If you are not a pet person you don't understand. The human-animal bond is amazing. I have seen grown men sob uncontrollably because they had to put their pet down.
My children are all moved out, they have their own lives. My pets are my companions and my best friends, not my slaves.
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For the first time, our Brownie got VERY nervous on a 1st of August (see my previous post). And since then she's very nervous when outside, walks with her tail between her legs, keeps looking back and around her. She also refuses to go anywhere than in front of the basement to do her 'stuff' and then pulls hard on the leash to go back home.
First - give Brownie a brief gentle calm hug from me.
Yes - more and more behaviorists have come to believe that the old adage of 'not reinforcing fear' is more complex than once thought, that by acknowledging an animal's fears one does not reinforce them.
Calm supportive response (as opposed to over the top smothering, that one should never do as it can drive anxiety higher) does exactly that - reassures the dog that he is in a supportive atmosphere. We need to bring an animal's adrenaline levels down under the threshold where he is able to start learning.
Fear is an emotion, not a behavior. We want to change the emotion in order to change the behavior.
Some quick suggestions for dealing with fearful behaviors...
I also like Debbie Jacob's 'fearful dog' site, and recommend her book 'A Guide to Living With And Training A Fearful Dog'. She has some very helpful advice here: http://fearfuldogs.com/getting-start...a-fearful-dog/
Also see the articles 'Myth of Reinforcing Fear' and 'Storm and Noise Phobias'
I have found with my fearful dogs that the key seems to be to work at their pace, whatever that is for each individual.
Desensitation and counterconditioning are the way forward, but never push a fearful dog beyond his comfort zone or force the dog into a direct confrontation with whatever it is that frightens him. This is called flooding, a process that overwhelms the dog often causing the dog to shut down or to possibly feel he has no option but to react with fear aggression. Rather, keep your dog under his fear threshold, go slowly as you try to change how he views the trigger to his fears.
It's worth repeating: fear is an emotion, not a behavior. The ultimate goal is to change the emotion, not just to suppress it, to bring about the behavior we want to see.
*More from Emily Larlham, on a myriad of training/behavior topics. She is a valuable resource, all dog owners can benefit from her wisdom: http://dogmantics.com
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Hope Brownie bounces back to his old happy self soon.
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I would take the mutts to France or Germany if I could. Unfortunately Hooligan had a seizure just before her rabies booster was due and the neurologist advised against vaccinating her this time. No up-to-date vac means no border crossing - so we are stuck here.
A quick google suggests that the Swiss army bunker/hotel doesn't take dogs, though.
But I found one for sale...
About "But I found one for sale..."
I had a friend who bought one. We all thought he was nuts; it was damp, full of cr*p & in dire need of expensive renovation.
He simply bought a caravan & put it on the bunker roof which was just a foot or two above ground level.
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Having explored all options for August 1 including renting a mobile home or finding accommodation for us and the pets for August 1 - having no luck with either- we have found a kennel for the dogs in Germany for the night.
There are quite a number of hotels where dogs are allowed - just not 3 dogs!
We did find some holiday rentals where the dogs would be allowed but the minimum rental was longer than we needed.
Lily goes to a tierheim in Kollbrun (near Winterthur). It's in a valley, somewhat isolated and i think it might be more quiet than our apartment next to the common area where my young neighbors try to blow themselves up every year. I've tentatively made a reservation for her to stay there since I'll be in the UK, although i might come back July 31 and take her home with me, put on her thundershirt and sit in the cellar. I'm still thinking on it.
Mrs. D - a kennel in Germany sounds like a good idea too!
This year our vet advised us to try Xanax on our dog. Hope it's gonna help her pass a quiet evening!
The Xanax didn't help ours but different dogs react differently.
So the two younger dogs are at the kennels. We took them late today which is a good thing as some morons near us have already started setting off fireworks. The eldest dog is at home with us as she is not bothered at all by the fireworks.
Some say it will be quieter this year because certain types of fireworks require a permit and possibly the people who want to buy those were not organized enough to obtain the permit in advance.
In canton Aargau there will be a vote next March to restrict fireworks. It will be interesting to see whether this passes.
Lily the Pup seems to have developed an aversion to thunderstorms, hailstorms and fireworks. When we lived in the US, she'd pretty much ignore thunder and fireworks, but here, since the start of the year, I've noticed that she gets uncomfortable when it gets noisy. I can't blame her - since we live along a valley, the noise echoes, and these are the loudest thunderstorms I've ever heard. The hailstorm last week was also very loud. She just paces and is very alert and uncomfortable.
So I'm thinking of just closing the blinds on Aug 1, and finding a quiet corner of the house and sitting there with Lily, maybe see if I can get her to play a little bit with her brain train (hide treats and she gets them). I might call the vet tomorrow and see what, if anything he recommends.
Anyone have other suggestions?
Thanks
Hey Edot,
It's probably too late for this, but I read the other day something about a pro-animal group from Basel offering Holidays abroad for dogs during August 1st. Maybe for next year it could work for you?
I'm not sure about prices or anything like that, sounds expensive but then again they are a pro-animal group so maybe at cost?
I actually don't have the name of the group or anything so this may not be that helpful, but I guess for future references ?
Thanks....it's an interesting idea. I've got Lily sorted. We'll put the blinds down and go to our cellar. It's cool and quiet and we'll probably go to sleep.
Fortunately, our neighborhood is remarkably quiet so far....tomorrow will be a different story, but we can handle it.
Hope everyone's pets stay safe tomorrow!
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A blessing that our old Gatsby is now a deaf as a post- and with double glazing and the fireworks being on the other side of the valley- she'll be totally oblivious. Every cloud... Slinky the dachshund is not bothered by fireworks ar all- so we can go off to a big party with local friends without worrying. Bonne chance all.
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I just flew in from the States this morning, not wanting to leave the sitter with the responsibility of 1 August.
Glad I did, as the neighbors started shooting off fireworks at 6AM.
I've borrowed Puddle, as he is pretty phlegmatic and I hope will be a positive influence. The Belltie is starting to lose his hearing, so unless one of the others starts up he doesn't react much these days. But Hooligan is nervous; thumbs pressed that we can keep her under threshold today. Seizure kit at the ready, emergency vet on speed dial.
It's going to be a looooooooooong weekend.
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The first fireworks went off here at exactly midnight Fortunately it's been quiet since apart from a couple going off at around 11am. The dogs haven't been bothered so far; it's much quieter than the run-up to November 5th in the UK, but I assume it will get busier later?
July 31st is the main event around this area with many organised displays in the surrounding villages. There was a lot if noise send fireworks going off for about an hour between 10 and 11pm then it was all quiet.
We kept the cat indoors much to his disgust as he likes to go out in the prowl in the evenings and he just snored his way though the whole thing.
Tonight should be quiet around here as the main display is in Neuchâtel and we can't hear that from here.
It have one SWISS neighbour mowing his lawn and the other SWISS neighbour drilling wood and building a winter garden.
I suppose the fireworks will start soon enough...
I would have loved to mow the lawn today rather than tomorrow but I would risk being fined. Instead I installed two lights (no need to drill as the ceiling is wood)
Some fireworks today but not many. I suppose they are all waiting for tonight.
The eldest dog is at home with us as she is not bothered at all by the fireworks. 
Fortunately it's been quiet since apart from a couple going off at around 11am. The dogs haven't been bothered so far; it's much quieter than the run-up to November 5th in the UK, but I assume it will get busier later?
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