For many of us the 4th of July means fun, friends, food and fireworks. But it may not be so much fun for our dogs. Fireworks can be terrifying to some dogs!
Shelters report that the 5th of July is the one of busiest days of the year. More dogs are found wandering loose than any other day of the year, thanks, in part, to fireworks.
A dog’s hearing is far more sensitive than a human’s. Dogs can hear frequencies we can’t and can hear things from much farther away than we can. So we can only imagine how loud fireworks can sound to a dog.
Here are a few things we can we do to help dogs better cope with the holiday:
- Make sure your dog has a collar with an I.D. tag, a microchip, or both, just in case they get loose.
- Make sure to exercise your dog during the day of the 4th. so he has less energy.
- Keep your dog inside, close the doors and windows, run your AC, TV or radio.
- Give your dog a safety spot to hide in. Many dog prefer small, closed-in spaces.
- Prepare a frozen stuffed Kong so your dog has something to work on during the fireworks.
- Talk to your vet about possible medications that can help.
- Consider desensitizing your dog to the sound of fireworks using one of the canine noise phobia CDs that are on the market.