Your July 4th celebrations are a time to look forward to every year. Fireworks, grilling outdoors in the summer warmth and family gatherings can be an exciting and wonderful thing for us humans. Your dog, however, may not be so thrilled. Most dogs fear the loud booms of firework displays and time and time again humans are told to ignore their dog’s fears. Vets, trainers and other owners will all tell us that coddling our scared dog will only encourage his fear. This is very unfortunate, as it is a complete lie. Fear is an emotion, not a behavior, and thus cannot be reinforced. Just like a scared child, dogs often find some comfort in a soothing cuddle from their human, but if you follow these tips your dog has a higher chance of handling the July 4th hubbub with dignity.
- Keep him indoors. Your dog will not enjoy the fireworks as much as you will, and he will feel safer inside his own home. You can offer him the ability to stay in his crate by leaving the door open, or confining him to a place he feels safest in. Perhaps you have a room in your home that blocks out more sounds from the outside than another and can help to muffle the bangs of fireworks. Provide his bed or a soft blanket to lay on and a special chew toy or treat that he can work on during the event to take his mind off the scary stuff.
- Invest in a Thundershirt to help calm your dog’s nerves. A dog who is anxious may become destructive and can easily harm himself in the process of finding a safe place to stay. Dogs jumping through windows or screens and busting down doors is not unheard of during firework season. A Thundershirt is a special type of doggy shirt that puts physical pressure around your dog’s body, helping him to relax. When this is done for humans, it is called deep pressure therapy and it does actually work. Some dogs will calm down dramatically while others will just go to sleep while the shirt is on. These products come in all sizes for all dog body types and even some colors, too.
- Music therapy has been a scientifically proven method of calming nervous dogs. This doesn’t mean turn on your radio and crank it up in volume during firework displays, but using a CD, tape or down-loadable file of calming classical music made just for dogs will actually put your pooch at ease. In scientific studies, this kind of music slowed the heart rate and blood pressure of dogs while minimizing stressful behaviors such as pacing.
- Prepare for fireworks with your dog through desensitization. You can work ahead of time to help your dog become comfortable and accepting of the scary booming fireworks through controlled desensitization or counter conditioning sessions weeks in advance. You can purchase the sounds of fireworks on a CD or download them online. Use simple techniques such as playing the sounds low at first with a low value treat in hand and gradually raise the volume. Eventually, you will be able to play the sounds very loudly and reward your dog with a higher value treat for not reacting to it.
- Sedation is an option for the worst of the worst cases. If your dog is one of those who is not afraid to jump out of a window to escape the ever present firework eruptions, consult your veterinarian for a prescription of sedatives to give your pooch when the fireworks begin. A sedative should be the very last resort when all else fails and you are running out of time with his desensitization. A sedative will help your pup ignore the firework sounds and sleep away the night.
When it comes to any major activity, especially one that can cause your dog an immense amount of stress always use common sense. If your dog fears fireworks, don’t force him to go out and watch them with you. If your dog is frightened and is attempting to find comfort in various, even odd places in your home such as the bathtub or closet, reprimanding him certainly will not help. Prepare yourself and your dog to handle this time of year so everyone can have a great time, or at least be comfortable without stress.
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