My dog is traumatized by fireworks and won't go out. What to do?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jax! This is a serious phobia now if he won't go outside after dark. I highly recommend taking Jax to your Vet for medications. I would recommend starting a long acting anti-anxiety medication like Prozac. You will need to be proactive for fireworks and thunder storms for the future. You should have a short acting sedative to give before fireworks and thunderstorms. During these events he should be in a safe room with the TV AND a radio on. Do not force him outdoors during these times. You need to start desensitizing him towards firework noise now. That means playing a recording on a low volume while feeding him delicious treats and gradually increasing the volume. The goal being that he will associate GOOD things with the firework noise instead of fear. You will need to do something similar to get him back outside at night in combination with drugs. Good luck!

It may be instinctive to try comforting her, but that is counterproductive. Just go on as usual, giving her the impression that there is nothing to fear. You could try putting a treat on each stair (before her daily meal, so she is hungry). Each time she goes up a step to get the treat, praise her a bit. You can do the same with the settee. She may need some time to get over this trauma, so be patient with her. If you need additional help, just click on the prompt to initiate a consult.

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 Luna! I'm sorry to hear that she has been so anxious since the fire this weekend. Try to determine what may be a high-value reward to her, be it a special treat or toy and try to use this object to coax her inside. A calming pheromone collar (here is one example: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/adaptil-adjustable-calming-dog-collar) can be helpful in some stressful situations. Ultimately, time, patience and rewarding positive behavior (i.e. she walked closer to the door today than she did yesterday) will be the best way to slowly remedy this situation. If she seems anxious inside of the house or is still having issues coming through the door in a few weeks, it may be worth discussing anxiety medications with Luna's vet. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Poor Diesel! Fireworks and loud noises can be really scary for dogs. One important thing to do to when your dog acts scared is not to reassure him. We think we are comforting him when we do that, but it's actually reinforcing the behavior and telling him it's ok to be scared. I recommend getting him a thundershirt to wear when there are fireworks or loud noises. These have been reported to help dogs with anxiety. At home, you can put him in a dark quiet room by himself to self-soothe. You can also turn on the TV or music to block out the sound. Finally, you can consider get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety.

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!

I would recommend anti-anxiety supplements and calming supplements such as those recommended below. If there is no improvement, you may need to seek behavioral training or see a veterinarian about anti-anxiety prescription drugs. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Adaptil calming collar and diffuser 2. NaturVet Quiet Moments calm chews with melatonin