Fireworks and thunderstorms...

[Tazwell]

I Agree with you, Welsh. And Fleetwood doesn't bat an eye at digital sounds, but I know I have heard of a behavior expert somewhere, somehow using a sound DVD and leaving it on for the dog at increasing volume. Perhaps it was in a book-- Grisha Stewart maybe??

Anyway, I bought a cap gun for that purpose, and I failed at that time at introducing it under threshold. And then it broke, within about 5 minutes, because it came from the dollar store. LOL! I did find, though, that with the caps in, it was scarier because of it's random fire and inconsistency. It didn't fire every time, it was like *snap snap snap snap POW snap POW POW snap snap snap snap snap snap POW*. I think that made It even scarier. So next time, I shall introduce it without the caps.

[~WelshStump~]

Originally Posted by Tazwell

I Agree with you, Welsh. And Fleetwood doesn't bat an eye at digital sounds, but I know I have heard of a behavior expert somewhere, somehow using a sound DVD and leaving it on for the dog at increasing volume. Perhaps it was in a book-- Grisha Stewart maybe??

Anyway, I bought a cap gun for that purpose, and I failed at that time at introducing it under threshold. And then it broke, within about 5 minutes, because it came from the dollar store. LOL! I did find, though, that with the caps in, it was scarier because of it's random fire and inconsistency. It didn't fire every time, it was like *snap snap snap snap POW snap POW POW snap snap snap snap snap snap POW*. I think that made It even scarier. So next time, I shall introduce it without the caps.

Yes, that is what they say to do with the CD (which you can do when downloading sound effects to an MP3 player, or just on your computer if you don't mind keeping the computer running). But yeah, she just doesn't care, like she knows something? "You can't fool her" lol. I just know it makes training that much harder, but at least I tried and it didn't cost an arm and a leg.

For the cap gun, yeah you should always intro it first without being loaded, then load it with cookies! or balls! or, whatever they like, like you would a clicker. "Shoot" the gun and when it makes a sound give them their reward, repeat. But my suggestion for using it with caps, would be to have someone else shoot it off from a distance, calmly yell out "pull!" or whatever you want, then redirect them from the sound with a reward, sound=fun/nice things. Then slowly get closer. Actually though, I hate to admit what I'm doing with mine now after saying that, but needless to say it works for the use and she doesn't give it the "THE WORLD IS ENDING" reaction any more.

Something amusing about fireworks in the neighborhood, I wouldn't dare take her to a 4th of July outing...loud people, too many people, other dogs, grabbing children, flashing lights, balloons and fireworks...she'd have puppy heart failure.

But the fireworks the neighbors set off make her mad now. She can't get past our fence but whatever direction the noise comes from she leaps at it barking loudly like she's saying " STOP IT JUST STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!!"

[elegy]

Steve reacts to thunderstorms well before they're audible to me, so he's not just reacting to the sound. He doesn't care at all about digital thunderstorm sounds. I play thunderstorms on my white noise machine sometimes and he doesn't care, even when I turn it up.

Personally I'd prefer to treat the problem before it gets "really bad", because it's going to be a lot easier to work with before it's strongly strongly engrained.

[Tazwell]

Interestingly enough, we had a thunderstorm yesterday, and a rumble of thunder or two today.... not a flinch... We even sat on the porch and watched it pass like usual. With the Hol-ee Roller, of course!

I think we are going to focus on desensitizing to snappy cap gun things for a while. What do you guys think about BAT for sound sensitivity?

[~WelshStump~]

Originally Posted by Tazwell

What do you guys think about BAT for sound sensitivity?

I have yet to try it, still haven't looked fully into the program, but I say give it a try! It can't hurt at the least .

[yoko]

Yoshi could care less about storms or fireworks. But Lady use to be horrible. IMO those CDs and DVDs don't really work with thunderstorm issues *not sure on vacuum issues* because a lot of the reaction is probably from environmental changes and not necessarily just the loud noise. You can desensitize them to the loud noises but there isn't any way I know to really mimic a thunderstorm.

[~WelshStump~]

Look what popped up on my Facebook feed!
http://www.dogsandfireworks.com/
They have an MP3 you can download if anyone is interested, or you can just play the YouTube video.

[shazbot]

One of my dogs is deathly afraid of thunder, she tries to cram her entire 86 lbs body in my lap when they start. She shakes uncontrollably, pants, basically freaks. She has a high prey drive so we tried toys to get her to focus on those and even tried training with treats, she couldn't focus she was so scared. We tried the Thunder Shirt and found that it actually works for her. We've had a few big storms roll through since we got it and have noticed a huge improvement in her. She still wants to sit near by, but doesn't need to be in my lap, her shaking has stopped and she actually wants to chase her ball.

I know the shirts don't work on all dogs, but we figured with a 45 day money back guarantee we had nothing to lose.

[~WelshStump~]

Originally Posted by shazbot

One of my dogs is deathly afraid of thunder, she tries to cram her entire 86 lbs body in my lap when they start. She shakes uncontrollably, pants, basically freaks. She has a high prey drive so we tried toys to get her to focus on those and even tried training with treats, she couldn't focus she was so scared. We tried the Thunder Shirt and found that it actually works for her. We've had a few big storms roll through since we got it and have noticed a huge improvement in her. She still wants to sit near by, but doesn't need to be in my lap, her shaking has stopped and she actually wants to chase her ball.

I know the shirts don't work on all dogs, but we figured with a 45 day money back guarantee we had nothing to lose.

Unfortunately not, because I was told to "Give it time", we lost out on that one! By the time I was done "giving it time", the money back date ran out ! BS to 45 days!

Anyway, glad it helped your dog.

But I did forget to mention in this thread on this forum, I was reminded on another forum, in the video I posted on the first page, that digging behavior you see her doing, did NOT start till AFTER we tried the Thundershirt! I don't know why it started, I don't know why the TS caused it and causes her to do it, but you put the shirt on and she starts to pace in smaller circles then digs to china! after she's done digging, she sits or lays down and shakes, and doesn't stop shaking for hours after the stimulus.

Now, I was told my problem with the shirt was that it's to big on the chest piece, again watch the video and you'll see there is no way I can get the chest strap tight enough unless I tie it. Problem, the next size smaller wont fit her! The band that goes around the mid section it to small on the medium.

I am not the first person to have this problem, but essentially if you have a dog shaped like a Greyhound, the Thundershirt may not work for you, people have said that if you can't get the strap around the front tight enough, it may not work. My suggestion would be, if you can find a local retailer (Petsmart sells them now) try it on at the store first! That way if none of them fit right, don't waste your money at all, if you find one that fits, you know you'll be buying the right model.