Kiko is five years old. He has been my friend for two years. Before that he was a street dog.
When he hears a loud noise, a car back firing, a pop bottle rocket, he freaks out. He will run inside a store, or run home.
I have tried talking to him. Hugging him.
Once we went to a parade, and he hated the drums of a marching band. I put him on a leash, and he was sort of okay.
Any experience with this?
I would say apparently. I have had two older dogs, neither of which were upset by thunder nor fireworks. However, I had no hand in training the dogs originally, either.
I have a friend with three dogs, two of which are not afraid and the third (which he trained himself) hides behind the toilet during thunderstorms or fireworks.
Bob
I think it varies from pup to pup. Our 3 youngest are under one year and we’ve had then since them were eight-weeks-old. They’re used to blowdryers, vacuums, cars pulling in driveway – all the normal stuff.
Our Border Collie barks when an ant falls off a leaf a half mile away; we’ve had her for 13 years and she ain’t changing (even tried a thunder shirt).
IMHO, unless one has a gun-trained dog, plan on staying home to soothe the canines on 4th of July, mega thunder and so on. Even my calmest dogs freak out.
*I’m sure uber-professional trainers and seeing eye specialists can pull off noise-immune dogs, but as a mere mortal I’ve been able to train for non-fear of everyday noise (except for the Border, a creature of a different fur).
Getting someone to help with training by making loud noises at some distance while you provide the dog with pleasant attention/treats might work eventually.
Try keeping the dog on a leash at all times in public (with possible exceptions like a dog park). A dog that “freaks out” at loud noises could well run into the street and get squashed by a car.
I’m extremely paranoid about my doggies going skittish about a loud/unfamiliar sound in public and running away/being killed or hurt. I literally have nightmares about these situations.
Therefore, I forego any public situation where they might respond badly to loud noise. They can bark their furry butts off in their acre+ backyard at the occasional sirens, fireworks, and so on until they are hoarse.
A sidenote: my brother, who works in the field for Fish & Game in the Tucson area, had his dogs “rattlesnake trained.” They accompany him in the field as both friends and protectors (the dogs, not the snakes!) and they went through snake exposure school; it’s amazing how quickly and accurately – every time – he can call them off any animal that may be threatening, from venomous snakes to dangerous mammals. Last year he stopped one of the dogs in mid-chase of a mountain lion.
There’s a blog I follow (Team Unruly), that has a post pertaining to this issue- namely “Lucy At The Fair: LAT in Action”. LAT stands for Look at That game, and it’s basically a thing where you use regular rewards for the dog paying attention to you rather than the unpleasant stimulus. It’s worth a try.
My English Setter Sugar was horribly afraid of thunder, fireworks and any other loud booms. First I bought her a thundershirt, which worked wonders toward calming her. Then I began the reconditioning; during a thunderstorm, I sat near her but NOT CODDLING HER. This only rewards the dog for showing fear. Every time it thundered, I would pop a high value treat in her mouth- cheese, meat, something she LOVES. I didn’t take long for her to associate the sound of thunder with something yummy. Gradually I cut the amount of treats back, and now she pretty much sleeps thru storms. I might slip her 1 or 2 treats during the storm but she’s fine now.
My bigger dog will rush toward any sound, barking furiously, even if it’s just someone slamming a door. He’s also afraid of fireworks. He won’t go crazy when he hears music, the radio, the telephone, or my next-door neighbor drilling something.
The little dog acts like he suffers from a condition which prevents him from feeling fear… unless it’s a drill or fire alarm, in which case he starts climbing things (my lap if I’m available).
I wish I could train the fear out of the big dog. He’s otherwise well-behaved.
Another vote (though anecdotal) for linking good things with loud noises.
Lived on a farm when young; lots of rabbit hunting occurred (for the pot). But, the dogs went with you, and got the guts. So the noise of a gun was linked to yummy food. None of the farm dogs, or three subsequent dogs I have had that had that early exposure to noise + treats had a problem with loud noises.
Having grown up on a farm I can tell you animals are notorious for getting what they want and they will have reactions based on that, whether or not you are aware of it.
By this, I mean if your dog is afraid of thunder and you run over and pet him and comfort him, Mr Dog very quickly learns “Wow, I can get attention from this, I like attention.” So thus he is now going to act more nervous than he is because he’s getting exactly the reaction he wants from you whenever there is thunder.
We often do this without realizing this. Pets like to feel safe, usually a dog only wants a den where he can hid. Make a nice den for the dog. A table that has one entrance and is blocked by a wall on two side an a couch on the third side, is perfect. When the thunder starts and he feels scared, he can run under it. This is all he needs.
If he was in the wild, he’d get along just fine. By doing anything other than providing a safe spot, you’re actually feeding the dog’s problem. Add to this, if the dog likes the attention, and who wouldn’t, he’ll quickly learn to act more nervous just to get you to pay attention to him.
Cats are similar. Just give your pets a “safe spot” and leave them alone. They will be able to cope just fine. Fear is fear and whether your a dog, cat or person, you have to confront it to desensitize yourself.
Thank you everyone for your help. I learned a great deal.
Been doing it all wrong. Cuddle-ling Kiko when he was afraid of noises.
I will try the treat method.
Thanks again.