Severe gunshot terror in dog

Good morning. I have been reading threads here as I try to find a way to cope with this issue.

Briefly, we took in a badly abused collie some six years ago, Her first five years had been hell.

She has come on wonderfully and is the most affectionate dog. An old lady now.

However, the one huge problem she is left with (apart from chasing the cats mercilessly) is a very severe thunder and gunshot terror. The first time this was seen was a storm that lasted 72 hours.She vomited all the while and as we could not get a vet we kept her safe with home made rehydration fluid.

We have tried without much sympathy etc to get vet help for her. One vet did come out but had in her hand a lethal injection! Others dismiss it as behavioural and not their area. One prescribed acp which I gave once to have her off hr feet 48 hours.. I have tried valium with little success when it is really bad.

The occasional storm we can cope with but now we have a farmer neighbour using one of the crowbanger bird scarers usually ten hours or more a day and sometimes all night and collie is frantic and suffering. NB we are getting legal and other advice as this is causing a nuisance etc and there are laws but meanwhile there is this daily terror going on. When we first had her, there was this look of deep terror in her eyes and we loved her out of that but now it is back .

Not sure what to do any more; we are deep in rural Ireland and trying to get her to a vet would traumatise her yet more. Just to be told as we have done before...

She is way past any alternative help also. Because of her early life this is all too deep seated.

In a very few hours it will start again. Dreading it. It startles us also of course. We are very very tired now after weeks of this

Oh love, I'm so sorry - what an awful situation to be in.

You sound like a lovely owner, and I'm sure you've tried distraction etc.

There are a few really good behavioural people on here, and I hope they can give you some sound advice.

x

Thank you,, starting to see about a house move, but it is the coping day to day now. I have M.E and this is adding to th e issues.Yes, we love this dog dearly.

And yes, she is far beyond distraction etc. As a puppy and onweards, she was left 16..24 locked in a dark shed out in the boonies. It took two years to get her to go through a door normally as she was terrified of being locked in.

How awful for her, and for you to see her suffering so much.

I have a shell-shocked ex-gun dog, who has got less terrorised by fireworks, thunder and gunshots over the 7 years she's been with us...but the deep-seated terror never totally goes away.

When things get really bad, I let Saba into the larder - which is windowless and well insulated, so the noise is muffled. It is like a panic room for her. Could you construct a noise-insulated den for her?? Or would that bring back the fear of being trapped in?

Otherwise I have found that acting normal, and chatting as brightly as possible to her helps. But I'm sure you've tried all of the obvious stuff.

Good luck in finding your girl some comfort.

For this understanding, thank you. This is the problem. The only resource is the shed where the dogs sleep. It seems to be muffled there, and we started sleeping them there as colliie barked at every small sound in the night and we were not getting any sleep. But the thought of her spending every day in there appalls.

But last evening they were both too upset to eat. we have a second dog, a wee JRT Bassett cross .

Only once has she barked in there- we can hear her slightly- and that was when they were gathering cattle in the field next to the shed

And yes we have tried to get this persistent din stopped. Sunny today and a few bangs already. it is going to be a long noisy day.

I am so sorry to hear your poor collie is having such a hard time. We have working collies and a few of them are terrified of loud gunshot (and we live on a shooting estate) and fireworks, thunder etc. However, they tend to take refuge in their kennels when they are scared and none have such extreme reactions as your poor girl My older GSD is not good with loud noises either, and when she was younger I put her on valium (vet prescribed) and it really helped her.

I do hope that someone can come along with some constructive advice for you, as it sounds as though you are all in a living hell at the moment

It is enormously reassuring to read these posts; thank you. Someone who fed the collie sometimes in her young days averred that you must never let a dog into the house in thunder. Why do they do these things....

Small wonder she is as she is. She never had a bolthole and was shut in alone and collies are so sociable.

All is quiet just now; maybe they are pausing today.

How did you cope with the gun dog ( sorry; question mark not working)

I have valium for her but it has little effect when the noise is so near and persistent. We had a massive storm and flooding a few weeks ago and she was just starting to eat the door when I got to the shed .. chomp chomp!

One time we were out when a storm hit and got home to find the door broken and collie missing, searching for us. She was gone eleven days that time. Up in the mountains somewhere; she is utterly devoted to us now.

Have you considered trying a thunder shirt? I think they have a no quibbles 30 day refund policy if it doesn't help your dog so worth giving a try.
I've never used one myself but have met a few people who can't praise them highly enough when used on their own sensitive dogs.

I use a thundershirt on my very nervous terrier x for storms and gun shots. He used to wear it for the nearby crow sharers but he gradually got habituated to them.

Rosebud you may find that the thundershirt might help but only when used in conjunction with the valium at first then slowly lower the dose until only the thundershirt is needed. The only thing is can you get one on her tight enough to make a difference? Is she a handable dog or is she too nervous?

[QUOTE=Wyrekin;2578581]I use a thundershirt on my very nervous terrier x for storms and gun shots. He used to wear it for the nearby crow sharers but he gradually got habituated to them.

Rosebud you may find that the thundershirt might help but only when used in conjunction with the valium at first then slowly lower the dose until only the thundershirt is needed. The only thing is can you get one on her tight enough to make a difference? Is she a handable dog or is she too nervous?[/QUOTE

Been there done that and nothing helps except the noise stopping. Well, it distracted her trying to get it off..

The valium does not touch the sides any more. Incidentally, we got vet's advice from family overseas and then got the valium from someone's granny who had been prescribed it and not used it.Even using it very rarely.

All any vet here would give was ACP. Some said that they do not prescribe sedatives for dogs and viewed me as a neurotic mother...So I went my own way after that. We have family overseas who are trainers, handlers, breeders so I get expert advice.

She is infinitely handlable, bless her. Would lean on you forever.

I crashed last evening around 4pm; August is always bad re the M.E because of the shortening days. And I need to keep the trading at at least one market going. Yesterday after the initial bang around 8 am it was blessedly quiet but this is Ireland and erratic etc. There are noise laws here and they are being broken.

Anyways, what some have posted here got me thinking and looking back; these are my first dogs by the way! After a lifetime of breeding Siamese they came as a shock and collie was not catered for.

When we found her, she was chained up at a ruined house alone, to a 56 lb weight with a kennel within reach.

Wnen I Viewed the house she was in an improvised cage in the shed, and was totally silent, The agent assured me she was going somewhere else.

When I took wee dog a walk, up the lane to the old house, we found her and gradually ( being careful as it was our landlord etc) we gradually learned her story.
They bought her for daddy after mammy died. But daddy did not want her and never spent another night in the house. Way out in the country this was. As here in rural ,Ireland dogs are not allowed in the house, they locked her in a shed with no windows. When they let her out, mid morning, they fed her and just let her roam. When we walked the mountain tracks, she knew every gap in every hedge etc. Never vaccinated, wormed or spayed and fed on the cheapest tinned food mushed up with cold water and cheap white bread. Every one was scared of her as once she had nipped a neighbour's ankle. Doing her sheepdog stuff and never trained or worked.

So neither flesh not fowl nor good red herring.

We checked with a local rescue who said they would give us full support and asked if we could take her on

Initially she lived outside; we got them to bring the big kennel down to us.

Then when both dogs were spayed, we started bringing her in, to the back porch at first. Where she would sweep any leaves etc into a corner.

The first time thunder hit, she demanded out and hid in her kennel . Next time, she tried an indoor cupboard and so it went on. Then she got utterly devoted to me.

The whole acclimatisation was slowly done and took many months.The two dogs have never fully gelled and eg will not sleep together.

When we left there we asked to take her with us; the rescue place said they would back us up if there were any problems and we would have simply taken her. LL had the cheek to say they would miss her..

Yesterday we recuperated and by evening, all was calm again. her eyes clear etc. As always after a bad day, she is clingy in the extreme. The reaction seems to have got worse rather than better.Like my own reaction to stinging nettles which now causes a deep nerve ache that lasts days.

And we are actively seeking a new house; there have been other issues with this tenancy so this is not just for the dogs.

Incidentally, the landlord bought a pretty little spaniel for his young son but of course it was never allowed in the house. Last seen ruined and chained up outside in all weathers and yes we reported that.

Please God a quiet Sunday.