00:01Firework season is upon us. It's been reported that 66% of pet owners said that backyard
00:07firework displays are a major concern. Fear, anxiety, increased stress levels and even
00:14injury are a common result of fireworks for animals due to the noise, bright flashes and
00:20debris. At this time of year specifically, what kind of tips would you have just for
00:26pet owners in general? Obviously, I know bonfire night is especially one that people really need
00:31to be aware of. First of all, I would say thinking about ready for next year to start with. Prepare
00:38early. So don't leave it till the week before bonfire Halloween or Christmas events to start
00:43thinking about it. Think about it months in advance because if you have a dog or a new puppy that's
00:48never gone through this experience or they struggle with this particular time of year, you're going to
00:53probably need a few months to kind of work with them to get them used to all of these kinds of
00:57things. Well, if you think about a new puppy at this time of year, you've got to acclimatize them
01:02to people knocking on the door. And these will be puppies that up until then have probably seen
01:06a couple of humans in their entire short little life. So preparing them with having friends knock
01:13on the door and doing all of this in a really positive way will be super helpful. And if you've
01:17got dogs that are already struggling, what I strongly would suggest at this time of year
01:21is get them, stick to their routine as much as possible. Get them walking out during daylight.
01:27So try not to take them out in the evening, particularly bonfire, fireworks. They're going
01:32to start when the sun sets. So get them walked early and then close the curtains, put the TV
01:38on, put music on, give them some chew toys, licky mats, or just sit down and have a play session
01:43with them when you think the fireworks might be going off.
01:46It's just thinking about, you know, how crazily weird all this would be for a dog. It's just not
01:53a normal thing that they will have experienced up until that point, especially if they're new pups.
01:59But what is it about just fireworks in general that sets off dogs? Is it because of the loud
02:04pitch noise? Is that what triggers them?
02:06Typically the noise, although there is also the flashing, which can be a problem because some
02:12dogs also suffer with lightning and thunder for the same reason. But I think this is where
02:17that preparation comes in. If you've got a young puppy or even if you've, you know, got
02:21your dog earlier in the year, just start playing these kind of noises in the background quietly
02:26and gently.
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