Some content adapted from: Rolan Tripp, DVM; Animal Behavior Network
Re: Help for Canine Loud Noise Phobia Patients


Noise Phobia is an excessive, unreasonable fear response to loud noises such as thunder or fireworks.

During summer thunderstorms, 4th of July fireworks, hunting season, New Years eve, etc., many dogs will be having a very emotionally painful experience. Some terrified dogs break out of fences, screens, or enclosures, and are hit in traffic or lost, never to be found again. (Make sure your dog is microchipped and wears a current rabies and ID tag on its collar.)

What not to do: Some owners accidentally make it worse with unintentional reinforcement by stroking, cuddling, urgently reassuring, and acting worried. The owner is worried about the dog's anxiety, but the dog might mistakenly perceive, "Even the Human is worried - this must be REALLY BAD!"

What TO do: If the case is:

MILD (Pet = somewhat anxious) or as PREVENTION to fireworks phobia - the first thing to try is a canine "Fireworks Party." Starting on the 2nd or 3rd of July either fast, or feed only 1/4 of the early meal. Then at the first faint fireworks YOU respond with a happy, "It's a fireworks party!" Then happily run to the fridge to see what treats (e.g. meat or bread) are available for the dog. Then keep some with you, and every boom triggers a "party snack" until the dog is happily waiting for the next boom. Then begin to require a 1 min Down-Stay before each treat.

Speaking of prevention, the ultimate prevention is socializing a puppy between 7 and 12 weeks of age - during which time you expose it to whatever you don't want it afraid of, and that will prevent most phobias from ever taking hold. (For example, you can take your puppy to an outdoor rifle range.) Once phobias, anxiety and compulsive behavior begin, they generally do not get better over time without intervention.

You can try a pheromone collar (i.e. "D.A.P. "Dog Appeasing Pheromone" calming collar) available at pet stores. Lilac is a naturally soothing aroma therapy to dogs.

Anxiety Wrap and Thundershirts are terrific solutions for wide variety of anxieties, fears and over-excitement issues. Issues that respond to Anxiety Wraps include compulsive behavior such as problem barking and jumping, repetitive motion disorder (spinning), separation anxiety, travel anxiety and noise phobia.


MODERATE - SEVERE (= no response to the "party plan" above, all the way to a panicking dog) - sedate the pet for several hours on days when fireworks are expected. State laws require a pet examination within 12 months to receive any vet Rx medication. Drugs like Prozac are not helpful because they need to be given for 2-4 weeks before they begin to work. An Rx sedative "Acepromazine" (Ace) is a common drug of choice.

For those with objections to using optional drugs, our response is this: If a dog is young or only mildly afraid, then by all means, we encourage the owner to use training and conditioning to help him get past his fears. But for older dogs and dogs who are beyond training, we feel it is much kinder and safer for the dog to get a sedative rather than put him through that terror.

Drug Therapy: It usually takes 1-2 hours after you give the sedative to see its effect onset. Peak effect is at about 2-4 hours after administration then it tapers off. Giving it with some food is a good idea, but not required. However, if the dog is already scared, the digestive process is slowed, so it may take 4 hours or longer to see onset. Therefore, "give it before you need it" which is ideally about 1-2 hours before any fireworks.

Side Effects: With the sedative Ace, you can expect the dog to become sleepy, but still be able to walk.

Caution: Do not give Ace if the dog has a known cardiac or seizure disorder.

Dosing Medication: Dose sight hounds 25% lower, collies & boxers 50% lower, and all other breeds <6 mo or >10 yr 50% lower. Read about MDR1 Gene Defect in Dogs. You can find a list of drugs (Acepromazine, Ivermectin, Butorphanol, Loperamide/"Imodium", etc) known to cause problems for dogs with the mutant MDR1 gene at WSU's Problem Drugs page.

For dogs that don't respond at all in two hours, repeat the dose. Test the dosage your dog needs on a day you will be home to see the effects before you need it for the fireworks.

Frequency: Ace should work for about 8 hours. Repeat dose after 8 hours as needed (usually 8-12 hrs). While testing dosage, do not increase dose sooner than 2 hours after 1st dose, because you haven't seen the complete results of what you already gave.

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