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Christmas in Spain is a time of joy and celebration, filled with family gatherings, festive decorations and the sounds of Christmas carols everywhere. But alongside these traditions, the season often brings the crackle of firecrackers and the spectacle of fireworks - a thrill for many but a source of distress for some of our most cherished family members: our pets.

 

Dogs and cats, with their heightened senses, experience the noise of fireworks far more intensely than humans do. For them, what we hear as loud can be utterly overwhelming, causing fear, anxiety and even dangerous reactions.

 

Every year, heartbreaking stories emerge about pets jumping from balconies in panic or bolting during walks because of the noise.

 

Spain has a deep love for fireworks, using them to celebrate everything from soccer victories to the midnight toll of New Year’s Eve bells. However, the rules for buying and using fireworks are relatively relaxed, making it common for them to be set off at any time, day or night.

 

These sudden, loud explosions can trigger panic in animals. As dog trainer Anika Rytel, founder of Perros y Punto, explains, “A dog that is afraid of loud noises and firecrackers needs to be worked on beforehand to get it to stop being afraid, but it’s a natural reaction.”

 

 

Ms Rytel recommends creating a ‘noise barrier’ to help pets cope with the chaos. This involves camouflaging the sound of fireworks with other noises. For instance, a few days before you expect fireworks, you can play audio tracks of firecracker sounds on a speaker or television while giving your dog treats.

 

This helps the animal associate the sound with something positive, such as food, petting or fun activities and games.

 

However, the expert points out that pets can often tell the difference between recorded sounds and real firecrackers.

 

“Real firecrackers are louder and can sometimes make windows or walls shake, in addition to the smell of gunpowder,” she explains.

 

To further ease their stress, she suggests playing the audio tracks during actual fireworks or providing a quiet, sheltered area where the noise is less intense.

 

In more serious cases, pets may display symptoms of acute anxiety, such as rapid panting, trembling, excessive salivation or an inability to calm down. If this happens, it’s essential to consult a veterinarian beforehand.

 

Ana Moreno, a veterinarian in Úbeda, highlights that while some medications can be prescribed to help dogs during these events, over-the-counter solutions like pheromone-based diffusers, sprays and collars are often just as effective.

 

“They contain an analogue of the pheromone released by the mother during breastfeeding, which takes the dog back to that moment when it smells the scent, causing the animal to relax,” she explains.

 

“Of course, it's not a magic solution and it depends a lot on the dog.”

 

 

Image: Pixabay