Noise phobia affects a significant proportion of dogs and causes intense distress during thunderstorms and fireworks. Evidence-based management approaches significantly reduce suffering.
Firework and thunderstorm phobia cause genuine terror in affected dogs - a dog hiding in a wardrobe, panting and trembling is experiencing an acute fear state equivalent to a human panic attack. The welfare problem is both acute (during events) and chronic (anticipatory anxiety as seasons approach). Yet many owners normalise their dog's fear as 'just being scared of fireworks' without seeking treatment. Pharmacological support for predictable events transforms the experience from terror to manageable mild anxiety. Pre-event medication should be discussed with vets each autumn, not treated as an emergency measure only when the dog is already in distress.