Last night, this morning. The aftermath of the fireworks
We are still a little while off this scenario, but I have to say on Sunday evening some muppet let some really loud fireworks off opposite my house
The episode lasted around one minute-was very loud and very pointless but one of my dogs was immediately terrified.
These days he recovers pretty quickly but even so, we are on that path towards those nights where even dogs that don't care that the sky is exploding need to be inside before the fireworks kick off
We need to consider how our dogs feel the day after if they suffer from extreme fear of fireworks. Fear has a huge consequence for the body and the brain
The body-will be sore, tired and muscles are likely to feel weak.
Brain-extreme fatigue and the pathways in the brain that lead to the "fear centre" (lets just call it that as we all know the brain is complex) are likely to be working overtime
How can we help our dogs during the morning after?
If your dog appreciates being touched then some gentle body work is appropriate- this will help the body and relax some of the tension in the muscles.
You may find your dog especially appreciates particular areas being worked on-these may not be the areas that hold the most pain but be areas where they always enjoy being touched-one of my dogs loves her chest being gently "scritched" -beware of the back as twinges and muscle spasms are common if the body has been under attack.
2. A gentle walk with a good friend or companion-take some treats, have a little pause in the walk where your dog can do a treat search and remember social connections with another dog are valuable-a companionable walk and some shared time is important.
A fast and busy walk will only release more adrenaline and stress chemicals and add to the load your dog is already carrying in the body
3. Make sure your dog is not dehydrated. Bodies need hydration at times like this-it is always important to check on how much your dog drinks but after extreme stress food and drink are less likely to be consumed. A little bit of milk can always be added to water to encourage your dog to drink a little more
4. Do you really need to invite those visitors to your house?
Meeting somewhere else would make things so much easier for your dog, after a night of anxiety your dog needs rest so they can recover
Keep it simple-prepare to help your dog and don't make the burden heavier or make demands.
As a canine bodyworker I can give you some more detailed bodywork for your dog-email me for help
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