· By Minou Tpain
Author: Denise Partlow
Instagram: @modernk9 Carolinas
This particular practice can be used for any noise but for the sake of relativity, I will stick with fireworks. At least a month before a firework event, find firework sounds on the internet, such as YouTube, and keep it on a very low volume, one where your dog barely notices. Do a training session (i.e. run through commands your dog knows) while those noises are being played. You can even choose to just treat your dog every time the noise go off. If your dog is extremely fearful at even a low volume, then only play it for a second, turn it off, reward, repeat. And slowly work your way up to keeping it on longer than a second.
When you can tell your dog considers this as just white noise, turn the volume up just a little bit and try again.
You can keep this going as long as you want but you must take your dog’s emotional state into consideration. Do not move forward to the next level of volume until your dog is showing you that he is unconcerned.
It’s possible in session one you may eventually be able to go up to a very high volume, but it doesn’t end there. Your dog is not “fixed” after this one session. You must repeat this every single day, perhaps a couple of times a day.
It’s also possible that you may not be able to get to that point in just session one. It may take you 10 sessions before you can raise the volume. Go with what your dog is giving you. What’s important to notice here is your dog’s comfort level. Keeping your dog in a nervous state will only result in your dog attaching that emotion to that experience. Completely counterproductive to what you are trying to achieve. So don’t rush it.
Keeping your dog in a calm state throughout the entire process will allow your dog to view fireworks as nothing out of the ordinary and will help your dog to remain calm next time he hears them.
When your dog gets to a point where raising the volume is no longer concerning, then you’ll want to practice randomly having the firework sounds go off for just a few seconds at a time to see how your dog will handle sporadic sounds-since that will mimic reality.
