Dogs, man’s best friends, are afraid of New Year’s Eve explosions. People apparently know this, but some of society simply does not care. – We have always struggled with this – says a reader, a resident of Bolesławiec. – This year, the place where we currently live was relatively quiet, but in previous years it was a serious problem. The dogs were panic-stricken by the fireworks, on the verge of a heart attack.

Can anything be done about it? In the reader’s opinion, it is rather a fight against windmills. – We cannot escape this tradition – the woman adds. – People who have and love animals do not need to be educated about it. The problem is with those who treat setting off fireworks as a sport or a way to vent their frustration.

– This is a very serious problem for many owners – says Rafał Śmiałkowski, a trainer who works with dogs and a titled competitor who takes part in sled-dog races. – Fireworks trigger a primal fear in our dogs, which can lead, for example, to attempts to flee “blindly.” Such an incident was recently reported in the media: a dog trying to escape over a fence impaled itself on its metal bars. It is difficult to get a dog accustomed to this. Of course, some dogs do not react to it at all, but for most of them this situation causes almost panicky fear.

Dogs can be given medication, but as R. Śmiałkowski emphasizes, it will help only in the short term. It is important to calmly and gradually accustom a puppy to loud sounds and explosions during the early socialization stage, that is, up to 12 weeks of age.

So what should be done? Should setting off fireworks on New Year’s Eve be banned? – On the one hand, people have welcomed the New Year this way for a long time, and it is difficult to hold that against them – the trainer points out. – But common sense is also needed. It would be good if fireworks were set off only on New Year’s Eve night. Usually, however, celebrations begin several days beforehand and continue for several days afterward. My clients have a several-month-old puppy. On New Year’s Eve, they took great care of it and made sure it did not go outside. On New Year’s Day, someone threw a firecracker into their garden as a prank. The result? The dog is now panic-stricken by everything.

What do you think? We invite you to join the discussion.