My Dog

[Grapes Of Wraith]

My dog react's badly to my pyrotechnic expiriments, and I fear they are getting increasingly worse. Every time I even light a match she runs, hides and wont stop shaking. I would like to know if just animals in general have a phobia of fire. Or is my dogs reaction from a traumatic expirience as a pup?

[festergrump]

I'd guess that it's from a previous trauma, but who could know for sure?

My dog had a problem with anything that even resembled a gun when I first got him as a pup from my sister because her hubby decided one day to pop him in the face with a paintball gun when he shat on the floor. :mad:

He's been my dog since soon after (about 4 or 5 months, now) and I have been able to gain his trust with him around both rifles and pistols, even while shooting them. He doesn't care for the noise much at all, prefering to move a distance away and lay down, but at least he's not assuming a defensive position or getting aggressive when I break out the firearms, anymore.

I always pet him really well afterwards and give him a treat, reinforcing that everything is okay and that he need not be alarmed. He's coming along nicely so far as the sight of guns, but the din is something I'm absolutely positive he'd rather do without.

Any animal needs to become accustomed to having loud noises going off randomly (to them) around them. If she's cowering in the corner during an electrical storm it will take much work to get her accustomed to anything loud around her. Try having a friend set off small firecrackers some distance away while you have your arm around her neck like a buddy (if she's big enough to sit beside you) and petting her with your other hand (If its a small dog just sit her in your lap and 'comfortably' restrain her). Make her feel comfortable through the whole experience.

Start out with small things and build her confidence. Dogs are work. Gotta keep reinforcing what they've learned and only adding new things with promise of reward.

I'm no dog expert but I have had several in my lifetime. Hopefully someone who has some experience with training dogs will chime in...

What kind of dog is she?

[Grapes Of Wraith]

She is a chiwawa terrier mix about 2 years old (human years). She is very big for a chiwawa though and usually very calm but explosions and any fire in general scares her to death.

I had some bottle rockets one year and I was setting them off....
long story short we spent about an hour trying to find her, she ran away and was hiding in a bush down the street.

[pearlcrash911]

Did you get her at the pound?

The majority of the pound dogs in my area escaped from fires, and from what I've seen they all run away when you just light a match.

[c.Tech]

My dog ran away when I lit a match and we've had her since a pup from a private breeder.

I think it's natural for dogs to be scared of fire and loud noises, it helps equip them for survival in their natural environment.

[Bert]

My last dog had to be put in lockdown before anything was lit- He ran TOWARDS fireworks, especially if thrown, and would chase a rocket or shell downrange trying to retrieve it. I still remember him running around with half of a blown up mortar in his mouth at a firing site, trying to get someone to make it fly through the air just one more time.

Between keying off of my attitude and some parts of his search and rescue noise de-sensitization training, he got pretty warped in his responses.

On the other end of the spectrum, the SPCA claims the day after the 4th of July is usually one of the busiest days of the year at the pound from all the dogs who took off trying to get away from the noise.

[Grapes Of Wraith]

yes, infact i did get her from the pound....
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/maxdal/dog-1.jpg

I might have some other pictures.

[Cobalt.45]

Had a long haired daschund for seventeen years. And, for seventeen years she loved fireworks.

Wanted to get as close as she could to them in an effort to "take them out".

No fear, just excitement.

Your dog might be reacting to your excitement, misinterpreting it for danger.

Got a cat. He books as soon as he hears a "ssshhhh" from a fuze. Damn good animal, just the same.

[Red Beret]

All dogs I have had went into a panic with pyro. Just the fizz of fuse or a party popper or match and that was it. You can get thunderstorm sedatives for dogs like that. Just pop it a pill before you cut sick.

[sparkchaser]

My short haired dachsund gets twitchy with the sound of a fire crackling in the fireplace. During the summer, some of the locals had a celebration of some holiday (don't know which, i'm not Belgian. anybody know what's in August in southern Belgium?), and we couldn't figure out why he was freaking out so badly until we heard the ever so faint popping of VERY distant fireworks. Some critters just don't like it I guess.

[Sausagemit]

My folks APBT is not scared of fireworks but rather runs towards them and waits in anticipation, then barks when they go off. He has never tried to grab a lit one thank god, but I fear he may try sometime so he stays inside when there's fireworks abound.

[Colt T]

Most animals have a fear of fire and loud noises. My dog curls up in the corner when i play the trumpet, but my aunts dog will try to chase bottle rockets and roman candles.

[Core]

Post deleted for complete lack of paragraph breaks. NBK