Owner's Way of Ensuring 8-Week-Old Puppy Has No 'Fear' of Fireworks Cheered

Fireworks may be a great form of entertainment for humans, but the colorful explosives are most dogs' worst nightmare.

One owner has figured out a way to prevent her dachshund from developing a phobia of fireworks. The method has been praised by TikTok users and racked up over 114,000 views since it was shared on November 4.

In a viral video shared to a page dedicated Penelope, the puppy (@penelopeminidachshund) can be seen accompanying her owner to a fireworks display.

The on-screen text explains: "We didn't want our puppy to grow to have a fear of fireworks. So we walked to a local display to get her used to them."

The video shows the 8-week-old pup being cradled in the owner's arms followed by a shot of the fireworks.

The owner wrote: "They got really loud and I regretted taking her." This was followed by "only joking, she was so unbothered she fell asleep during the display."

Purina, the pet food company, has explained some of the reasons why canines are scared of fireworks.

• They are loud and unpredictable which can cause a dog to become disturbed as they have no idea why the banging has suddenly occurred.
• The noise can trigger their fight-or-flight response causing them to feel anxious and show signs of distress such as barking, hiding, panting, pacing or whining.

Fortunately, Penelope hasn't shown any of the above signs and other owners have come forward to say they did the same with their pet. To watch the video, click here.

One owner said: "Exactly what we did with our Rottie, she's 4 now and still sits at the window watching them."

"Yep, we played fireworks on YouTube to our dog from 12 weeks old and he couldn't be more chilled about them—feel for all those who suffer though," said another user.

Purina advises owners to create a safe space indoors. This could be a cozy crate with their favorite toys and blankets or a small room with music playing. Desensitizing dogs by exposing them to fireworks is also another suggestion, and apparently it works.

Another user praised: "Well done. So nice to see this. We've done this with all of ours and never had issues!"

Sadly not all dogs have a positive experience when it comes to festive celebrations that involve fireworks. One dog broke hearts online when it hid in the cupboard on New Year's Eve.

Newsweek reached out to @penelopeminidachshund for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.

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