16/11/2024
Let’s talk DESENSITISATION
Sadly fireworks are here to stay and are used throughout the winter months for Diwali, Bonfire night and New Year Eve.
For many dogs this can be terrifying but you can help them by starting a SYSTEMATIC DESENSITISATION PROGRAMME
This programme is likely to take many months so please start doing this NOW to help your dogs cope with fireworks in the future.
The two main things that I want to get across is that you will need to take your time to introduce the stimulus slowly and positively.
Firstly, you will need to make time for a 15 minute training session twice per day. You will need to download a variety of firework noises onto your phone or laptop, have a selection of high value treats, activity toys and chews and some brand new toys.
Let’s get started.
✅Making sure that the volume is very low, start playing the firework recording whilst your dog is relaxed and calm in a part of the house that they are comfortable and familiar with. As it plays introduce something your dog enjoys such as a stuffed kong, licky mat or tuggy game. This is called counter conditioning and means to change your dogs emotional response.
✅If your dog is agitated and unable to focus on the resource/game, reduce the volume of the recording to within your dogs coping threshold.
✅Once your dog is relaxed enough to happily respond to the resource/toy, interact and get them excited so they have fun.
✅To ensure that their learning has been effective spend 3/4 days at this volume before turning it up.
✅You will need to make gradual increases in the volume of the recording, spending 3/4 days at each level. If you dog shows any sign of anxiety then reduce the volume to the level they could previously cope at and try again making a slower increase.
✅Once your dog is able to interact with you and the resources whilst the recording is at a high level you will be able to take the training to other rooms/areas of your house.
✅When you move to a different room/area you will need to restart the programme from the beginning i.e the recording at a very low volume.
Well done you have cracked it………now you will need to take the training outside into your garden, in your car and out on a walk. You never know when and where they will hear a firework so you will need to desensitise them in every location to help them generalise that the sound of fireworks is ok.
Whilst working through the programme it is absolutely essential that you do not:
❎Get frustrated or cross as this will cause your dog to worry and shut down
❎Rush the programme as this will be unfair on your dog and cause “flooding” which means a negative exposure to a scary stimulus
❎Cut corners as it wil not be effective
****Please remember these important things****
⚠️You must work at a pace that your dog can cope with, there isn’t a time scale so you will need to be mindful of your dog and their own responses
⚠️If you have multiple dogs you will need to desensitise each dog individually
⚠️You must make it positive
⚠️You must work through the programme in every area of your house and outside
⚠️You must be patient
⚠️Your dog must be calm and relaxed when you start every training session
***Key words/phrases to help you understand***
‼️Stimulus - scary noise i.e fireworks
‼️Counter Condition - make something positive
‼️Coping Threshold - the level at which they can stay relaxed
‼️Resource - Stuffed kong, licky may, activity toy
‼️Flooding - An unfair over exposure to something scary
‼️Generalise - Understanding that’s is ok in every location
You owe it to your dog to help them cope, please dedicate the time needed
