July 4th and Your Dog
Fun, sun, barbecue and fireworks are what we think about come Independence Day. But for your dog, the 4th of July can be stressful.
If you can, celebrate the day with your best friend at your side. Hopefully, she will enjoy the holiday as much as you do. However, if our pup gets stressed out easily, we have provided some tips to help make your dog’s Fourth of July more safe and enjoyable:
- Make sure your dog has tags; even better, a microchip; loud noises may startle your dog and cause her to bolt.
- If you know your dog has anxiety about fireworks, try to put her in a part of the house which is as buffered as possible from outside noise.
- Use a white noise generator, if available.
- If you stay home with your dog, you can try delaying her feeding and then feed her during the fireworks, so that she associates fireworks with delicious treats. The better the treats, the more pleasant the associations.
- If she has a severe anxiety problem, consult your vet.
- If you have a puppy, and you don’t know how she will react, make sure you keep high value treats on hand to create a good association, enjoy other play activities, and keep her busy so she associates fireworks with fun.
With just a little planning, you and your dog can have a great Independence Day!
1 Comment
Gloria
I just purchased a ThunderShirt and am trying it tonight for the first time. Milo has been stressed since last FridAY; I am so angry at the people in San Mateo who know it is illegal to use fireworks but go right ahead anyway. I was raised with fireworks as my birthday is the Fourth of July and I used to like them, but not any more.