Dogs don’t really celebrate
the independence of the U.S. They don’t even know they’re in the U.S. They
certainly don’t see the beauty of – or understand – fireworks or why we’re even
celebrating. I think the 4th is one of the noisiest celebrations of
the year. And unfortunately, lots of dog owners want their dogs to celebrate
and be part of the noise.
The number of dogs lost in
the U.S. increases by 30% after the 4th of July. Most dogs are
scared of loud booms. Especially when they’re home alone, when those booms are
accompanied by flashes of light that illuminate the entire house, and when
those booms seem to go on endlessly.
Because Smart Dog U is all
about keeping dogs safe and happy, this month’s newsletter will give you
concrete ways to help your dog survive the 4th of July and keep your
dog safely at home with you. We’ll talk about some things to do as well as things to
avoid.
Signs that Your Dog Might Be Scared
If you’ve got a new puppy or recently adopted dog, you might not know if he’ll
be scared of the fireworks. Or maybe you’ve had your dog for a while, but don’t
know what it looks like when your dog is scared. Here are some things to look
for:
- Your dog startles at loud
noises (trash truck, far off gun shots, etc.) - Your dog is wary of new
things (tentative, timid, etc.) - There’s a lot of drool in
your dog’s crate when you return from the fireworks - Your dog has scratched at
the door frames, ripped up the drapes, or has otherwise caused damage to your
house while you were away watching the fireworks - Your dog’s paws or muzzle
are scratched and bloody where he tried to get out of the crate or out of the
house - There are piles of poo or
puddles of pee when you get home – and your dog is otherwise reliably house
trained.
Now that you know what to
look for to determine if your dog is likely to be rattled by the fireworks – or
you’ve determined that your dog has exhibited some of the signs listed above, let’s
talk about what you can do for your dog
to help him have a stress-free 4th of July.
Ways to Keep Your Dog Happy
1. Keep your dog inside. Don’t let your dog outside alone even if your yard is
fenced. In our neighborhood, the parties start during the day and last all
night long. Those parties lead up to the main event, the dazzling firework
show, but the noise and the chaos are there pretty much all day. If your dog is
either super social or a little put off by the noise, these parties can spell
disaster. Super social or timid dogs might deal with the chaos by trying to
escape your yard. Once your dog is outside your fence – whether he’s social or
scared – the chance that he’ll wind up lost increases significantly. And once
the firework show begins, the darkness, the loud booms, and the bright flashes
of light are enough to scare the daylights out of even the calmest dogs.
2. Tire your dog out during the day. Have you ever had a day packed
with so much running around that you literally fell into bed and had the best
night’s sleep of your life? I want you to have a really tired dog by the time
the fireworks start up. Plan your dog’s day accordingly – maybe you’ll take him
hiking, take your dog swimming, schedule a play date with another canine friend
– whatever will safely tire your dog out. You want that dog to come home, eat
his dinner, and flop on the floor and sleep for the rest of the evening.
3. Stay home with your dog during the fireworks. Hang out with your
dog all evening. Leaving him alone to deal with the booms and bangs might be more
than he can handle. You might come home to pee or poop, or even worse – a
destroyed home because of a panicked dog. It’s not your cabinets and shoes I’m
worried about, it’s your dog. Cabinets, walls, carpet, and other household
items have no feelings – it doesn’t hurt them when your dog chews them up. But
your dog…he feels anxiety. Hence the destruction. I’d hate to think your dog
was so panicked that he ate the drywall while you were gone. Hanging out at
home with your dog accomplishes two things: (1) you can keep an eye on your dog
to keep him out of trouble and more importantly (2) you can keep your dog
company and calm him down while the fireworks are happening.
4. Use a few inexpensive, safe tools. A tightly wrapped shirt can do
wonders for a scared or nervous dog. My favorite tool is called a Thundershirt.
It’s specially made just for dogs and it fits nice and snug, keeping your dog
“swaddled,” but completely able to move around and be comfortable. I’ve seen
really nice results with this and it’s only about $39. In addition to the
Thundershirt, there are music CD’s created specifically to calm your dog. Through
A Dog’s Ear has been specifically designed to calm your dog. The
research is very complex and abundant – it does work! From the website: “The music of Through a Dog’s Ear use psychoacoustic techniques that
naturally trigger the relaxation or arousal response. Therefore, when first
using these recordings, consider the level of relaxation or stimulation of your
canine’s nervous system that best serves the situation.” I was a skeptic,
but tried the CD’s with a nervous puppy I was raising for service work and was
impressed with the results. Bonus: while designed for dogs, it’s pleasant for
people to listen to as well!
5. Mask the triggers. For some dogs, the flashes of light are enough
to trigger their fear. Close the blinds, turn all the lights on, and give your
dog a food-puzzle toy loaded with all his favorite snacks. Also, if you have a
box fan, turn that on medium setting – the whir of the fan blades does a good
job of providing white noise that will help mask the loud booms. In addition,
turn on the radio or the television for some additional “chatter” that can
boost the damping power of the background white noise. Or, head to the basement
and hang out down there with your dog until the fireworks are over.
Hopefully, you have several
ideas you can implement this weekend to help your dog survive the 4th
of July with minimal stress. In addition to the things you can do, I want to
mention a few things to avoid doing with your dog.
Stay Away from These Ideas
1. Acepromazine (“Ace”). In years past, many veterinarians would prescribe
acepromazine as a tranquilizer. However, recent research is changing the way
ace is being prescribed. A leading veterinary behaviorist, Karen
L. Overall, MA, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVB, CAAB, wrote: “I know that the common “treatment” for storm and noise
phobias and veterinary office visits is acepromazine. In truth, I wish this
medication would be placed at the far back of a top shelf and used only exceptionally.
Acepromazine is a dissociative anesthetic meaning that it scrambles
perceptions. Ask yourself if a scrambling of perceptions will make an anxious
or uncertain dog worse or better. It’s always worse, and we make many if not
most dogs more sensitive to storms by using this drug. In part this is also
because sensitivity to noise is heightened.
This is a recipe for
disaster for these dogs, and, in fact, they learn to be more fearful and more
reactive because of these associations. If what you
need is sedation – acepromazine can be an acceptable adjuvant, but it makes
most of my really fearful and really reactive patients worse, so all sorts of
other drug combos can work better and do less harm than is done by the routine
use of acepromazine.”
2. Punishment and corrections. If you do leave your dog home alone for
the 4th of July and come back to a damaged house, crate, or dog,
please avoid yelling at, correcting, or scolding your dog. He didn’t wreck the
house, pee on the floor, and bloody his paws because it was fun. He was scared,
possibly panicked. It’s no fun to be scared. Comfort your dog, calmly clean up,
and make a resolution to stay with your dog next year on the 4th of
July.
Laurie
Luck
Professional Dog Trainer
Smart Dog University
www.SmartDogUniversity.com
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