How to calm your dog from fireworks and separation anxiety with music and TV for dogs

Can you imagine spending only about 8 or 9 hours a day at home? Not working, not doing anything... Sounds great, right?... but without internet, console, mobile, music, television, or books, doesn't it seem so fun anymore?

Spending time alone without distractions is not the best thing in the world, but that's what our dogs experience daily when we close the door and go to work, or run errands without them: we leave them at home waiting for us to come back, and their minds start imagining things, they get sad and think we've abandoned them, and thus begins a spiral of destruction, of madness, which is called separation anxiety: the dog plays as if it were in the wild, remembering its ancestors the wolves, and doesn't care if it destroys something, it also suffers from your absence and starts destroying things. Its thought is: I'll break everything I find, and pee all over the house, and eat your new shoes, and if I can, also your sunglasses, or your favorite leather jacket... do you know that feeling? The one where you get home and it looks like Hurricane Katrina passed through your living room?

Music for dogs tames the beasts

Experts recommend that if you are going to be away from home for more than 4 or 5 hours, plan a good walk with your dog, about half an hour or more, take its favorite throwing toy and play with your dog for a good while, its mind and body will get tired and it will be more inclined to sleep than to destroy. Also, it's advisable that it has eaten so that when it digests, it gets sleepy and stays calm sleeping in its bed.

Leave its toys around so it can play if it feels like it, and it doesn't hurt to leave a radio on or the television itself; sometimes the noise reminds them of activity and they don't seem to be alone.

Firecrackers can cause tachycardia, tremors, nausea, loss of control, and even death

Your dog's hearing is up to four times more sensitive than yours, which is why the booming sound of a rocket or firecracker can cause a heart attack. During fireworks displays, it's advisable to stay in a place where your dog feels safe, calm, next to you, with its favorite toy nearby, and its favorite treats, so it associates that terrible moment with something good. If you can, play music or turn on the television.

There are TV channels and music playlists for dogs.

 Here's a link where Elma, a friendly dachshund, shares her tips so firecrackers don't ruin your night, or scare or terrify you.

Discovery Channel has created a TV channel for dogs, and there are programs and websites with music playlists specifically for them

The cable channel Animal Planet, from Discovery Channel, will broadcast special programming this Christmas with content specifically created for dogs during the December and January holidays, to help them relax and not suffer from the typical holiday fireworks.

On many paid music platforms like Spotify, several music playlists for dogs have been created by the user Relaxmydog

Specific content for dogs

The auditory sensitivity of dogs and other animals means they particularly suffer from the strident sounds of fireworks common during Christmas and New Year celebrations, and the Three Kings' Day parade. Therefore, the programming will be shown during these days for a period of six hours, between 8 PM and 2 AM, and is intended for dogs.

All content is part of the catalog of the American channel DOG TV and has been designed by scientists, veterinarians, and dog experts.

For three years, a total of 68 veterinary professionals and four ethologists (specialists in canine behavior) studied this content to design the various programs on the DOG TV channel, which can help dogs reduce their anxiety.

Experts sought to determine which colors, themes, visual tones, and sound scales were ideal; music for dogs was determined to have certain frequencies and rhythms, such as instrumental music, baby babbling, and children's laughter, which soothe the animals. Among the visual stimuli best suited to the physiological characteristics of dogs, they observed that natural landscapes and images of other dogs enjoying happy moments were very useful in calming their mood.

We hope that with these simple tricks, you can enjoy these holidays with your dog without it panicking.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments