It’s The-Sky-Is-Exploding time!

Are you ready for the 4th of July? Cool. Is your dog?

More dogs are lost over the 4th of July than any other day of the year, and even for those dogs who aren’t lost, it can be a stressful day. Here I’ve compiled language signs to watch for that your dog may not be as okay as you think, as well as some tips and tricks to getting through unscathed.

What is your dog saying?

Sometimes people think their dogs are freaking out when, in fact,t heir dogs are just fine. Other times people think their dogs are just fine when, in fact, they’re freaking out. If you’re not sure where your dog will be, watch them in the evenings preceding the 4th, as people set off fireworks that startle the crap out of all of us. Look for any of these signs:

This translates to a dog that’s on high alert and ready to deal with the threat. This dog isn’t taking their cue from you; they’re not even aware of you. In this instance, they don’t trust your judgement. It might look cute, but it’ll be a lot less cute when multiple fireworks in a row send this dog off his rocker and blasting around the house, launching off furniture (nail scratches and all), impossible to catch, barking furiously at the windows. When you see this happening, catch your dog and put them on a leash, keeping them with you. Distract with a treat when each firework goes off, and they will likely wind down — especially if you can start before the 4th.

Any one of those facial cues indicates stress; all three together is major stress. When the top of the tail is pressed against their butt, they’re also feeling anxiety. This dog is most likely to try to escape when the noise continues. In their panic they’ll force open doors and gates, or tear through screens. Treats won’t work with this dog, because they’ll already be too frightened to take one. This is a dog that will do best with medication and, if you can’t be there, in a crate. It may help to play fireworks on your TV or phone with the volume set very, very low.

Tips and Tricks

Some safety things for all dogs on the 4th:

• Keep your dog indoors with the doors and windows closed.
  • This will keep them from escaping and joining the thousands of other dogs that get lost every year.
  • If you have outdoor dogs that aren’t housebroken or house safe, put them in the garage. If you can, lock the garage door closed so no one coming home opens it by accident.
  • If your dog is stressed and anxious and you won’t be there with them, put them in a crate or a bedroom they’re comfortable in.
• Play action movies starting a couple of hours before the fireworks and continuing until they’re over.
  • We are, as much as possible, doing some quick desensitization to explosion sounds, and also masking the fireworks. Let’s be honest, dogs are amazing and will know the difference, but it still helps.
• Exhaust your dog. If this means a long walk, a fast bike ride, a hike, or the dog park, the more exhausted they are, the less energy they’ll put toward worrying over fireworks. You want to get home with your dog about an hour before the fireworks start.
  • This works dramatically better if you do it two days in a row.
• Starting now, do as much desensitizing as you can. Pull up fireworks videos on youtube and play them, at low levels, incessantly. If your dog is showing stress, turn it down. If your dog isn’t showing stress, turn it up. (You’re looking for the point at which, if it gets louder, there’s stress, but there isn’t stress yet. This level will change, up and down, depending on a lot of factors; just watch for it.) Pair it with food, treats, and playtime.
• Consider medication or supplements.
  • Your vet can help you with this, or you can try and over the counter supplement. CBD has come up as the winner in this case, and if there’s a little THC in it it works better. You can get purely CBD treats for dogs on Amazon and some pet stores, in states where it’s legal. If you’re considering another method, or can’t find stuff for pets, you want 20 parts CBD to 1 part THC.
    • Another dog supplement that’s showing promise is an OTC called Zylkene, made for dogs.
  • Other OTC options that can be found in people stores include:
    • 5mg melatonin (NOT in gummy form; it may have xylitol in it.)
    • L-theanine (Anxitane is the brand name for pets)
    • Chamomile
    • Passion flower
    • Benedryl (child’s dose)
  • Your vet may prescribe:
    • Alprazolam (Xanax)
    • Lorazepam (Ativan)
    • Trazodone (Trazodone)
    • Gabapentin (Neurontin)
• Stay home. I realize not everyone can or will do this, but if you’re able, do so. If you can’t, leave your dog home. Taking them with you definitely isn’t the better answer!

Is this your puppy’s first 4th? Stay home with them, and act like the fireworks are no big deal. Give a treat every time they hear one, and by the end of the night they’ll think fireworks are great. A lifetime of trouble, solved!

While this is far from an exhaustive list, it’ll give you something to try. When using supplements or meds not made for dogs, be sure to Google dosages by your dog’s weight. People medications, when used for dogs, can vary widely in how the dogs react and at what dose.

Do you have other tips? Leave them in the comments!

Jenna