The first week of July in the USA and Canada feature large public fireworks displays, along with many unofficial neighborhood pyrotechnics. You might not realize, but this is also one of the busiest times of the year for veterinarians. Many dogs will go into a frenzy with the sound of fireworks in the air. They can’t properly understand or locate the direction that the booms are coming from. Unfortunately the natural instinct to run and seek a hiding spot kicks in for many dogs. The result can often be otherwise calm dogs, escaping a yard, tearing our a screen door, digging under a deck or fence and perhaps getting injured or killed by running in a panic into traffic.
Even locked inside the home, a dog can become destructive while trying to escape the muffled explosions outside. If you are a dog or a dog owner, an evening of fireworks can be a long, frightening experience. For my own dog, I have seen him spend hours shaking and whimpering to the point of near exhaustion. In the United States, many vets report long lines of dog owners seeking calming drugs for their dogs in the days leading up to July 4th. Countless dogs are reported missing the day after a major Fireworks event as dogs can run for very long distances until the last of the blasts has subsided. So what can be done? Here are some tips. The same is true in Canada for Canada Day. For animal shelters, they can receive a flood of calls the day after such celebrations – both from owners seeking lost pets, and people wanting to bring in found animals.
Is there anything that you can do? Certainly you can’t have them cancel civic celebrations, but there are things that can help you and your dog to cope.
- Do not have your dog outdoors in a yard, dog run, kennel or tied on if you can possibly avoid doing so. Noises outside will be louder, very hard for the dog to focus on in a way that makes sense and if the fireworks are local, you may run the risk of your pet ingesting spent rocket debris or being hit by smoldering or stray materials. Inside the home is better, but still likely to upset the dog. So think carefully about other places to keep your dog.
- Make certain that a human friend is there with the dog, to provide comfort and set an example for the dog. Many dogs are very capable of blocking out much of the noise if they are more focused on the activities of human “pack leaders”. Sitting on the couch with you, or on the floor by you, sets an example for the dog and shows that this noise is not a major concern. The person should be calm and friendly as possible because a dog will pick up on anxiety or anger and react in an agitated state as well.
- Pick a quieter room perhaps in your basement where the dog can nap and feel safe. A dog bed, stack of pillows, an old blanket or a spare couch to hide behind or under will help a lot.
- Soothing music or TV noises that can be used to disguise the fireworks noise, it does not need to be extra loud, but rather simply help to disguise the random and sporadic percussion that dogs find so disorienting.
- Distract your pet – digging into a treat filled bone or ball or kong will play on some very key emotions.
- Before the event starts, or before dark, exercise your dog and let him become timed and relaxed. A walk on a leash also helps to put the dog in a frame of mind to respond to your cues. If he is happy to let you handle the pressure.
- Ear plugs and headphones – believe it or not, people make ear plugs specifically for dogs and they can used successfully if you put in some practice time in advance. Again, if using music headphones, keep the music much quieter than you would normally use, dogs have far better hearing.
- Calming medications for dogs are available from your vet, but are likely in short supply. Some herbal remedies are offered over the counter from large pet chains or super-stores that feature a large pet section. Read very carefully any materials that come with the calming substance. Get it early and perhaps try a little early in the day to see if your dog has any reactions.
- Keep your dog on a leash, or in a harness. The dog will take this as a cue to follow your lead and it will help in much the same way as other distractions.
- If the fireworks are not of major importance to your evening, consider taking your dog for a drive to a quieter area. Be warned though that you may find fireworks in places that you don’t expect for some celebrations. Remember that even small towns can put on big loud displays for important holidays.
- Using scents or smells can work wonders in distracting a dog, Pine, or lavender are two scents that are said to help relax the dog – and bacon… well that just goes without saying!
- Lots of exercise and play before the fireworks begin. A tired dog will sleep through just about anything with a smile.
The best advice to help your pet cope with the celebratory noise and explosions is to avoid leaving your dog alone. Never, never tie him on outside during a fireworks display!
Hopefully we’ll all have a great celebration and share the good times with our pets in a way that they can enjoy too.
Related articles
- Dogs and Fireworks (furbabyinc.ca)
- Safe Sane Firework Safety for Pets (blogpaws.com)
- All About Dogs
- Have a blast safely and legally (bendbulletin.com)
- KABOOM, Why is My Pet Afraid of Fireworks/Thunder and What Can I do? (baringvetblog.com)
- More Dogs Run Away on the 4th of July than on any Other Day of the Year (prweb.com)
- Fireworks Injure Thousands Every Year: Alonso Krangle Warns That No Fireworks Are Completely Safe and To Use Caution Around Fireworks Displays (prweb.com)
- Operation Thundershirt gets underway (nodogaboutit.wordpress.com)
- How to Keep Your Dog Safe and At Ease When the Fireworks Start (rrruffhouse.com)
- Calming Your Dog on July 4th: 7 Simple Steps (cperky.wordpress.com)
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