Firework night

[ACE]

I am just making plans for my faithful hound to go and stay way out in the wilds with a friend who does not suffer from fireworks going off half the night. I don't know why he cringes up so much as he is very clever (border collie) and has never been near, or hurt by any firework. Does it hurt their ears perhaps as he seems to sense them a split second before we hear them.

It got me thinking about all the birds roosting and wild animals it must be like armagedon for them especially the young birds. I am not against them, although I would not buy them. But surely they should have a bangometer or something and stop these really loud ones. I would not be surprised if apart from scaring all the animals they could cause damage to some of the older houses.

[ACE]

[lushy86]

I know, I love fireworks but my two mutts don't and they have never been hurt by one, I think it must hurt their ears, I don't know why they have to be so loud, just pretty would do.

Lushy x
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[tonybloke]

dog's take some training to put up with loud bangs, but it is often done (gun-dogs, etc)

[lorna]

My King Charles is off to the country kennels in the morning until Sunday when hopefully most of the fireworks will be finished (wishful thinking). When they start she climbs on the back of the sofa and tries to claw through the wall. I have tried everything including calming tablets from the vet. So in my opinion she is much happier at the kennels, fortunately she quite likes going there. If they continue after Sunday I just turn my music up very loud, enough to give me a headache but it does drown out the noise a bit!!

[grawrc]

dog's take some training to put up with loud bangs, but it is often done (gun-dogs, etc)

That's right Tony but they are trained up for it from birth.

[Chrispy]

If you are just walking down the street, and then there is a large bag, I'm sure you would be frightened, probably expressed as you saying *&%$ or &*%$.
Animals also have better hearing, and don't understand why a weeks chow money is spent on making a large bang so it's hardly surprising they get frightened.

[PurpleHeather]

We had a cat who loved them.

Used to sit on the window sills upstairs to watch..

Just got a rescue dog and so far with the odd few which are going on have been sat with him watching out of the window and keep stroking him, showing him 'we like them they are pretty'.

In truth I do not like them at all and would be perfectly happy if they were not on sale to the general public at all.

They are explosives and dangerous but then there is a lot I don't like...

Yes it must be sheer torture for the wild animals, they have a short life and do not understand this annual madness.

[betula]

I dread it every year.

Poor animals.............. :(

[dtw]

My cats don't seem too bothered by fireworks.

[grawrc]

Surprisingly I haven't heard any yet! Normally they start about a week beforehand.

[Old bird]

Collies are particularly susceptible to loud noises.  My old collie Benjy was terrified of fireworks and thunder.  He would try to get in the car (which is a very sensible thing to do with thunder and lightening) fireworks were a nightmare too.

There is not a lot you can do with a very frightened dog or cat.  To pander and pet them gives them the impression that you are also frightened and so they were right and everyone is going to get more panicked!  There is a certain amount of truth in acclimatising them - but is a gun dog is frightened of shooting noises - nothing will ever change and they will have to be used for other things.

Old Bird

[1066]

OldBird, I think your collie was trying to tell you to get in the car and start it up and get out of there! Clever dog!!

[simmo116]

first bonfire with chickens! maybe they will be spooked into laying....

[ACE]

Everyone must have been broke around this way and can't afford them. A few little pops about 6 then nothing for the rst of the night. The only thing that worries me is that they might be waiting for the weekend to have a firework party as it is still reasonable enough temperatures to have a barby as well. Even the weather forcast looks good for the weekend.

When I was a nipper, the 5th was the only night for bonfires and fireworks, unless it fell on a sunday, then it was a day early.

[betula]

Very few went off round here,,,

Still the weekend though...........

I do my normal rain dance at this time of year. :)

[tonybloke]

When I was a nipper, the 5th was the only night for bonfires and fireworks, unless it fell on a sunday, then it was a day early.

you mean they had fireworks then?? :)

[ACE]

you mean they had fireworks then?? :)

The raw ingredients for gunpowder were freely availiable in any hardware shop, so with different metal filings mixed in, we could make our own. Then for about a month before everybody heaped their rubbish on the green for a great big bonfire. I shall never forget the taste of hot raw potato on a stick, mixed with wood ash. No tin foil in them days to bake a spud properly.

Most overflows from the toilets were made from lead pipe which was easy to cut a lump off, fill it with gunpowder and pack it tight, fold the ends over and bung them in the bonfire. You ain't hear a proper banger till you've heard one of them.

[naff]

Nice to know I,m not the only one who spent their childhood exploding things!! I used old .303 cases from the old RAF small arms range near to us, filled them with pot nitrate/charcoal/sulphur and then into the fire. Nice bang but shrapnel everywhere!!
Try calcium carbide in a syrup can with a pinhole in the lid,weighted with a brick and thrown into a pond it made fishing really good fun!!!!

[lushy86]

Was fairly quiet round here his this year too

Lushy x

[thegroatgardener]

I think the bangs of the fireworks were drowned out by the noise of the rain beating against the window - literally.