversion called Sileo, which inhibits the development of fear and anxiety by blocking norepinephrine release. This produces a calming effect without sedating your dog.
• Sileo is a much better option than Ace, or acepromazine, which just makes it look as though your dog isn't anxious, when really they've been tranquilized and can't move or otherwise express anxiety.
• Adaptil is a synthetic pheromone that imitates the pheromone mother dogs emit after giving birth, and this has been found to decrease signs of fear in dogs who are sensitive to fireworks. It comes in a few different forms (diffuser, capsule, etc.), so you can find out what works best for your canine.
• Always discuss medications with a veterinarian before using them.

Bessy didn't like the fireworks, but she did like the cookouts.

It's a good idea to allow your dog to choose what coping strategies work best for them. Not all dogs respond to every option above, and not all dogs respond the same way, either. Make sure to provide options for your dogs so you can help them find what works sooner rather than later and prevent a great deal of stress. If your dog wants to hide, let them hide; if they want to play, play with them; denying their instincts for what helps them cope will likely just make their stress increase.

Some final thoughts:

If it's possible for you to be somewhere where there aren't fireworks to worry about in the first place, that makes this a whole lot easier, of course! But if that isn't possible, just remember the advice above.

Make sure your dog's ID information is all up-to-date, in case they manage to escape and make a panicked run for it. This way, when they're found, you can be reunited all the sooner.

If you do use medication or a thundershirt, make sure you use them at the right time. A dog must already be in a calm state and associate these tools with a relaxed state, so their anxiety doesn't override the benefits of these tools. If your pup is already hyperventilating, putting a thundershirt on her might not do much to slow her breathing down. It's all a balance, so it will take some work, but it's worth it for the wellbeing of your canine companions.

If your dog's anxiety is severe and these tips aren't helping as much as you'd like, you can always book a vet appointment to discuss other options or medication. Enlisting the help of a trainer or behavior consultant is also an option for helping your pup to cope.

Our Spokesdog, Hank, appreciates his humans for helping him feel safe on the Fourth of July.

Additional sources:

Baranauckas, Carla. “Dogs And Fireworks: The Fear Isn't All In Their Heads.” HuffPost, 2 July 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/dogs-fireworks-fear-isnt-all-in-heads_n_5b3a8912e4b07b827cb9ae6f#:~:text=People%20who%20have%20seen%20their,journal%20Applied%20Animal%20Behaviour%20Science.

Hecht, Julie. “Good (and Bad) Ways to Help a Dog Afraid of Fireworks.” Scientific American Blog Network, Scientific American, 30 June 2017, blogs.scientificamerican.com/dog-spies/good-and-bad-ways-to-help-a-dog-afraid-of-fireworks/.

Traverse, Teresa. “How to Keep Your Dog Calm During Fourth of July Fireworks.” American Kennel Club, American Kennel Club, 29 June 2020, www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/what-to-do-when-your-dog-is-freaking-out-over-fireworks/.

“Why Are Dogs Afraid Of Fireworks? 6 Ways To Comfort Your Dog During Fireworks.” The Dog People by Rover.com, Rover.com, www.rover.com/blog/why-are-dogs-afraid-of-fireworks-in/.

“Why Is Your Dog Scared of Fireworks?: 5 Key Tips to Help.” Cesar's Way, Cesar's Way, 2 July 2019, www.cesarsway.com/keeping-your-dog-safe-when-the-fireworks-start/.

Zagorsky, Jay L. “America's Dangerous Love for Pyrotechnics: 4 Facts about Fireworks.” The Conversation, 29 June 2017, theconversation.com/americas-dangerous-love-for-pyrotechnics-4-facts-about-fireworks-80181.

Photo credit (dogs): Pamela Mulvey

Written by Skye Isabella Rose Iwanski