How to keep your pet calm during bonfire night

I remember one thundery night as a child, our Tibetan Terrier Molly bolting upstairs and diving into my parent’s bed for cover. Their initial surprised laughter made her a little self-conscious and she attempted to sit bravely at the foot of the bed. Of course we all rallied to keep her calm, but she couldn’t help shaking from shoulder to paw for the remainder of the storm.

It’s not often that we’re so scared of something that our whole body shakes. When we do, whether irrational or not, it’s because we are uncontrollably anxious and it feels like the end of the world.

If I didn’t know what fireworks were, I’d probably imagine it was the four horsemen of the apocalypse signalling the rapture, to be fair it’s also four times louder for dogs and worryingly unexplainable. 

There are ways you can help ‘explain’ this tradition of loud bangs to your pet. 

There are products we can buy to help calm our pets, such as the scent plug-ins, which mimic the calming pheromones of a pet’s mother, or even homeopathic remedies to drop into our pet’s food every evening such as Bach’s Rescue Remedies; both to be used for a few days before and during the event. However, I believe in communication first. 

Animals have a complex language based on behavioural signals, sounds and smells. Some natural and simple ways to explain the harmlessness of the situation could involve leading by example. If we appear calm and unfazed, this sends a powerful message to our pets that no one is at risk. 

Create a distraction

It has been suggested that, just as animals take behavioural cues from us, your pet may benefit from hanging out with another who doesn’t suffer from firework anxiety. However, be cautious as this can backfire and work the other way.

One product I believe to be worth trying is the Thundershirt. As barmy as it sounds, this ‘hugging’ vest is based on hundreds of years of research into the benefits of constant pressure to relieve anxiety. It is based on a method used with people who have autism, to help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Whenever Molly was upset about the thunder, the hoover, uninvited guest, I would take to a dog massage learned from an old pet psychology book. As successful as it is in most situations, cuddling or trying too hard to physically calm your pet can increase the feeling of danger as you change your behaviour.

All of these approaches can also be taken during the upcoming festive season, when your household or neighbours may be holding more parties or events than usual.
 

You can find helpful information from the PDSA and other pet charities, such as this article on the PDSA website.