5 Tips to Help Your Dog During Wartime and in Emergencies
- Background
In the Israeli reality, emergencies, sirens, loud noises and periods of security tension are part of life.
Just like humans – dogs too are affected by noise, stress, a change in routine and uncertainty.
Proper preparation can make a big difference between a stressed and frightened dog and a dog that feels secure even in challenging situations.
- Explanation
Tip 1: Turning the safe room into a safe place – not a place of stress
The safe room shouldn’t be an “emergency room” only during a siren.
The more the dog knows it as part of the home – the safer it will feel in it.
What you do in practice:
go into the safe room during calm times, play there with the dog, give treats and practice together with it a short, pleasant stay
The goal: that the safe room is perceived by the dog as a safe and pleasant place, not as a place of fear.
If there’s no safe room at home – the exact same principle applies to a shelter or a protected stairwell.
Tip 2: Early practice – not in real time
A dog that isn’t familiar with an emergency process will react out of stress and confusion.
Proper practice:
Practicing a calm entry into the safe room/shelter
using a fixed command
positive reinforcement (a treat, a kind word, touch)
without stress, without dragging, without coercion
Early practice creates: a habit → security → a calm response in real time
- Continued
Tip 3: Maintaining a routine even in times of emergency
Dogs need stability.
Precisely in times of uncertainty – a routine creates security.
What’s important to maintain:
fixed meal times, walks (even if shorter), daily interaction, short games, a clear framework.
Routine = emotional regulation.
Tip 4: Coping correctly with fear and anxiety
If the dog is afraid: ❌ don’t get angry
❌ don’t punish
❌ don’t pull by force
What to do instead:
calm speech
a stable presence
patience
a gradual process
In cases of significant anxiety, extreme reactions or panic – professional guidance can prevent the problem from worsening.
Tip 5: Preparing for loud noises
Sirens, booms and blast noises are a difficult stimulus for dogs.
Proper preparation:
gradual exposure to noise recordings at low volume
play during the noise
treats along the way
a slow increase of the volume over time
The brain learns: noise ≠ danger
noise = a neutral/positive experience
This is a process of desensitization and positive conditioning.
- Summary
A professional tip from me 🐾
Dogs are very much affected by the emotional state of their owners.
If you’re stressed, panicking, shouting and out of control – the dog will enter a state of tension.
The strongest message you convey to your dog is not the words — but your presence: calm, stability, calm movement, confidence.
A calm dog starts with a calm owner.
In summary
In emergencies, the goal is not “to train the dog” –
but to build a sense of security for it:
a protected place that it knows
a process that it understands
a stable routine
a calm response from the environment
gradual exposure to noises
all of these allow the dog to cope better even in challenging times.
Early preparation = security in real time.
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