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02 November 2017

Bonfire Night is no fun for many of our four-legged friends. But, , we can take some simple steps to keep our pets calm and contented.

Forewarned is forearmed. Ask your neighbours if they’re having a bonfire party so you can be prepared for loud noises coming from nearby gardens.

This will help you to identify whether toileting outside is possible. Whether you have an adult dog or a puppy don’t let it out in the garden if someone’s likely to set off rockets next door.

According to Rosemary, you must be prepared to alter your usual routine if there will be fireworks close at hand. Even if you’re in the middle of toilet training a pup, on this occasion you must let it relieve itself on newspaper inside the house.

Don’t take dogs to firework displays.

Not only are loud noises going to be a problem but there’s also the chance they’ll come into contact with sparklers, or eat something off the ground that’s no good for them. These could result in an emergency trip to the vet.

It’s much safer to keep all animals indoors. If possible don’t leave them alone in the house.

Rosemary’s advice is to shelter pets by closing the curtains, playing music or putting on the television. Anything that will dull sound from outside is worth doing.

Some dogs seem unaffected by loud bangs and whizzes, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on them. As Rosemary says, “A dog sitting quietly may actually be frozen with fear”.

“People used to say ‘don’t cuddle, you’re reinforcing the fear’, but that is rubbish”, says Rosemary. “If your dog or cat jumps on your knee and wants a bosie, give it one. If it would rather go under the table let it go.”

“The best you can do is calm the dog down, close the sound out and, sit with your arms round them. But be careful, a very frightened animal might threaten to bite you.”

Keep children out of the way in this instance.

Rosemary has a general rule for this situation, “If your dog will still accept treats from you it’s ok. If the dog doesn’t respond to treats in the way it usually would, back off and leave it be”.

She also recommends watching for pets becoming destructive, as “fear might cause them to do silly things”.

If you’re having a party in your home, keep pets out of it as much as possible.

“Get them to a place of safety, a room of its own where it can take itself away and chill out with something to chew”, advises Rosemary. “Tell people not to go in that room.”

“If you’ve got a puppy, feed it a bit later. Take it for a walk so it’s ready to sleep.”

If you have real concerns about how the sights and sounds of Bonfire Night will affect your dog, or if you already know it has a nervous character, you should talk to your vet.

There are numerous treatments which can have a calming effect on animals and not all of them involve medication.

A trip to your local pet shop will also reveal a variety of tools for relaxing dogs including coats, sprays and diffusers.

Image credits: Federico Julien/Alamy, Design Pics Inc/Alamy and imageBROKER/Alamy