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How to Keep Your Dog Calm this 4th of July

With the 4th of July coming up, it’s hard not to get excited about heating up the barbecue, hanging out with friends and family, and watching the fireworks! But for our dogs and other pets, it can be a very scary time, so we can’t forget to take steps in order to ensure their safety this 4th of July season!

With almost 30% of dogs getting “lost” and at least 40% experiencing noise anxiety, July 5th becomes one of the busiest days of the year for shelters.

So how can you help keep your dog calm this 4th of July?

  1. Keep identification tags current – it’s as simple as it sounds! Make sure your dog is micro chipped or has a proper I.D. tag. On the slight off chance that your dog escapes from you, it’ll be much easier for you to find them and bring them home.
  2. Do NOT take them to the fireworks show – as beautiful as the fireworks seem to us, they can be frightening and cause anxiety for our pets, especially being so close to it. Instead, it’s safer for them to stay in the comfort of their home
  3. Dog calming techniques – even if your dog is left at home, it is very likely that the sound of fireworks will still scare them, so there are a few dog calming techniques you can try at home to comfort your pup. Take them for a long walk prior to the night hours to help them burn off any extra energy or anxiety they may be experiencing, try giving your dog a warm bath, or even give them some Benadryl (be sure to check on correct dosage!). You can also play calm music, and be sure to have some sort of white noise (like a fan, television, etc.) going to help drown out more of the sound.
  4. Stay calm yourself – seeing our best friends freak out can be scary to us, too! But, it’s important to make sure that we stay calm and be there to comfort our dogs in any way that we can. The best thing you can do is remain calm, and give your dog a safe, and quiet (as possible) environment.
  5. Don’t feed your pet “table food” – leaving your pet outdoors without watching them can lead to them picking up food laying on the ground, like beer, chocolate, onions, salt and avocados. As much as we love our dogs and want them to have a treat every now and then, this can actually make them sick and can be hazardous. Not keeping an eye on them if they are outside is also a recipe for them to get scared and successfully run away.


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