Yeah... these are so great! I am terrified about next Monday for Jasper. Last year was so traumatizing for her and while it's not ideal, I might have to drug her. I hate to do it but as someone told me yesterday, it's actually the humane thing to do. Fireworks are her worst nemesis and since we live so close to the beach and the beach fireworks show... it will be tough next week. Last year we did use the thunder shirt (I think I need to put it on BEFORE the show starts), built her a fort in my bed and blasted Enya music into her face ... she was miserable.

And yet, Shelby and I used to walk to watch the fireworks and she loved them!!! Never fearful.

So interesting how the two can be so different!

I will say this - Jasper and I went to an outdoor movie w/some friends this weekend and unlike last year, she was unphased by the loud music. But I do know fireworks / gunshots still scare her to death so this a tough time of year for sure!  

The rule in my house is fireworks=dogs inside. I don't care if they've been scared in the past or not. Better safe than sorry. After Sadie got spooked by (we think) a combo of horse smells and strange dogs barking and got hit, I'm even more serious about it. As cool as everyone here is, I'd be perfectly happy if no more dogs ever joined the tripawd club.

benny55 said
Just got the "Dog Tricks and Training Workbook a member here had suggested. Glancing quickly thru it, look at the little "tip"'hat was in there:

Is your dog left pawed or right pawed?

Like humans, most dogs have a preference. They are either right-handed or left-handed. To find your dog's paw preference watch which pawl he uses to hold down a bone, to chew or to steady a chew toy stuffed with treats. You could also stick a piece of tape to his muzzle and see which paw he uses to wipe it off. Some dogs show no significant paw preference. These dogs have significantly more noise phobias, reacting strongly to thunderstorms and fireworks. A similar finding in humans has shown a correlation between people with weaker hand preferences and extreme anxiety.

Have noooo idea if there is any credibility to this "paw preference". Just found it intriguing.  

That's too funny and interesting... Jasper is a south-paw, I think. Every time I get her to shake, she gives me her left paw. She came to me that way and I assumed someone had taught her that before. But I can't get her to shake w/the right paw. Shelby always shook paws with her right (I think I taught her shake, I can't recall). so perhaps there is something to that! I am grateful Jasper has no clue what is to come Monday (it will SO loud from what I have seen advertised). I really should have planned for us to get out of town but I have to work Tuesday and would have been back in LA that night. Sigh... worst time of year for her. 

We will be putting Ollie's Thundershirt on before the loudness starts. He is terrified of thunder. Last year he was OK on the 4th, but he was still very new here. We won't take chances and will bring a TV into the bedroom, turn it up and watch TV with the door closed. Hopefully the idiot neighbor with the illegal mortars won't be shooting them off at all hours this year.

Kathi

As soon as fireworks start up all the fans and ACs are turned up high and we flick to a "safe" TV channel and crank it up. Lights go out too. On holidays when we know there's going to be fireworks we premeditate the little dogs with Benadryl, Sheba gets trazodone (can have Xanax too if she gets really bad), and Buster gets acepromazine.  If he'll hold still enough, Buster also gets a Thundershirt.  The Thundershirt didn't help Sheba and she'd get too hot.  Dolly and Nikko are small enough that we just use ACE bandages for them.  Have had some luck with the D.A.P spray but we're out at the moment.

We survived fireworks 2016!!! Barely. I went to a friends house a couple doors away and I knew it would be bad but knew Jasper would be safe in a secured apt with all the windows tightly shut and blasting loud classical music. I came home immediately following the show and she greeted me at the door and lept into my arms. Part of me felt like a crappy dog mom for leaving her but part felt that she did better w/out me here hovering over her. Tried to get her to potty outside but I was too afraid she would slip out of her collar and bolt .. she was flat to the ground - desperate to get back inside. So back in her shirt and even a new toy didn't help. The booms never stopped for hours. I feel like we live in a war zone! I hope that was the end of it but still... being as close to the beach where one of the largest LA shows is ... just not cool. I am happy that the holiday is over and we should get our beach back soon! Hope our other friends did well too!