Well, its finally over. The war zone known as the 4th of July. There are a lot of members here with new puppies who have experienced this American tradition for the first time in their lives. The question is...How did everyones' pups hold up?

During the peak of the mayhem I went inside to see how RJ was doing. I found him zonked out, four paws in the air and snuggling next to his teddy. I am a happy dad for sure. He heard me and woke up so I brought him outside. With bombs bursting in air, all he wanted to do was go and meet the two dozen visitors we had over. The only reaction to the fireworks was when a big mortar went off he just turned to look at it quickly then carried on being a hand slut. If he could speak I know he would have said "Oooh, Pretty" at all the fireworks.

I never got the opportunity to use my "Scary Sounds" CD to desensitize him to fireworks, gunshots and thunder before he got bombarded for his first fireworks holiday. Yes, I am a happy man.

Howard

Hey Howard....

I live 5 miles out of town so 5 of my dogs were great.

Since I am on the fire dept and we put on the "big show" (man I LOVE blowing stuff up ), I had Rock with me and he got a little excited at all the stuff that was going on at the park during the day.
He wanted to run and get them though....YIKES!!!

So he rode with another officer in the patrol car while we lit off the big boomers at dusk. He did fine.

I just know that he would be a dog that would run out and grab a roman candle and run through the park with it while it was discharging so I have to watch it.

I'm pretty tickled myself. My pup Lowen (10 months old) was never affected by the sounds other than want to go check out where the noise was coming from.

Yeah RJ (and Howard)!

I gotta brag on my nerves-of-steel pup. When he first came to me at 8 1/2 wks old, it was during monsoon weather here in Arizona. Thunder claps and rolling thunder, lightning everywhere. He was completely unaffected, just playing outside or inside with no notice to the sound. Played in the rain when it rained, trying to catch raindrops and pounce on them around the yard. He would look up at the sky during lightning, just watching and taking it in.

Then during New Year's at 5 1/2 mos, again no notice of fireworks going on around us. Just wanted to play.

Yesterday, not too many pops and booms to be heard but the ones he did hear he paid no attention to, as if nothing was going on. (He's 1 yr old now.)

The only thing he has always looked at the sky for besides lightning are jets, helicopters and birds . Maybe he wants to fly

Hmmm...

Not sure if I should feel proud or bummed. True was crated while we blew off the un-fun *safe* firecrackers right outside the window.

The good news is he didn't turn himself inside out or blow his anals in the crate (yes, I stuck my head in to check).

The possibly bad news is he was hesitant to go immediately out the back door after we had finished, whether remembering the sound or smelling the lingering odor I don't know.

Well, I'm more dissapointed in my girl This is her second 4th of July. I was shocked to see her trembling and scared. We were in our backyard, but the neighbors on both sides were lighting the fireworks. I socialized her to everything I could while she was a pup, but I can't remember where she was last year.

I put her on a leash and tried to keep her busy, walking her in the yard and putting her in a sit or down. I fed her pieces of hot dogs, but she was shaking out of her skin and trembling. Ater she began to refuse the food (which has never happened before) I ignored her for a bit and we stayed out for another 10 mins or so, then she started panting heavily so we went back into the house. I didn't know if I was pushing it, but we came inside on my terms..

My Malinois puppy has been great with any loud noises until about a month ago. It might have started the evening we were walking and one of the neighbors set off a mortar in their driveway while we were across the street. So, July 4th (and 3rd and 2nd and 1st etc.) were not as fun for us this year. She was trembling at my feet as I typed on the computer last night. She's 18 months old and previously she would play in puddles in the middle of a thunderstorm.

As I recall, dogs can go through a "fear" period, where they start to question things that had previously been just fine with them. Not sure if your pup is beyond the typical age for this, though she is still young, if I remember correctly... It sounds like you've been doing all the right things with her in regards to desensitizing, so maybe this is just a phase of mental development. Hopefully she'll be improved, on her own AND with your help by the time NEXT year's fireworks roll around, but don't be too dissapointed in her - she's still a pup (and a good one at that!)

~Natalya

Good thread Howard! GLad to hear RJ's all good!!! I was reading and reading and reading yesterday of a search of "fireworks"...

We had been through a couple of really wicked thunderstorms in the past couple of months, lightening with big cracks, thunder rolling...none of it phased Cato in the least. He'd heard some fireworks in the distance, or at least I did, as he did not even flinch at that in the last month or so (only like 2 or 3). He's heard saving private ryan beach scene, gunshots as a babe, and distance gunshots as an older pup...

I was ready to put money down on his fearlessness regarding fireworks. However, so glad we did a test run yesterday (and glad I didn't bet :crazy.

Cato was in the house, and my step son did about 3 or 4 firecracker black cats. Didn't phase Cato, but then we went outside about 50 feet away from where they were being lit, and he flinched...turned to go, so I called him in and then walked around the perimeter of the house, outside our normal territory. It seemed to normalize for him. Then we put the fireworks away.

Left him home for the BIG displays...when I got home around 11, went to take him out, and he was doing his business when some more fireworks went off down the street. He was fine, no flinches, nothing. Apparently, he was comfortable enough in his crate during the big works, and discovered on his own it was ok.

And btw Carol, my last dog MoJo had to be locked up too during fireworks...holy buckets!!! MoJo NO, that's an M80!!! Arrrrgh. Crazy drive boy.

Oh, and one other thing I forgot to add on the Cato and fireworks...he lost 2 teeth yesterday after we did the trial run...poor thing, dripping blood out his mouth...I can only imagine his lil genetic pool and instinct, and the stress he was going through yesterday...all in all I think he did ok and next year will be fine fine.