What is bad for dogs? Chocolate and grapes of course. But also regicide. I wonder if Guy Fawkes ever considered, when he and his co-conspirators tried to assassinate James I by blowing up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, what this would mean for future pets?
“Bonfire Night is a real problem,” says Zazie Todd, a human psychologist turned expert animal behaviourist. “The trauma our pets experience around November 5 is very real.”
According to Todd, at least one in four dogs suffer anxiety because of fireworks. I have an 11-year-old Jack Russell called Billie and my preparations for Bonfire Night have already begun. I moved her bed to a quieter back room away from the street. I will leave a lamp on to mask bright flashes. Todd has plenty more ideas.
“Offer a really nice treat after a loud bang,” she advises. “But it’s important to get the sequence right. Giving the treat before the bang is an easy mistake to make and can make the anxiety worse. Dogs see the treat and think, ‘Oh no, bad things are about to happen.’”
Other things that work are closing the curtains and masking the sound with music (Classic FM is once again running its tailored Pet Classics from 5pm to 9pmon November 2 and 5, which I’ve found useful in the past) or even brown noise — lower frequency sounds that distract from the bangs. Todd sometimes puts her trainers in the washing machine and the random thumping works.
However, she doesn’t rule out pharmaceutical intervention. “I know people who give their dogs Xanax or an equivalent to help them cope,”she says. “It’s worth looking into medication from your vet if you think your dog is going to struggle. But for me, reassurance through treats is the way to go.”
Bear in mind, Todd has really good treats in mind. Roast beef. Scrambled eggs. Peanut butter (but make sure it does not contain the sweetener xylitol, which is toxic for dogs).
Todd has just written a book called Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog. It turns out dogs can get anxious about almost anything. She has encountered dogs who freak out when their owners wear sunglasses. “If you get a puppy in winter, by the time summer comes round they may not have ever seen your eyes covered before. It’s potentially frightening.”
Dogs can get anxious about almost everything
GETTY
Todd grew up in Yorkshire but now lives in Vancouver, Canada, so she and her shih tzu Pepper don’t have to endure Bonfire Night. But they face other hazards.
“Marauding bears are an issue here. We are taught to be ‘bear aware’. That means carrying bangers to scare them off, which are similar to fireworks, so I know the terrain.”
My Billie used to be so relaxed and serene. That all changed during the weekly honouring of NHS workersduring the early part of the pandemic. People clapped, bashed pans or rang bells and she hid under the table panting and quivering. Even after it ended she would often hide at exactly 8pm.
“Sometimes a new anxious trait suggests hidden pain. Arthritis, for example. It’s worth getting her checked out,” Todd suggest.
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Easier said than done. Trips to the vet have become a trial. One kennel-cough vaccine up the nostril and she behaves as though she’s being dragged to the gallows. Todd suggests booking appointments at quiet times to avoid other animals. Treats and reassurance in the car outside help, rather than prolonged periods in the waiting room — although the receptionist at ours always offers Billie meat paste from a tube that looks remarkably like the stuff I used to have in my school sandwiches in the 1970s.
“Wherever possible, be with your dog for any procedure,” Todd adds. If all else fails, she suggests something called a “victory visit”. Take them to the vet for a no-appointment visit — to buy pet food, for example — so they get used to the sights and sounds of the clinic. “You want your dog to feel at ease when getting care, especially as they get older.”
Last June I was bitten by an Alsatian while out walking with Billie. The dog was tied to a stake guarding a caravan. At first it was only air-snapping, but then it pulled the stake out of the ground. Todd’s book Bark! has a table of dog-bite severity. Mine was a level 4 bite — it took a chunk out of my calf that required a tetanus jab. I’m glad it wasn’t a level 6: “the attack results in death”. But it has resulted in Billie’s latest fear: big dogs.
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“The best way to deal with size disparity is find someone with a friendly, bigger dog and get Billie used to them again,” Todd says.
Fireworks. Vets. Bigger dogs. Many dogs are anxious about the groomer, skateboarders and cyclists. That’s quite a list of triggers. Are we becoming too indulgent with our pets? The comedian Frank Skinner once reminded me of dog culture in the 1970s. His Staffordshire bull terrier ran free in the street with other dogs. It didn’t even have dog food — it ate scraps.
“I think the culture has changed a lot,” Todd says. “Even when I got my first dog 15 years ago, the advice was to dominate it. Never let it go out of the front door first or walk in front of you. All wrong. Now we listen to our animals and give them choices and we know that makes them happier.”
Todd is full of good ideas but possibly a bit too much on the dogs’ side for my taste, even warning against cuddling without permission.
“Does your dog consent to that belly rub?” she asks. “You really ought to do a consent check.”
How do you do that?
“Stop rubbing and see if she gives you the signal to continue.”
Billie, snoozing happily on my lap, is snoring too loud to notice.
Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog by Zazie Todd is out now (£19.99 Greystone Books). Buy from timesbookshop.co.uk or call 020 3176 2935. Discount for Times+ members
