My dog is terrified of fireworks and won't go outside at night. Help!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds like Chester’s noise phobia has worsened with each passing year (which is very common). I’d recommend getting your vet involved. He or she can help you determine if Chester needs long-term anxiety medication or some some to have on hand for times of known fireworks. Do keep up with the collar and the thunder jacket though both help some. (I don’t know how many times he’s worn the jacket but the latest study I heard about said that is has its biggest effect after the 5th wear during a storm/firework episode). Best of luck to you and Chester!

Slowly reacclimate him to going outside again. Use treats as rewards and bribes. If he is a small dog, carry him outside for ever increasing periods of time. Calming pheromone collars or sprays may be effective. Compression shirts such as the ThunderShirt may help as well.

Please do not give Jackson any medication that was not prescribed for him, as this can be very dangerous, and a dose that is safe for a person may be toxic for a dog. In addition, some human medications contain additives/components that can be toxic to dogs, so it is best to check with your vet before giving any meds to help make sure they are safe. Acepromazine can be very useful in certain situations, depending on the temperament of the dog, how they react to it, and the situation causing the anxiety. If you are concerned about managing behavioural concerns with Jackson, call the vet who saw him recently and see what they recommend, as they should be able to work on a plan to help Jackson feel better. If you are concerned about issues with fireworks and the like, please visit the following links for more information http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3105. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1657

I would continue to take her out on the leash for lots of walks, giving her treats to distract her if there is a noise or something that may scare her. You can also get an anti anxiety supplement at PetCo which may help her to relax. Usually this will improve over several weeks as long as there aren’t more scary episodes. Please contact a dog trainer if she doesn’t improve in a month or so. They can help you learn how to build her confidence and get her used to various things outside. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Harley.

Poor Jaxon! It does sound like he's quite fearful of many things, including sounds, the vet's office, and other dogs barking. The patch of hair that stands up is called his "hackles" - when you see the hair stand up like this, it usually means that the dog is frightened or upset. Since it sounds like his anxiety is fairly severe, the best option would be to make an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist who can evaluate Jaxon in person. He/she can help you determine why he is so fearful, and will give you a detailed treatment plan for him including some training exercises you can do to increase his confidence and teach him to associate good things with people, other dogs, etc. He may also benefit from anti-anxiety medication. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org In the meantime, you could try a DAP pheromone collar along with a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure to help reduce his anxiety - this won't be as effective as prescription medication, but it may help to take the edge off of his fear in these situations until you are able to see the behaviorist for a more complete treatment plan.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Archie. There is a fairly new drug out for noise/sound phobias but it is actually a medicine that we have used for years to sedation and anesthetize dogs and cats. The drug company has now packaged it in an oral gel form and very small doses of the drug are very effective at curbing the fear that dogs experience. The drug in the United States is called Sileo (dexmedetomidine oromucosal gel). I would advise asking your veterinarian and find out if this preparation of the drug is available in the UK. The other thing you can do is behavior modification, or in this case hyposensitization to loud noises that cause him anxiety. Find recordings of thunder and loud noises but play it very softly at first when starting the medication if you can get it. You can then incrementally raise the volume of the recording to start lessening his response to the noises that bother him. I hope this helps and I hope this drug is available in this form in the UK. Good luck with Archie.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Do they have noise phobias? Meaning do they care when fireworks are set off. If they don't care, I don't see why their routine has to change. My dog could care less about fireworks or thunderstorms so we let him out (fenced yard). As long as your dogs aren't roaming out of the yard and aren't scared of fireworks I would keep things the same. If they are scared then do not let them outside at dusk when fireworks tend to be set off, especially alone. Keep them indoors with the TV AND radio on in the most insulated sound proof area of your home and talk to your Vet about medicating them BEFORE fireworks are set off. I wish you all the best!