It's 8:45pm on Saturday, so we're starting to prep Santi and the house for tonight's annoyance. The Montreal International Fireworks Competition. We're only a 1/4 km away from them and Santi, like a lot of dogs, DOES NOT LIKE THEM.
What is amazing is the first warning shot is not until 9:30pm, but at about 8:30pm he stats fretting. The early signs of his anxiety begin to appear. What is really bizarre is that even from the first night of the competition he knows. He knows! How does he know? We sure don't know how...
The first night he was very worked up, and nothing we did would minimize his discomfort. He ended up on our bed on Marcel's pillows. (He likes a point of some height generally when he's in distress) Instead of coddling him we make sure he has multiple places he can go to feel safe... : his little man cage, a blanket on the sofa between Marcel and I, a blanket on the bed he can burrow into, and even some laundry...
The Saturday after he went under the chair by the sofa where we put his bed. And last Wednesday he curled up on my chest as I was stretched out on the sofa.
We don't know where he'll go tonight but all spots are set up. And at 9pm we'll put his favorite shirt on him. IT's snug but not too tight and this is something that generally calms small dogs.
Tonight is the USofA that is competing, which does not bode well, because traditionally, theirs are the biggest, loudest most obnoxious fireworks of the competition.
*UGH*
