Fireworks

Fireworks season is hitting it’s stride! We were pretty lucky over the weekend and didn’t get too many, but they started tonight when we were on our evening walk.

Kim hit the deck and then set off sprinting for home. She used hone in on whoever was closest and try and hide under their feet, but she’s figured out it’s safer in the house, these days. Of course, we don’t just let her go; there is a small, quiet road to cross from the woodland to our front door, and the only car of the night would inevitably drive down as my poor frightened dog went sprinting past. No thanks.

So, you’ve never seen me react so fast! Picture the scene, if you will … a dark and lonely golf course, flags flapping sadly in a quiet breeze, interrupted only by a mad woman shrieking wearing a woolly tasseled hat and waving two leads whilst running across the green, loosely circled by two bewildered but happy collies who aren’t quite sure why their mother has gone mad. I did catch Kim, because I know she always slows up when she hits the strip of woodland before the 16th hole. She did so, and once she’d heard me, she circled back around for a hug.

Despite the shivers it sends down my little dog’s spine, I love Bonfire Night, and fireworks, and all the associated bits. I know it causes many dogs a lot of anguish and fear, and I know there are various petitions every year from dog owners saying the whole thing should be banned. I try to keep out of those arguments, because everyone tends to be quite horrified when I say I like the whole thing. That’s not to say I like fireworks going off in the middle of the day, from September to January, or the idiots who use them on purpose to scare dogs and children, but if you’re using them safely and carefully on one night a year, I really don’t mind. They’re pretty and good fun and yes, they’re noisy and daft, but I like noise. (If I didn’t, I certainly wouldn’t do flyball).

The reason I perhaps have this point of view is that I have two dogs from three who really couldn’t care less about the fireworks. Mollie and Dylan will carry on with their evening walks all this week, and they’ll have a fantastic time. Dylan will just go about life as normal, but Mollie will spend the whole time chasing the pretty lights in the sky and woo-wooing along to the bangs. She thinks fireworks are one of the top-10 things in existence. Mollie has even been to a Bonfire party with us before (not where there was a fireworks display, but I don’t think she would have minded), and she had a lovely time. The only reason Kim gets scared is because she was mollycoddled as a puppy, and we created her fear for her. (Incidentally, she’s currently beating Dylan up around our kitchen and over my feet. She gets better every year, and is now fairly comfortable and relaxed throughout, providing she is indoors).

I know there are lots of people out there who have very noise sensitive dogs, who have tried everything to overcome their dog’s fears and simply can’t find a way around it. I sympathise, and I hope you all have a firework free November.