8 Dog Safety Tips for the 4th of July

• Lisa Spector

July 4th is around the corner, along with the  fireworks that  inevitably  come with this holiday. Almost all humans with dogs in  the United States  declare this day the worst day of the year  for them. Veterinarians say that  July 3rd is usually the most-trafficked  day in their offices, with clients  coming in to get drugs for  their  dogs.  A few years ago, I found a lost  dog on the 4th of July. He was   obviously a well-fed, groomed, and trained dog  that escaped  his yard  when he heard the fireworks. When I called our local  Humane  Society, I  was informed that it is the busiest time of the year for   them, as more  dogs are found wandering loose on July 4th than any other  day of  the  year in the U.S.

Tips for providing a safe July 4th for your Canine  Household:

1. Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise earlier in the day.

2. Keep your dogs inside during fireworks, preferably with human   companionship. If it’s hot, air conditioning will help. Bringing your  dogs to a  fireworks display is never a good idea.

3. Provide a safe place inside for your dogs to retreat. When scared   of sounds they can’t orient, dogs often prefer  small enclosed areas. (I   once had a dog who climbed in the bathtub during  windstorms.) If your  dog is comfortable in a crate, that is a good option.

4. Keep the curtains closed, and if possible, also the windows.

5. Make sure all your dogs are wearing ID tags with a properly   fitting  collar. (Dogs have been known to become Houdini around the 4th   of July.)

6. Leave your dog something fun to do – like a frozen Kong filled with his favorite treats.

7. Sound Therapy: Through a Dog’s Ear is specially designed classical music  clinically demonstrated to calm canine anxiety issues. The Calm your Canine series has even replaced drugs for  thousands of dogs on July 4th.

8. Desensitization combined with Sound Therapy: The Canine Noise Phobia series includes the above mentioned  music along with progressive sounds of fireworks and positive reinforcement training protocol by Victoria Stilwell.