Well Fright Night 1 August revelry is still three days away and howitzers have been shooting off all day... They're still at it, at 1:45 AM.



It's going to be a loooooooooooooong long holiday weekend.



Keep your pets safe, folks.

Difficult nights with the cat coming up and no possibility to go to France or Germany as he hates being in the car, as he hates vacuums and ironing boards (for some strange reason).

Happy he wasn't home last night as a bat came into my front room, my apartment really seems to attract them, will have to put the blinds down in the evening in the future.

Poor kitty! Vacuums and ironing boards scare me too! Different reasons, though.

Well, I'm washing the thundershit and making a comfy space in the cellar - we'll be spending a good bit of time there over the next few days!

Hope everyone's pets stay safe!

Cringe! The noise started here in Locarno Friday night. It's going to be a bad one!

I have tried everything. Nothing has worked for my chihuahua. The only solution is to leave the country for a few days. Unfortunately that is not an option for us this year.

I hope everyone has a safe holiday.

How does your dog respond to the fireworks? Is it fear or aggression?

It took me years to get this right with my last dog. She began by reacting with fear, then after working with her vet, I kept the curtains closed and she'd bark at the fireworks to 'see them off', which was worse in some ways, but at least she wasn't a nervous wreck for days afterwards. Finally, I used to sit in the conservatory with her and watch them whilst cuddling her.

Every dog's different, but mine was only really scared of fireworks if she couldn't see them.

I have two dogs. One, the youngest, absolutely doesn't care about fireworks or thunder, but has major separation anxiety, which we are really struggling to manage (and the neighbors are slowly losing patience with her incessant barking when left alone...)

The older dog, now almost 8, was fine when she was younger. But with each passing year she's getting more and more nervous around fireworks and thunderstorms. She goes hide in the dark in our bathroom, under a shelf. Or she follows us around everywhere in the house.

I tried anxiolytics one year, which didn't work as it made her completely crazy, for some reason. This year we're going with Zylken, which is basically casein and is supposed to be quite effective. We started it a few days ago.

Hope the Zylkene for your doglet, Mélusine. It's an awful day for many animals.

I'm hoping the ancient Belltie has gone deaf enough now not to be bothered much this year, he's so fragile at this point.

(I lost two of mine a couple weeks after 1 August. While they were both terminally ill and so it was just a matter of time, both took a marked turn for the worst on 1 August. I know the terrors of the day sped the inevitable along.)

Hooligan has epilepsy, so the day is always fraught. Random flashing lights, loud explosions, and constant stress are exactly what an epileptic dog should not be subjected to.

Heffalump is just garden-variety terrified. Biggest challenge will be his bladder. Seems whenever the poor lad goes out another rocket launches, scaring him to the point when he can't do the necessary. Hopefully there will be a few pauses in the noise today and tomorrow, Tuesday will be the critical 'full bladder' day. Extra strength cleaner at the ready.

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For those who are new to Switzerland - private fireworks are common, you may find that your neighbors are shooting off rockets all around you. It will sound like a war zone. Some people shoot fireworks starting at sunrise and continue all day long, some are restrained and wait for dark. Fireworks are supposed to end IIRC at around 1 or 2 AM, but some will continue all through the night.

Please, please keep your dogs on lead, not only on walks but also whenever you go out into your garden. Every year dogs get spooked and run off in panic - and some sadly don't make it home. Better safe than sorry, on 1 August keep then on lead anytime you step out of the house.

I have two chihuahuas, mother and daughter. The mother is the one afraid of loud noises. The daughter doesn'the care at all. The mom used to be fine, until we moved to Locarno four years ago. When she hears a loud noise (fireworks, thunder, something dropped at a constuction site...) her first reaction is to run away (I can never have her off leash). If we are at home she will then shake uncontrollably. She follows me around, but won't settle if I hold her. She won't even take a treat.
The first time, we were out for a walk when the fireworks started here, I hadn't realized they were going to have them that night. She tried to run away, I picked her up, and she really tried to get out of my arms whilst screaming. It was horrible.
Another time we were walking on a path next to the river. We got to a spot where we were in between the train tracks and the river. A train went by and she tried to jump into the water. She is tiny and doesn'the like to swim. I swear she is suicidal!

She is not neurotic, just sensitive. When there aren't loud noises she is fine. She loves other dogs and people. She loves to go for walks. She is a happy little dog.

Lily took zylkene for a while and it did help her. Not with fireworks, but in general. Now she's almost 13 and mellow, except during fireworks, thunderstorms, etc. hope the zylkene helps!

I don't know if Mutt Muffs would help? Rather expensive.

Why stay in Switzerland though - a brilliant opportunity to dash over to France, Germany, Italy, Austria ... for a long week-end - as we did when our Gatsby was still with us.

Not always feasible. Not all pups - and cats - travel well.

Oh what a shame- I am sorry. How far are you from border? For me it is so close- but even so- all our dogs have been used to travel to and from UK and also Italy. Even our Pudding travelled from UK when she was about 17 without any trouble, with an overnight stop.

Hope all goes well.

Due to Hooligan's epilepsy and the Belltie's myriad health issues/advanced age we had to stop giving each of them rabies vacs. Therefore we cannot cross borders.

(Years ago, with Melon and St Swimbo we hopped over across the Bodensee. Only to land in a German Dorf celebrating something-or-other... with fireworks. Frying pan, fire.)

I'm close to the border, but I'm better off in my own large cellar than a hotel with lots of people.

Always rented apartments with dogs- not hôtels ... for same reason. In France it is very easy to find dog friendly holiday apartments.

Maybe you want to come down here for the day.. My village stopped the fireworks 3 years ago and now just does the bonfire and provides a little patch in a field for you to let off your own fireworks .. Maybe 20 bangs last year, all over in 10 minutes.


Ba humbug !!

Villages in my area have 'fused' for admin purposes and take it in turn to have the officialbonfire and fireworks- great idea. More ecological, better fireworks- and easy to get away from if desired.

The weather report for tomorrow calls for rain and thunderstorms late afternoon/evening, at least in my area. So we'll be in the cellar, fireworks or not.

Last night there were fireworks into the early morning hours. It was awful. Today it was quiet.

Tonight we are in a hotel in a village in Germany. The hotel parking lot is full of cars with Swiss plates and dog cages in most of them.

No fireworks. Just thunderstorms and those Abby copes with.