Every year we discuss the fireworks because so many dogs have such a bad time from the end of October to the end of December with fireworks being sporadically let off
The other day I saw a poster advertising a firework display which will be held in mid October, while these events may be fun for humans it only prolongs the misery of the firework season
Those of you with dogs that have extreme fear of fireworks may already notice that your dogs are more reluctant to walk now the evenings are becoming darker
It is important to consider that there are no quick fixes -and relief for dogs will come in the form of various modalities-there are no easy ways of eliminating a dogs fears
We have already discussed that pain is often at the root of firework phobia-link here
In this section we will discuss the idea of reducing the amount of stress by looking at exercise and posture
Exercise needs to be calm in the lead up to what is often the most difficult time of the year for many dogs
If your dog spends time outside rushing around and chasing balls -this can fuel the phobia. As the ball is being thrown the body releases adrenaline and other stress hormones, and posture changes
If a dog spends walks waiting for a ball to be thrown all the calm and dog centred activities go out of the window.
Adrenaline starts to flow through the dogs body -and while this chemical is extremely efficient in helping any of us deal with danger and is a life saver in life threatening situations it is not something dogs should be dealing with every day for prolonged periods
Instead of walking and sniffing, running after a few squirrels or playing with friends the walk is hijacked by the ball.
Not only is there a definite possibility of injury as dogs run. skid, jump and land onto their hind legs (the kind of activity which a dogs body is not designed for) the emotional impact is also significant and detrimental especially if we know a dog is likely to become increasingly fearful in the run up to firework season
These types of walks are just not healthy for dogs or their emotional state. Not only are slower walks needed for dogs to fulfil their basic needs but if a dog returns home full of adrenaline they are less able to relax and get the right amount of rest and sleep during the day. Injuries are far more likely to occur through ball chasing -which of course lead to pain causing another factor that can create anxiety in the run up to firework night.
Walks need to be calm-this has 2 purposes- the regular release of adrenaline is prevented and posture changes for the better
A hyper alert postures cause the head to come up, the body to tense, and tails are held rigidly across the back and are not conducive to helping dogs through stressful times
Slower walks cause a change in posture posture and allow dogs to sniff, stop and observe and relax. These become positive walks and are part of the solution to helping guide dogs through their fears
There is no point in forcing a dog to walk once they become fearful in the dark-think about how walks could be rescheduled to lighter times of the day
Add more enrichment activities into your dogs day and take things out if your dog seems to become anxious. For instance visits to family or friends or specific places can sometimes be stressful rather than pleasure-able for dogs
Add in things into your dogs day that he finds pleasure in BUT which do not increase excitement -otherwise the entire cycle begins anew
If your dog is ball obsessive-leave the ball at home-or instead of throwing one - they can be hidden for dogs to search out and find-dogs get just as much fun from this kind of game and yes! there are less stress chemicals in the body for dogs to deal with when they get home
These add ons to your dogs life might seem a bit too easy-but they are huge positives, will decrease anxiety and can be used as part of a stress reduction programme
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