With the 4th of July quickly approaching and several other holidays that typically involve fireworks on the horizon, it is important to be prepared! Even if your dog hasn’t been afraid of fireworks in the past, that can change in an instant, and you don’t want to be struggling at the last second to comfort your scared dog.
Training
If there is enough time before the fireworks, you can spend time desensitizing your dog to the sound of fireworks by pulling up a video of fireworks from the internet and playing it softly while feeding your dog the most delicious treats you have. Over time you can increase the volume, but keep a close eye on your dog when you do to make sure they aren’t showing signs of being too fearful.
Sometimes desensitizing isn’t enough if your dog already has sound phobias, or you didn’t have quite enough time to prepare them for the real deal. Some alternative things to work on in addition to desensitization would be good door manners to prevent your dog from darting out the door when guests come and go, and recall so your dog comes when called more reliably and is more likely to listen even when stressed or scared.
Make Sure They are Wearing Identification
The worst case scenario would be that your dog panicked and escaped the safety of your home on the 4th of July. July 5th is one of the busiest days at animal control facilities due to the amount of pets lost during the day/night before. Make sure your pet is wearing ID tags with an updated phone number and a backup form of identification such as a microchip. This helps make sure your pet can be returned to you ASAP should they accidentally get out. If you are missing your ID tags or don’t have your pet microchipped, there are other ways to make sure your pet has your information attached to them. Writing your phone number in permanent marker on a nylon collar is a great alternative to make sure your dog has your phone number attached to them.
Drown Out the Noise
Playing music or the TV during fireworks is one way to drown out some of the noise. Your dog may still be able to hear or feel the fireworks, but they will be muffled by the sound of music or talking on the television. This can help take their mind off some of the loud booms.
Provide Special Enrichment
Some dogs may be too scared to eat a special treat. But you can try stuffing a kong or a toppl with a delicious topping, or giving a special chew like a bully stick to distract them from the fireworks.
Use Calming Aids or Medication
If your dog has a mild fear of fireworks you can try an over the counter calming product such as Bocce’s Bakery Calming Supplement or Super Snouts Chill+Out Hemp Chews.
If your dog has a more serious phobia of fireworks you may want to consult your veterinarian for medication to help them get through the fireworks as stress-free as possible.