Thunderstorm and firework fears

[Doreen]

I just received this from someone in the boxer rescue. A way to help with the fear of the sound of the fireworks and thunderstorms:




The best way to help your pup relax around these two events is to expose him or her to these sounds in a controlled environment (this is the key). See below for instructions. Start now for next year's fireworks and next summer's thunderstorms and you can have a relaxed and calm dog...no more hiding in the shower and no more shaking. The most important tip, you do not want to coddle, sweet talk or pet your furry baby when he is in a state of fear and anxiety, you will only be nurturing and rewarding this behavior. You can use Homeopet's anxiety formula for storms TLFN, or Homeopet's Storm Stress Formula, they really work....consistency is important.

1. Download firework and thunderstorm sounds here a few options: RainyMood.com AND Thunderstorm sound effect 1.wav - Download Natural Ambience ANDhttp://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/838976-fireworks-display-sound-effect-wav

2. Crack open a biscuit and soak it with the recommended amount of Homeopet's Anxiety TFLN Formula. Wait 15 minutes.

3. Now start to play these sounds at a very low volume and slowly increase the volume until you notice your dog have a SLIGHT reaction, as soon as this happens, lower the volume a notch...this is your starting point. As long as there is no sign of a reaction to the noise, feel free to give your dog a massage, feed him, teaching him new tricks, play a game, etc. Your goal here to create a positive association to something that he has always had a negative association to. Remember Pavlov's dog....imagine if Pavlov had shocked the dog instead of giving him cheese when he rang the bell, the dog would have had a different reaction! Over time, slowly increase the volume. The goal is to practice a positive event while the sounds play softly in the background. This will allow him to view the sounds as a "safe situation" and adopt a positive association to these sounds. Important: If your dog is anxious by even the lowest volume, do not massage, or feed, just distract with a game, simply ignore him, this means NO eye contact. Over time he will become desensitized to these sounds and then you will be able to move forward with the next steps.

3. Gradually increase the volume as you increase the level of positive reinforcement.

4. The next time there is a real thunderstorm remember to give him his Homeopet TLFN and distract him with one of his favorite events or simply let him curl up on his bed and take a nap.

This information is the property of Your Dog and You, LLC. Copyright is pending.

Storm Stress sold here:
Results for storm stress - Search

Also: Amazon.com: HomeoPet Storm Stress for Dogs 20-80 lbs, 5 ml: Kitchen & Dining

[Erin251]

hmm that is very interesting. i will have to remember this in case Bo ever has a problem.