Does if work?

At the time of writing this (10 pm on Nov 5th) my own dog Raab is still settled by the fire, fed up with being kept in and not having his evening walk. We have played the CD throughout the evening, and he has remained calm. When we turned the CD off, he yapped at some of the louder cannon-type bangs, but in Jack Russel style, not through fear or anxiety. Blocking the sounds by playing the CD saw him fall asleep again!

A study we made on the users of our CD last year is shortly to be published in the the Vet's journal 'The Veterinary Record'. This is the first scientific study to prove that the use of firework sounds is effective in the management of firework phobias.

When should I start using the CD?

Ideally one would start at least 3 or 4 weeks before fireworks are expected. Whilst DAPs should be given a week or two to work, it is never too late to switch one one. We do see almost instant calming of some dogs with this device.

Do I need to keep playing it throughout the year?

An initial period of intense therapy is probably best, whilst you are still highly motivated. Once things are under control, it would be wise to use the CD weekly, or whenever you remember!

How long do the vapourisers last?

Each bottle lasts for one month. Ideally you need 3 bottles for the period November to January.

What other problems will these vapourisers help?

Stress is manifest in many forms, and these products can be used for all sorts of anxiety/stress disorders. For dogs, this includes the introduction of a new puppy to a household when leaving its mother, and separation anxiety when your pet is destructive or soils the house when left on its own.

In cats, it is particularly useful in multi-cat households: a situation that often leads to conflict between cats, and urine marking of furniture. It can also be used when your cat goes into a cattery, or goes to the vets. There is a Feliway pump-action spray you can use to spray onto your cat basket/kennel, which will help settle your cat into this hostile environment. We use a Feliway vapouriser in the consulting room, which seems to keep cats much calmer, making life easier for vet, client and pet!

Do I need professional help?

Some behavioural problems can be very complex, and may also involve physical disease. Firework problems range from simple fear of the sounds to severe phobias. Severe phobias will usually need professional help, medication, and more complicated protocols.

If you are unable to build up the volume without triggering fear in your pet, or if your pet is still frightened by fireworks sounds despite the measures you have taken, you should seek veterinary advice.

Advanced Programme

The simple protocol provided with the CD will suit most animals with fear of fireworks or mild firework phobia. However, the more time you are able to spend working the problem through with your pet, the greater the chances of success.


For a more advanced protocol, click here

Recording Chart

To download a recording chart to plan and follow the success of your pets treatment, please click here


Protocol updates?

Experience with the programme has brought us several amendments to our standard protocol
1 Play the CD frequently, even for very short periods
2 If your pet shows any sign of fear of fireworks (the real thing) then try your best to ignore him/her. This means not looking at or interacting with your pet: it is not just a case of not trying to calm the pet.
3 For your 'safe haven' choose an area where your pet feels secure. This is not the same as the place they run to when anxious.
4 When playing the CD, the 'maximum' volume should be around the same level as real fireworks. Dont just turn your player up to its limit, as this will distort the sound and probably drive both you and your pet potty!

Client Survey

We are keen to learn as much as we can about the ways in which we can help pets overcome their phobias. If you would like contribute to this research, please click here to download a questionnaire about the use of the CD with or without the use of DAPs and Feliway Vapourisers. Filling in the survey will take less than 10 minutes of your time. Thank you for your assistance (please note that this is NOT market research for DAPs and Feliway!)