Many dog owners have a love-hate relationship with summer and fireworks season. I know I’m one of them. Even way out in the country, we still hear a good amount of fireworks going off. So how do you keep your dog calm while fireworks are going off?
First of all, and most importantly, please, please, PLEASE keep your dog at home and inside. I can’t tell you how worried I get when I see owners bringing their dogs to fireworks displays. Just imagine what would happen if that dog were to get scared enough to slip out of his collar…
Prior to festivities, take your pup for a walk. This walk will be good to help get any extra nervous energy out of both of you, plus allows him some fresh air and to potty in hopes he won’t need to until after fireworks have completed.
While your dog is home, try to tuck him away somewhere that he’ll be comfortable and feel safe. This is a good time to reinforce crate training–teach him that his crate is a happy place to be.
- Have his crate located somewhere within the house and not near windows.
- Have a comfy bed inside with maybe a special treat like a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter.
- Cover the crate with a blanket, have the radio playing relaxing music or music you usually play at home (as long as it’s not death metal, that is), and even have a fan blowing to keep him cool and for background noise.
- Be sure to cover windows to block the flash from the fireworks.
When it comes to medications or other options, it’s important to have started using items such as a Thundershirt, CBD oil or anti-anxiety meds in the weeks, and maybe even months, prior to the 4th of July.
Megan, our agility instructor, has two dogs that are very, very afraid of storms, and even more so when it comes to fireworks. While she has tried a Thundershirt on her oldest Swedish Vallhund, LaMesa, it didn’t work very well. This year, she’s trying ProPlan’s newest product: Calming Care.
The Calming Care product is a supplement added to your dog’s food. It is a probiotic strain of BL999, which works from the inside out to help a dog maintain a calm behavior. As with this, and any supplement, essential oil or CBD oil, you should consult your veterinarian on what would do best with your dog.
Any supplement, such as the Calming Care, takes a minimum of six weeks to have any affect on your dog. And, as with the Thundershirt and any other supplement, it may not work for every dog.
It’s a trial and error, but one that’s definitely worth attempting to help keep your dog happy and calm. Worried it’s too late for you? Don’t be. Schedule an appointment to speak with your vet, or reach out to Frontier K9, and see what can be done to prepare you and your dog for all the fireworks celebrations this summer.
Frontier K9 Training 