When I was young, fireworks weren't as 'big' as they are now, I had one fireworks party growing up, but the majority of my fireworks were enjoyed out of the bedroom window looking at other peoples, such as they were. I wasn't that bothered about them growing up.
When we first got a dog, we didn't give fireworks that much thought. Louie wasn't bothered by them and that was that. But that changed one night in mid March, totally not the fireworks season. Louie was in the garden about 10pm, when one of our near-neighbours let off some loud fireworks totally without warning, I never did know what exactly the occasion was. They had a dog themselves.....Anyway, this was the event that changed Louie's view of fireworks forever.
He was mooching around the garden as he always did, he was about 2 years old at the time. I had gone out into the garden to call him in, and just as I walked out of the back door a loud "whoosh" went off followed by several really loud bangs, made me jump. But they made Louie jump even more.....he flew into the house with wide eyes, clearly very shocked. He was panting and very different to how I had seen him before, the fireworks were still going off. From that day forward, that one event changed his view of fireworks from something to be ignored to something to be feared.
Every year, around this time of year, he began to get more and more fearful. We tried various therapies and drugs and even a dog behaviourist all to no avail. Louie had decided that fireworks were going to harm him, and nothing would change his mind. He would dig & scrape into the carpet incessantly, pant, scream in fright and in the end we had to put him into the car and drive out into the countryside where it was quiet. As soon as he was in the car, it was his sanctuary, he calmed down and went to sleep. It became a yearly event, as we charged out of the house with blankets, torches, books to read. We even had a soundtrack to this event, Louie seemed to be soothed by the music of Darren Hayes (of Savage Garden)....I still think of this time of year and Louie every time I hear this music.
By this time we had another Tibetan Spaniel, Nemo. He was thankfully completely nonplussed by fireworks and continues to be to this day. He tried to comfort Louie, but it didn't work.
Louie had an uncontrollable, totally maniacal fear of fireworks. He would not stop panicking no matter what, in his later years when his health was failing he wouldn't have stopped panicking even if it killed him....and to be honest we feared it would.
What really hinders handling the fireworks season is the sporadic randomness of when they go off. From mid-October they start, right the way beyond the 5th November. I don't really understand why we "celebrate" Guy Fawkes night in the first place, but if we are going to celebrate, why do we do so on any other night than the 5th November. We don't celebrate Christmas on the 18th December, just because this night might be more convenient.
I am more and more of the opinion that fireworks should be banned for sale to the public and organised displays should only be on the 5th November, no matter what night it falls on, even if inconveniently it isn't at the weekend.
But this isn't because I am a killjoy, it is because of all the stories I hear from people about how scared their animals are by the fireworks, how they cower and panic at the sound. I wouldn't have believed some of the stories had I not owned a dog who showed such extreme reactions to the noise, you really cannot appreciate it until you have witnessed it. It is totally heartbreaking knowing there is nothing you can do to stop the anguish.
So even though Nemo is fine with fireworks, that didn't stop him being surprised tonight by our neighbour who backs onto our garden letting fireworks off tonight (2nd November). They know we have a dog, he happened to be in the garden when they let them off. They didn't let us know as a courtesy they would be doing it.....although he did scamper in from the garden a bit hyped, he soon calmed down. Luckily at 15 years old, he has enough experience to know if his parents aren't panicking about something, then he can happily curl up and go to sleep....which is what he did.
But that event tonight is what prompted this blog, memories of Louie's experience which was much different.
I suspect that because of that experience with Louie, my attitude to fireworks is forever tainted. Unfortunately the usage of fireworks in our neighbourhood is getting ever more frequent, I think Saturday night (1st November) was every bit as noisy as a 5th November from a few years back. And part of the impact of fireworks now seems to be how loud they can be, rather than how pretty a picture they can make in the sky. Even though the RSPCA have championed 'quieter' fireworks, they haven't been taken up.
So if you are thinking of letting some fireworks off, think of the animals. Whilst some of them couldn't care less, some are scared, some of them literally scared to death.
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