Another fireworks season has begun, and already we’re seeing reports of dogs being “scared to death” by fireworks. This isn’t an isolated incident either – every year similar reports surface (for example, in 2018, 2017, and 2007). In many cases, this is put down to a “heart attack” or “fright”; in others, it’s the dog’s attempt to escape from the terrifying noises that kills them. But is this a real thing? Are fireworks really that dangerous?
The answer…
Yes, they are that dangerous. Not because your dog is likely to die from fright (although see below…), but because so many dogs suffer terribly from severe psychological distress as a result of the stress that they suffer when fireworks are being let off in the vicinity. RSPCA data suggests that over 60% of dogs show marked signs of distress when exposed to firework displays, even outside the home. Applied to the UK canine population, that suggests that there are at least five and a half million dogs that are subjected to unnecessary fear and distress every year.
But can it kill them?
Directly, it’s very unlikely – but not impossible. While I’m unaware of any situations where it’s been conclusively demonstrated that a completely healthy dog has died from fear, a dog with a (possibly unrecognised) underlying health condition (such as certain heart conditions) certainly could.
This might explain why most of the reports are of very old or very young dogs. While there aren’t any post mortem test results available from most of these reports, it is theoretically possible and therefore we must take them at face value.
So should fireworks be banned?
It is one option, that is being strongly promoted by many animal welfare groups. There are a number of petitions to restrict or ban the use of firework displays, and I do sympathise – banning them would save a LOT of distress.
Personally, though, I think banning things is generally a bad knee-jerk reaction. Remember, 40% of dogs aren’t distressed at all by the presence of fireworks, so I think we need to look to these to try and find a long-term solution. The most likely explanation is that most of these dogs aren’t “braver” but were socialised when young puppies to accept unexpected loud noises and lights as being normal.
Perhaps we should be putting a Sounds Scary CD into every puppy pack?! And of course, this principle of desensitization can work on almost any dog, at any age (it just takes longer in an older dog; and if your dog has already developed a phobia, you may need advice from a good, qualified, canine behaviourist – see your vet for recommendations).
But is there anything I can do NOW?!
Yes! There’s great advice here from the Dogs Trust. Top tips…
1) Build a safe den where they can hide away from the nastiness outdoors
2) Make sure you walk them early on, so they’re tired before dark and the fireworks begin.
3) Get Adaptil diffusers set up in your home – it’s a bit late now but it may still help.
4) Close the windows and curtains and turn on the radio or TV. Not only will this help drown out the sounds from outdoors, but it will also make it harder for your dog to escape and hurt themselves.
5) Try to stay calm yourself and reward calm behaviour in your dog – if you’re stressed, so will they be! And never punish a dog for showing signs of fear – you’ll just confuse them and make matters worse.
6) If all else fails, contact your vet for emergency medication to help your dog cope.
Bottom line – desensitisation is the solution, but you need to live through this year first! Talk to your vet for advice, stay calm, and ride it out.
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Discussion
Ok my dog shakes and trembles so hard, her heart goes into overdrive,… I have to put her in a windowless basement and wrap her in blankets. She is a silver labrador. I try ear plugs, dog valium. I am calm, she is just a spooked dog. My last dog was not that bad.
I was surprised by the statistic that 40 % of dogs are not afraid. All I can think of is wow, 60% are terrified. Bird die of fright, and can fly erratically are hit buildings and such. . Horses get fear too. I live next to a horse rescue place.
I say regulate the loud big ones.
Super loud backyard fireworks should be banned. The loud ones that sound like a shots, should only be handled by professionals.
Where I last lived, over 500 acres were destroyed as inexperienced people set fireworks off in a park in the dry season. Homes were lost, pets too in the fire It was Oregon. I am on the east coast now. I dread the 4th of july… people should go watch professional free fireworks, not set them off anywhere. And why can’t they stop by 11pm? Some go on until 1 am.
While I think it’s sad dogs go through anxiety and something should be offered to help cope with the stress… I think it’s comical all the people here saying ban or regulate fireworks. I can literally say the exact same thing about dogs, that they should be regulated and banned. Dogs kill people every year and therefore they are dangerous and should be banned. I hate it when people always go straight for the regulation and ban solution and the people who say this are typically selfish and only care about what they want not about what the collective whole wants.
My dog very nearky did die last new years eve. We had done everything that the experts suggested to no avail. Tried the ITC calming meds. He just kept panting and pacing for hours. Even phoning the vet was futile as he was not deemed an emergency, that soon changed when we had to put him in the car and take him there at half past midnight. His lungs were clearly collapsing, the whistle was horrific. The vet just grabbed him and run. He returned an hour later having had to intubate him. His airways had swollen and closed and his lungs had deflated. We were so close to losing him. We were given valium for him but like tonight when im not expecting fireworks he is already in a frenzy so it’s not effective. Literally 1 pop,whizz or bang starts this boy off into a pure frenzy. I should add he is a rescue dog so I have no idea why he’s so fearful or what happened to him before we got him.
I have no idea where to go or what to do now. My heart is breaking seeing him so terrified.
I have just bought an adaptil plug in to see if that will prophylacticly calm him.
I’m so sorry to hear that – a true phobia can be really difficult to manage. It seems clear from what you’ve said that this isn’t a problem that pharmaceuticals are going to fix – and that’s not really surprising; it’s a behavioural problem, and needs an expert animal behaviourist to work on it. I would very, VERY strongly advise getting a referral to a fully qualified Clinical Animal Behaviourist – as a true phobia will often get even worse over time.
Responsibility of the dog owner to ensure the dog is kept safe and out of harms way. Just the same as the responsibility of the owner to clean up after their dog, which frequently doesn’t happen, the responsibility of the owner to not let the dark bark for hours each evening in the back garden or at 6am in the morning which frequently happens with my neighbour. Would love a neighbour that doesn’t have the worlds loudest and annoying yelping dog for more than 200 days a year and who let off fireworks every night for a week around this time each year!!
What a strange logic… 40% of dogs aren’t scared by fireworks therefore the blame lies with the owners of the 60% for not properly socialising their dogs? When you adopt an rescue dog, they are generally older than the puppy period and cannot be desensitised. More to the point, what benefit is to be gained in allowing individuals to detonate explosives? I live in the Netherlands and every new years eve dozens of people (typically youngsters) are losing an eye or a hand, also it is not safe to walk down the street because of people throwing fireworks, police and emergency services get attacked too. Noone minds if there are organised firework displays within a limited time window but the fact is individuals cannot be trusted to use them responsibly and that is why there should be a ban on individual use. Fwiw my dog is peeing and pooping in the house in the days leading up to new years eve and she is afraid to go for walks the whole of November and December.
fireworks are an unnecessary evil. they are torturing animals, many humans, littering the earth and ocean, noise polution, air polution, and they are a great disturbance… there is absolutely zero reason to have them except selfish humans indulging themselves at the cost of so many… dogs go missing, develope acute and chronic health conditions from the stress and absolute panic and fear…there is not one point of logical thinking to say these ridiculous things are necessary. because they are not. our dog is tortured almost every night by people in the next neighborhood setting them off each night and we thought he was going to have a heart attack from fright. there has got to be an end to this. they should be just as illegal as automatic weapons owned by someone without a license. period.
It’s a complex argument.
Take a look at our most recent blog – a Vet Panel on whether fireworks should be banned.
I’m peed off with fireworks I’ve got a collie and he nows fireworks or coming he doesn’t relax and when fireworks go off he goes mad he’s laid here now waiting for the next one ban them ban them we have them for weddings it’s not right
I don’t think fireworks is the main issue, I think the issue lies with the fact that bonfire night is treated like a bonfire month. My dog who is a 10 year old cross breed suffers badly from them however I would be ok suffering few days with them but not a month. Having my dog scared for a whole month and not getting any sleep due to some being set at even 11:30 at night, is really not helpful. Like I said the issue lies with people taking it to extreme and not minimising the usage to the designated days.
Fireworks are bad for dog after the 4 my dog was never the same and he die from this. Our hearts is broken our neighbor who did this don’t understand the pain this cause. Something need to be done.
We had a firework display in the neighborhood for 4th of july. My pig is a rescue and had trust issues when we got him. He is 5 years old. There had been fireworks for a while and he was scared but then there was the 4th of july fireworks and he was a mess. We come to the day after. My dog is acting very strange. His trust issues are back and he wont go near anyone. And if we go to him he gets very fresh. We cant touch him or go near him. He also LOVES walks. He didnt even budge or get excited for his walk the day after fireworks. What can I do to get my dog back to normal? We worked very hard over the last few months since getting him to trust us and now I just dont know what to do. It kills me that he wont let me love him or want love from me. Thank you!
This isn’t uncommon unfortunately – I would advise asking your vet for a referral to a good force-free clinical canine behaviourist who can help. Best of luck!
Fireworks ARE banned in my area but it doesn’t stop idiots from setting them off because they don’t get in trouble. They set off loud booming “bombs” & large packs of firecrackers. My dog is scared senseless. The TV etc are all on full blast but he can still hear it. I’M scared to death for him as he gets older. Is there ANYTHING we can do to make it stop?
This is terrible. I live in a big city and people are literally letting off the loudest fireworks between apartment buildings. So the booms are amplified. My dog is so scared, I’m literally terrified for her. I can’t believe how many ignorant people there are. Not a concern for anything but getting their jolly’s off on making shit explode in small spaces with metal carports to amplify every noise.
We have the same problem here in the uk they are getting louder and louder and my dog just Shakes and pants and scratches at the carpet all night but what once was a celebration on the 5 th of November seems nowadays to go on for a week or more
If my dog is panting when fireworks are happening what does that mean?
Stress and fear, most likely. It’s a common response to a fearful situation.
I created stress for my dog. I’m a dumbass. First day home from shelter, I set off large firework. That was 11 years ago. Haven’t left her side during the 4 months it goes on,” in the 216″. I’ve concluded it’s the reverberations, and or shock wave that creates her fear. The way she reacts to bumps on road while on car rides was factor in my conclusion. Looking for solutions.
Gradual desensitisation is the only real solution; if it’s severe, as it sounds it might be, then it might be wise to work with a clinical canine behaviourist to support you. Good luck!
Fireworks do in fact lead to death in animals. Ban them, they serve no purpose
This generation will get together to ban everything. It’s a new form of extremism and pretty soon they’ll ban reality out of existence. To stay on topic though, My dog is a large, scary looking dog that is very nice and sensitive. 2020 4th of July fireworks really scared her and face her anxiety. I think desensitization is the best form of helping dogs overcome this natural anxiety
100 percent agree
There are many people killed every year by dogs and other animals. We don’t ban animals. Fireworks shouldn’t be banned either. We all have to find ways to cope and co-exist together. My daughter was bit in the face by a dog and she was terrified for a long time to be outside if there were dogs outside. I never begrudged any dog or owner for my child’s fear, but rather socialized my daughter with dogs over many years and she now loves them. Banning things is just lazy and doesn’t really help your dog (or my daughter).
Very ignorant comment.
1) dogs aren’t the only ones distressed by fireworks. there is a world beyond your bubble that is significantly impacted by absolutely unnecessary / meaningless explosions.
2) glad your daughter is safe and it big of you for not begrudging dog owners, but you seriously cannot compare the two scenarios can you? your daughter can live with the choice of not having to be around animals if she doesn’t want to. Animals don’t have that option with fireworks.
On number 2.. So the OP’s daughter has the choice of not having to be around animals does she?. So she can’t go to the park, has to be careful about going to shops can’t go to country parks or forests.. I don’t know where you live but I see several dog of all different breeds every time I’m out on foot. You cannot chose to not be around them.
I have a 12 year old cross breed and she gets really stressed barking running to door where my 3 year old Chi stays calm but loves his cuddkes