4th of July

The 4^th of July is tomorrow! With it comes family BBQs, festivities and of course fireworks. It has been noted that the 4^th of July is the day when most dogs go missing. It is likely because of the loud noises associated with the day that spook dogs and they run until they can’t hear the noise anymore. It can be an especially taxing day for people who have noise phobic dogs.

While it seems like a prime opportunity to socialize your dog at a parade it can quickly turn bad. Dogs have stress thresholds like people do.  When too many stressors build up at one time, a dog may react (flight, bite, or shut down), when typically one stressor wouldn’t elicit a problem. Being July, the heat is on! Standing in the blazing sun, watching the parade while sirens wail, and surrounded by an assortment of people can definitely be some stressors for your dog. Some dogs may do just fine, but the heat alone would be reason enough to exclude your pet from this one outing.

Fireworks are now legal in Maine. Now that they are legal, people have a harder time keeping their dogs away from the threatening booms. It can be as unpredictable for the owner as for the dog as to where they are going to “pop” up.

Here are 5 things you can do to help your dog through this event.

1. Most important, be certain your dog has updated ID tags and a  proper fitting collar on. That way if your dog does bolt he has proper identification on.

2. Provide your dog with plenty of exercise earlier in the day.

3. Keep your dog inside during the fireworks, preferably with a human companion. If it is hot with an air conditioner, this will also provide some white noise to help muffle the fireworks.

4. Provide the dog with a mentally stimulating toy – a frozen kong with his favorite treat, marrow bone or bully stick.

5. Try to keep windows and curtains closed to help keep out the lights and noise.

6. Can try a Thundershirt, rescue remedy for a natural method or prescribed anxiety meds from your Veterinarian.