I'm beginning to hate fireworks.

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
07/04/2016 at 00:59 • Filed to: None

This is my big dog. Below and to the right is my little dog. Since my wife and kids left for the long weekend, they have been no more than three steps away from me except when I left the house.

Unfortunately, the big dog has an issue with fireworks. Here she is reacting to firecrackers going off several blocks away. When they get closer, she starts barking. My vet’s solution? Benadryl and chamomile tea. I’m not sure if they are for the dog or for me.

DISCUSSION (22)

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 01:03

Thunder coat/jacket. They work wonders

TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 01:08

Not going to lie, being in a neighbourhood that likes launching fireworks from July 1-5 is not fun at all.

Berang > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 01:09

The only answer is autonomous dogs.

smobgirl > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 01:13

My dog is drugged and locked in a blanket fort in her crate. Summer thunderstorms are bad enough for her.

Not to mention, I've had to get up before 5 both days this weekend and with things exploding at all hours of the night I'm pretty grumpy. I'm torn between sharing the Benadryl or staying alert enough that I could escape if the house caught fire.

TheRealBicycleBuck > smobgirl
07/04/2016 at 01:19

I sleep so heavily now that I doubt a fire would get me out of bed.

The little dog retreats to his crate when he feels like he's in trouble or he wants to get away from the big dog. It's his own private retreat. Although the big dog was crate trained, she hates it and puts up enough of a fuss that it's just better not to use it. She gets comfort from being as close as she can get to me. It's driving me crazy.

TheRealBicycleBuck > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
07/04/2016 at 01:22

We've tried that. Waste of time and money for us. My son insists that his shooting earmuffs work. I have my doubts, but they must do something. She doesn't shake them off.

smobgirl > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 01:31

I’ll admit that Shelly is locked up partly for my sanity. She’s reluctant to go in the crate but calms down a lot once she’s in and it’s covered. Otherwise she wanders the house pushing over furniture trying to find a “safe” hiding spot - and there aren't any, because every room in my house has windows.

Svend > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 01:46

Try both and see how it goes.

TheHondaBro > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
07/04/2016 at 02:57

This. My friend fostered a Great Dane that had storm anxiety. They had a storm jacket just for that purpose.

TheHondaBro > TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy
07/04/2016 at 02:57

That’s basically my entire city. It sucks.

TheHondaBro > Berang
07/04/2016 at 02:57

And autonomous dog owners.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 03:43

We are hunkered down in the house with the AC running so we can keep the windows closed and fans going for white noise so our dog stays calm. He's a gentle guy who doesn't want trouble, and he just doesn't understand all the scary fireworks going off. It's a real drag.

Hi there > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 06:21

This is partly why I like dogs, especially big ones that can be brutally loud and convincing like GSD’s. Sleep like the dead need something with uberears and highly motivated to do what they’re trained to do. In my experience they don’t GAF about fireworks or severe thunderstorms. Newest addition came in April, this was his 1st 4th of July and he was totally oblivious besides using radar dish ears to locate the direction of the sounds.

TheRealBicycleBuck > NotUnlessRoundIsFunny
07/04/2016 at 06:55

Leaving windows open is an option for you? Sheesh, we hit 99 today.

Even so, the fireworks they buy down here are BIG. It's like artillery going off down the street. If you needed to blow up a safe, now is the time to do it.

Funktheduck > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 06:56

I was hoping the rain would continue and cancel people setting them off. One of mine gets so stressed and I feel so bad for her. A peanut butter Kong can distract her for the little ones but once the big ones start going boom it's all over.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Hi there
07/04/2016 at 07:00

Our big dog has a big scary bark and a willingness to protect. She's held more than one stranger at bay and especially protective of children. We had an incident when a neighbor entered our back yard uninvited to retrieve her child. Poor woman couldn't get anywhere near her daughter. Good dog!

TheRealBicycleBuck > Funktheduck
07/04/2016 at 07:02

I feel you. Benadryl helped last night, but the big ones are coming tonight.

Hi there > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 07:09

Yeah dogs are great. Just very glad I haven’t had one that reacted badly to loud noises besides a sheltie that was already geriatric when I was born and hated everything, storms included. I was 4 when it died, was not sad. Led directly to the 1st GSD, the working kind not the show turds. Wife has a doberman, is very friendly and protective but is a little clingy during nasty storms when the sirens are going, pretty sure she distinctly remembers the time we might have set a new land speed record for state highway 89 in Arkansas to evade an ef4 a few years ago. GSD didn’t give a shit, just lied down so as not to fly through the window glass on turns. Doberman freaked, hid partially under the passenger seat and made pathetic noises.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Hi there
07/04/2016 at 07:41

My first dog was a sheltie. Other than the yapping, she was a great dog. Well, except for the time she ate all of my halloween candy (I was five or six at the time).

Chasaboo > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 10:54

I’m going to put that in my screenplay.

Chasaboo > Chasaboo
07/04/2016 at 10:55

Dang, just did a quick search and there was a movie called The Fourth Protocol with Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan that did something similar with New Year’s Eve.

Hi there > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/04/2016 at 22:15

Yeah, the dog was 10 years old when I was born, long term memory doesn’t really kick into gear until 3 years old for a human so by the time I remember anything the dog was very old and a curmudgeon, single digit good memories of the dog.