For many horse and dog owners, the Fourth of July is a cause of more anxiety than celebration. The loud and unpredictable sound of fireworks often causes fear and stress in animals…sometimes even leading to injury. Help you and your furry friends have a less fearful Fourth by using desensitization training!
What is desensitization?
Desensitization training is the process of removing the fearful and undesirable behaviors associated with the sound of fireworks and replacing these with more desirable and relaxed behaviors through counter conditioning.
How is this done?
In general, desensitization and counter conditioning are accomplished by exposing the animal to low, non-threatening levels of the target noise and combining this exposure with a positive experience (often food).
How long does the process take?
That depends on each individual animal, but…a while. You’ll need to start your training weeks or (preferably) months in advance. Thankfully, the Fourth of July comes around the same time every year…so it’s easy to plan!
The Steps of Desensitization and Counter Conditioning to Sounds
Step 1: Locate a recording of your target sound. In the case of the Fourth of July, this is probably fireworks. YouTube offers lots of options (many specifically designed for training dogs to tolerate fireworks noise). For horses, my favorite option is the SpookLess series which cover a variety of sounds that horses may come across (such as fireworks, gun shots, emergency vehicles, farm animals, etc.).
Step 2: Play the sound at a very low volume. So low you can barely hear it! Your dog or horse may not even take notice of the sound at this level…and that’s the goal! If your animal acts at all fearful, the volume is too high! The goal here is gradual and controlled exposure.
Step 3: Feed your dog or horse high value treats while the sound plays and they are displaying relaxed behavior. Personally, my horses are happy just to munch on their daily feed. My dogs on the other hand expect something special! If your dog or horse starts to show signs of anxiety of fear, do not punish these. Instead, ignore the behaviors and decrease the volume of the sound. When your dog or horse starts to relax again, feed more treats!!!
Note: Short, frequent sessions are more effective than long sessions!
Step 4: Slowly increase the volume of the sound with subsequent sessions. If the animal starts to show any signs of distress, decrease the volume back to a level that was not causing fear or stress for several sessions.
Does this work for other situations?
Yes!!! It’s great for thunderstorms, sirens, heavy equipment, etc. In fact, my first experience with sound desensitization with my own animals was with one of my horses…who spooked at some kids climbing on a set of aluminum bleaches next to the arena during a show. Since I knew we’d be riding at that facility many times throughout the years, I needed a solution to make sure that he was prepared for the next show. So we went home and got to work!
What if it doesn’t work?
Sometimes it isn’t the noise of fireworks, but the sight or smell of them that make animals nervous. Try to figure out exactly what is bothering your horse or dog so that an appropriate training program can be designed.
For more information:
Free Sound Training Programs (complete with instructions and sound files) from DogsTrust
Treating Fear of Thunderstorms and Fireworks from VCA
Fear of Fireworks from UC Davis
