With the Canada Day long weekend quickly approaching and thunderstorm warnings for our area, we wanted to remind you of some firework and thunder fear prevention tips.
The best way to treat and prevent these phobias is to train your dog using behaviour modification techniques such as desensitization and counter-conditioning. Below are a few recommendations, some pets require advanced training, anti-anxiety medications or sedatives. If your pet has a phobia to fireworks or thunder, we recommend you contact one of our team members this week to develop a plan for your special pet.
Training Tips:
1) Start “Fear Prevention” Training at a young age. This can be done by playing thunderstorm, fireworks, seagulls, baby crying noises on YouTube, while your pet plays with you or other dogs. Start with the sound quiet and short sessions, the gradually increase the noise level and duration. Make sure you show no interest in the sounds and carry on with playing.
2) Never punish or scold your dog for being nervous or scared. Punishment will confirm to your pet that there is something to fear and may intensify the situation by making them more anxious.
3) Do not reassure your dog. Try not to fuss over, pat, or reassure your dog when they are scared, as this can be preserved by the pet as a reward for their anxious behaviour. It can be very difficult but try to ignore any fearful behaviours and carry out your normal routines.
4) Practice training the “Settle” command. When your dog is quiet and relaxing, say “Fluffy Settle” and give them a treat or reward and say “Good Settle”. It takes some training by this can be an effective tool during stressful situations. For example at the beginning of a thunderstorm you may notice some anxious behaviours and give your pet the command settle, which is telling them there is nothing to worry about.
Do not just ignore the problem because it only happens intermittently or for a few days each year. There are lots of products available for managing these phobias, such as diets, medications and pheromone diffusers. Please speak with one of our team members to work with you and determine the best treatment for your pet.
