For pets the coming weeks and for sure New Year's Eve can be very stressful

Perhaps you know the situation: a big bang while you walk your dog!
You are disorientated or even frightened for a second and your dog is jumping to a side away from the sound with the tail beneath his body.
This happens mainly during the weeks before New Year's Eve when we hear some bangs from people who can't wait until the 31st of December.

New Year's Eve is for us pets like war for humans

All the explosions and flashes of light are scaring for us! Also, the constant smell of fire is everything but calming us down!
We do not understand what is going on.

Now the important part: some vets will still recommend the wrong medicines/tranquilizers

WRONG!!! DON'T DO IT !!!

Here is why: most pills have a narcotic effect.
What does that mean: we will hear even better but cannot react on it anymore.
So what you will see is a totally calm pet but what is going on inside of us is terrible!

We hear all these bangs, see the flashes of light and smell the fire but can't move.

How would you feel waking up during a surgery feeling every cut of the scalpel but you can't move?!?

Not your best experience, is it?
Here is one of the medicines given to us in the Netherlands - but there are many more of course!

What CAN you do to make this period of the year easier?

To be honest I am not scared during that time of the year.
You know why? I'm afraid of nothing!
No, just kidding - of course, there are things that frighten me too. But not these totally senseless bangs at the end of the year.

Try the following

Especially these weeks before New Year's Eve are perfect for training.
When you hear a bang try to react on it positively and overpraise what happened "Did you hear that - that was fun!" and give us the best treat you got ASAP!
This is important: ASAP/directly. If you can/could do it directly before or with the bang.
This way we learn to connect these bangs with something positive.

Bang = best treats ever!

What to do on New Year's Eve?

New Year's Eve is, of course, a massive attack for many pets.
If you have a dog ... what does he like most?
A bone? Get him a BIG one that lasts for some hours!
Does your dog like to search for treats? Why not hide them one for one in the house and let him search for them?
This is also a good exercise for some discipline - we need to wait until we are called to search - no lurking allowed :)

I would like to wish you all a beautiful time while 2018 is ending!

P.S.: you can verify all things mentioned above when asking modern vets. The older generation - and for sure the industry - will just say: "Well, you see that your pet is calm - so all is fine!"

CU around and stay critical!

Your Marley 🐕