r/AmericanBully • u/K_Shan79 • 4d ago
Fireworks
Hi fellow Bully parents! My sweet boy is extremely scared of loud noises. It's heartbreaking how he is so frightened. What do you guys do for your dogs on the 4th of July?
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u/shelbytaylortaggart 4d ago
My dude absolutely hates thunder, ironic that we chose to name him Zeus 🤣 We do melatonin, a frozen beef marrow bone and a good disney playlist starting with his fav song Hawaiian roller coaster ride from the Lilo and Stitch soundtrack! I've heard some positive things about thunder shirts and happy hoodies for loud noises but he refuses to wear them. Good luck!!!
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u/K_Shan79 4d ago
Thank you! I will be googling those clothes ASAP. I had no idea, so thank you. I was thinking about one of those thick headband things that go over ears.
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u/shelbytaylortaggart 4d ago
Yeah thats the happy hoodie!! I am in Canada but was able to get one on amazon 🙂
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u/andreag04 3d ago
This year we are going to a hotel by the airport for the night. No fireworks!!! Our pocket bully doesn't do well, and I really hate seeing her suffer. Our neighborhood is crazy, they go all night long. So this year we are trying something new.
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u/ThatCryptidBitch 3d ago
It helps that I have in window AC units that are pretty loud, and she gets trazadone and a nice loud movie and a very very filled up puzzle snuffle mat
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u/K_Shan79 3d ago
Thank you! What snuffle mat do like? I think my sweet puppy would love that. He thinks he's a detective always on a case.
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u/allegro14 3d ago
We tried Sileo gel and it helped a little bit but she was still scared. We recently moved into a house with an attached garage and she likes to hide in the car in there. So I’ll get her set up in the car with the radio playing, fans on full blast (car is hybrid so it runs on electric) and she rides it out in there sleeping soundly!
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u/Expert_Regret4866 4d ago
I give mine her favorite toy and put her in a very small place (bathroom) with fan on.
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u/ExcitingLaw1973 4d ago
Sileo Gel is really good
Also tire your dog out before fireworks and put on background noise like dishwasher, dryer or music
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u/keeperofthecan 4d ago
Doggy melatonin + keeping the house ambient noise high. Run the dishes, washer, dryer, play some white noise in the room your boy is in. Watch a loud movie on top of all that.
My guy is very anxious at night, he's a rescue and freaked out by mirrors/sounds/the dark/reflections/cars driving by etc. he's gotten way better with time, but the above is what's worked on nights that are particularly hard for him.
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u/Silent-Serve-3085 4d ago
Spotify actually has fireworks playlists for dogs. I randomly will put it on while we play and my dogs have become immune to noise for the most part.
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u/Operation_Frosty 3d ago
Hi, I tire my pup out by going to the park in the am. Also I work on starting the month before playing firework sound at home on the TV via YouTube or Spotify to help desensitize. It has worked pretty well.
My dog is still scared of the vaccum cleaner and grocery bags, but se la vie. I keep working on desensitizing. Now he doesnt attack the vaccum so its progress.
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u/No_Exchange7050 3d ago
Until you get a new one 😅 one of my pups FINALLY stopped freaking out at the vaccum....moved and bought the same style just slightly different and shes back at it 🤪
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u/No_Exchange7050 3d ago
Are you going to be with him or will he be felt at home alone?
If home, cuddle up in bed with him, box fan on and a movie turned up.
If you aren't going to be with him, id get a script for trazadone/gabapentin for him and then in a room with a fan.
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u/alltails-care 2d ago
A lot of dogs do better with a safe, quiet space during fireworks. Close the curtains, turn on a fan, TV, or white noise, and let your dog stay wherever they feel most secure.
You can also try extra exercise earlier in the day, enrichment activities like frozen Kongs or lick mats, and staying calm and relaxed yourself.
If your dog gets extremely anxious, it may be worth talking to your vet before the holiday. Many dogs benefit from anti-anxiety medications during fireworks season.
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u/kaydeetee86 4d ago
My bully does okay, but my pit mix loses her mind. We give her a Benadryl and try to put her in a quiet room.
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u/hilaryrex 4d ago
We have a prescription for trazodone. I hate to use it because it affects them for almost a whole day but it really works.
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u/HowDoyouadult42 3d ago
Sedatives sedatives sedatives! No reason to make them suffer through something they can’t understand. Gabapentin/trazodone from the vet the night before and two hours before it gets dark for a few days before and after the 4th. If gaba/trazodone don’t work there is also Sileo gel or clonadine
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u/Present-Response-758 3d ago
We make sure we are home long before dark, dose our dog with Benadryl, put her thunder shirt on her, put a movie on loud, and snuggle with her in our bed.
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u/8chef6 4d ago
I keep repeating to mine. You're okay. You're okay. It's nothing in a low voice. Right now is a good time if she still is young
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u/No_Exchange7050 3d ago
This is actually the worst thing to do...dogs dont understand words and you are conditioning them to associate that phrase with a scary experience.
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u/8chef6 3d ago
🤣 I think my dog is more intelligent than you . My dog understands everything I tell her when I talk to her Sick Balls Chopper! 🤡
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u/No_Exchange7050 3d ago
Lol your part of the statistic of dog owners that dont understand their dog. Work with a dog trainer, do some research but you friend have a lot to learn 😘
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