Hey furiends! Sadie here today! Is your dog, cat, or bird afraid of fireworks? Me too! If I hear thunder or fireworks, I'll shake and pace the house and get super terrified. It's not fun.
It's very common for pets, especially dogs, to be afraid of fireworks and/or thunder (I absolutely
hate them both). If your dog is at home alone on the 4th of July while you're out at a fireworks show or something, and she hears fireworks, she'll do whatever she can to get away from the noise. Because of this, many
many pets go missing around the 4th.
Here are the stats: approximately 60% of Americans nationwide have a dog, cat or bird in the house. More specifically, close to 80 million people nationwide own a dog. Shelters and animal control have noticed about a
30% increase in lost pets around Independence Day. But the worst part is, only 14% of those lost pets around July 4th are ever returned to their owners, and between 30% and 60% of those unreturned pets are euthanized because people cannot figure out who the pets belong to.
The point? Make sure your dog is in a comfortable situation for July 4th. Pets will chew through fences, claw through the ground, or find another way to get loose and will travel miles away out of fear. If your dog is afraid of fireworks, here are some ways you can keep her safe and comfortable while you're out of the house this holiday.
1) Create a "Happy Place" For Your Dog. Does she have a special spot in the house where she feels completely safe? Is it her crate? Your room? The sofa? Wherever your dog goes when she wants some down time, make it nice and comfy - place some soft blankets and toys and other things your dog likes there. Make sure she can access her happy place easily, so when she hears that first boom she'll know right where to go.
2) Play Some Music. Just like humans, soft music can really calm animals down. Before you leave the house, put on some calming music near your dog's 'happy place'. Turn the volume up loud enough to help drown out the sound of the fireworks (but not too loud; that will be uncomfortable for your dog). The music may help to calm down your dog, and she won't be able to hear the fireworks as well either!
3) Talk to Your Dog. If you have some extra time before you leave the house, you can sit and talk to your dog in a soothing voice. When I'm scared during a thunderstorm I'll sometimes hop on the couch next to Mommy or Sis and they'll talk to me softly. It helps a lot.
4) Act as Normal as Possible. During a fireworks show or thunderstorm it's best to remain as calm as possible around your dog. If she suspects you're nervous or scared, that will just worry her even more! Make sure you stay calm and energetic around your dog, and treat her how you normally would. Another important thing is to keep the dog's schedule as regular as possible. If you adjust her life a little bit while she's stressed out, she'll just stress even more because she'll be confused about what's going on!
5) Use Calming Products. There are products you can buy that can help your dog to calm down. I have a Thundershirt, which you can purchase at any pet store or
here on Amazon.com. Thundershirt also has a new product called ThunderSpray. The newer Thundershirts have a black patch on the side where you can spray the ThunderSpray, but you can also spray it around the area your dog will be spending time in. ThunderSpray is just a spray that has chamomile and lavender and other scents in it and it helps to calm dogs down. When my family hears the first little rumble in a fireworks show or thunderstorm, Sis will run and get the Thundershirt and spray a little ThunderSpray on it, and it really, really helps me! It doesn't calm me down completely, but it helps with the shaking and I feel a little safer. And don't worry, these Thundershirt products aren't bad for dogs. They're nice, natural ways to calm them down.
Those tips and tricks I listed above will help your dog to feel calm and safe at home. If you make sure she feels she's in a safe situation before you leave her, it's very unlikely that your dog will run away. But what if such a horrible thing
did happen? What should you do?
1) Make Sure Your Dog is Microchipped. This is
extremely important. A microchip is a tiny little device that's put inside of your pet. When a dog is microchipped, her identity is put into the little device so that if she ever gets lost, a vet or someone at a humane society will be able to scan her and find out who she belongs to, so she can be easily returned to the owner.
2) Notify the Local Humane Society. If your lost pet runs away, immediately notify the humane society. If someone finds your dog wandering around in an unsafe area, like close to a road, the person may be nice enough to take her to the humane society. Notifying the humane society that your dog is lost will enable them to contact you if someone brings her in.
3) Put Up Flyers and Post to Social Media. If your dog is lost, create flyers that have a picture of your dog and a detailed description of her. Also include your contact info: your name, email, phone number, etc. Put them up all around your town so people will know that your dog is missing. Also make sure to post to social media. That way you can notify your friends and family that your dog is missing and they can keep an eye out for her. Again, include a photo of the dog, a description, and your contact info. If they come across her, they may just contact you to come and get her!
So those are all of my tips. If you keep your dog safe and comfortable at home, it's very unlikely they will get loose and run away. I hope this helps you and your pet. Have a great Independence Day, be safe, and I'll see ya later!
~ Sadie <3
