Dogs & Fireworks, Getting through the Fourth of July

Happy 4th of July! As we celebrate the independence of the United States, some dogs are hiding, terrified under the bed or chewing up the couch. Please try to understand that this behavior comes from anxiety, and any kind of punishment will only make the anxiety worse.  Take a proactive approach to try to make the holiday a little less stressful for your pooch!

First, set him up with a cozy bed. I would stuff 2 or 3 Kong toys with his dinner and some treats and delay his dinner until it is dark and the festivities are beginning.  The ASPCA has a whole page about stuffing Kongs (http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/how-to-stuff-a-KONG-toy) with some delicious recipes that will help your dog associate fireworks with something wonderful.

Don’t make a big deal about it. If you are nervous and trying to calm your dog down, he’s going to think there must REALLY be something awful happening, because you are anxious too! So chill out.  Take steps to help yourself relax.  

Kimberly Burgan Dog Training in Austin, TX recommends you set all of your dogs up for success withThrough a Dog's Ear Calm Your Canine sound therapy. Download it today, begin your tunes ASAP and continue throughout the festivities! Burgan says, “I believe in it because I use it in my own home with my own dogs (and my daughter!)...and over 75% of my client base uses it as well.”

The nose knows! Your dog’s nose gives him lots of information and is so extremely sensitive.  There is a product called Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP), sold under the brand name Comfort Zone (http://www.petcomfortzone.com/dogs.html).  You can get a scented collar, a plug-in, or a spray.  This has been shown to have a calming effect. You can purchase Comfort Zone at Pet Supplies Plus on the Boston Post Road in Orange.  Spray it all around your dog’s bedding and favorite hangouts.  

Holding it together.  Another product, also available at Pet Supplies Plus, which has been shown to help reduce anxiety-based behaviors in dogs is the Thundershirt (http://www.thundershirt.com/). This tight-fitting shirt puts gentle pressure on multiple pressure points at once, which causes the body to release endorphins. It is recommended that the shirt should be on for 20-30 minutes and then taken off, although I have had plenty of clients keep it on until the BOOMs have died down on the 4th of July. 

Of course, all of these are to get you through this year, which is upon us NOW.  If your dog really struggles, then give me a call next week and we can begin a program to desensitize him, so that by next year, his fear and anxiety will be a thing of the past!

Michelle Douglas, CPDT-KA, CDBC is the owner of The Refined Canine, LLC, providing dog training and behavior consulting services in Southern CT since 1997.  She can be reached at TopDog@refinedcanine.com or 203-804-DOGS (3647).

Remember our important summer safety tips published June 20, 2012 here: http://orange.patch.com/blog_posts/summer-safety-for-dogs