Dogs may enjoy holidays, treats and festivities but are definitely not fond of fireworks. Most shelters will pick up more dogs on the 4th of July than any other holiday due to excessive fireworks.
Fireworks can result in dog anxiety. You will notice that your otherwise loving and calm pet will turn aggressive and irritable. They will run into a frenzy and try to hide from the thunder and noise. This can be attributed to the fact that dog ears are sensitive to sound and perceive sound differently than human ears.
Fireworks can make dogs unpredictable, destructive and even a danger to themselves. They can induce dog anxiety and you may need to look into anxiety relief for dogs.
You should avoid taking your pet to such events in the first place. Being in public can actually accelerate their response to fireworks and feelings of stress, anxiety and intense agitation. Besides doing this, there are several other things you can do to make your pet feel safe.
Understand that your dog may not adversely respond to fireworks, not all dogs do so. However, there was a study that identified over 20% of all dogs negatively respond to fireworks or immensely loud noises. So, exercising a bit of caution is vital.
To keep your pet safe and calm their anxiety, you need to take the following measures:
1. If your home is situated at a location where the noise and light flashes are prominent, you need to immediately make your pet feel safe. You can do this by taking them to a quiet corner of the house, darkening the room or putting on shows at a loud volume. Give your pet some calming dog treats to divert their attention from the fireworks.
2. You should never get aggressive or loud with your pet in such a state. You need to act confident and sure of what you are doing when they start feeling agitated or angry. Trying to pet your dog or calm it down by making it sit in your lap, etc. is not the right way to go. You have to exhibit confident behavior that your dog can associate with a pack leader.
3. Get a thunder vest for your dog. You can start by looking for thunder shirts for dogs. This is one excellent way to get anxiety relief for dogs. Thunder vests provide consistent pressure that helps the dog feel calm.
4. Make sure that your pet wears a collar that does not come off easily and that all the needed information about you and the pet is attached to the collar. This is to prevent your pet from getting lost in case it tries to run away.
5. A visit to the vet before a festive season and celebration is also advised. The vet will prescribe calming chews, anxiety meds for dogs, dog calming collars or anti-anxiety pills. You can find several options for calming treats and stress relief for dogs online as well. There are several options for thunder vests, thunder shirts, and dog calming collars also available online.
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