How do you pacify a patriotic pooch?
Photo by TroyMason
A good friend of mine is heading out of town for the Fourth of July weekend, and since I had no big plans, I volunteered to dog-sit for his great little mutt, Juicebox. Being a frustrated animal lover with no pets of my own (aside from some less-than-affectionate guppies), I jumped at the chance to get in some doggie time.
But now, as the weekend approaches, I’m starting to get a little worried. This is Juicebox’s first Fourth of July, and he’s a bit on the skittish side — I’m not sure how he’s going to react once the night is in full swing. I remember how scared the dogs I had as a kid would get — all those loud whistles and booms from the fireworks were just too much for their nerves. Apparently, it’s pretty common for dogs and other animals to become frightened at extremely loud noises like fireworks or thunder, but is there anything that can be done to help soothe their anxiety?
Answers users have apparently been dealing with this problem for a while, and I ferreted out some great ideas to help keep Juicebox from going bonkers. Obviously, the best idea is to take your dog away from the noise. But if that’s not an option, most people recommend keeping pets inside and distracted during fireworks displays. Playing soothing music or turning on the TV can help diminish the auditory melee outside. Keeping your pet’s favorite toys and treats on hand can also help keep them occupied.
A good piece of advice that many users suggest is to avoid coddling the dog while he’s displaying fear, as this will only make things worse. It’s better to keep things light and playful, and to demonstrate that there’s nothing to be afraid of.
For particularly anxious dogs, a sedative might be the best choice. Your veterinarian can suggest the best pharmaceutical for your particular breed, but there are a number of safe, herbal alternatives to consider as well. One user suggests using a couple drops of Bach flower remedy in their water or spearmint oil on their paw pads as a calmative option. Another recommends chamomile tea as a way to keep your pooch mellow and relaxed.
If all else fails, you can invest in some doggie earphones. It’s probably too late to pick up a pair this year, but thanks to LolaMarigolda, I learned about a product called Mutt Muffs which act like noise-canceling headphones for dogs. Who knew?
Hopefully, Juicebox will be perfectly fine come fireworks-time, but at least I feel better armed with some great ideas in case he starts to get worked up. Is there anything else I should know? What suggestions do you have for keeping your pets calm and stress-free during the big fireworks show?
I’m surprised no one advised you to give Juicebox a
juice box. I mean, he got the name somehow didn’t he? Maybe he could crawl under your bed with a 6 pack and shred them after he drinks the juice. That could take hours with the right kind of doggie devotion.
He may not even notice what’s going on outside. Ruff.
Along with thunder fireworks are also hard on doggies sensative ears…..our mini-doxie goes bonkers from loud thunder, but right now shes cuddled up under her thick ‘blankie’ just hope i can sleep thru the night as well, we can hear fireworks already tonight and its not even the 4th yet…..Cedar Point and other local communities often put on a gorgeous display, but way too much noise, hard on anyones ears!!! HAPPY 4TH EVERYONE. ST from OHIO near rollercoaster country, and oh yes, the waterparks, whoopdedoo!!!!
We have had several dogs and mostly they all bark at all loud noises so of course 4th of July is hard even though we live about 2 miles from the set off point. A few things to find out before hand how he reacts. Does he bark? Pee? Chew? We have found if he’s one to bark is put on some music beforehand and play it a little louder than normal, this has made it so the sound is not a surprise and may even blend with your music. If he is a chewer give home a new rope toy or bone a little before the fireworks go off so he is not chewing on the couch. If he is one that wets the make sure he is in a room where you can clean the floors make sure you close him off to the rest of the other areas because he will move around, (do not shut him in a room and do not leave him alone in the room this will just further his anxiety). Hope this helps!
Take him on a long walkin the evening before firework time rolls around so he’s already had a bit of excercise, serve a filling dinner right after the walk and he’ll want to sleep. Keep window’s closed to muffle the noise a bit and turn on a television. Try petting him to sleep before the action starts if you can and give him an extra blanket to hide under if he gets scared, which he most likely will. He’s young and his ears are X10 more sensitive than ours. You’d be terrified too if you heard something that loud! =)
When I worked as a vet tech. we had a lot! of dog owners comming to get their dogs ace to keep the dogs calm. My brother does this usually twice a year, at New Year’s & July 4th for their dog as well.
It does help. It’s sad to watch how scared they get.
A good idea is to try and find a ‘Scary Sounds’ or similar CD, from your local pet store. The CD runs a constant loop of firework noises, that you start by playing quietly and gradually increase the volume over a few days, until the dog becomes comfortable with the scary bangs, and accepts them as part of a routine.
This is a cheap, long-lasting was to de-sensitise your dog to fireworks, and all you need to do is able tolerant of the CD while it’s playing.
Similar CDs are also available for dogs who are scared of the sound of cars or gunshots.
Who names their dog Juicebox?
Was someone really thirsty when thinking of naming their dog?
“Kid: I’m thirsty. Mom, can I have a–
Mom: What should we name our dog?
Kid: –Juicebox?”
Thank god no one was hungry, or it could have been named Chicken Noodle Soup! xD
oyyy…ahaha
My moms 10 year old Rottweiler is terrified of thunder/lightning and the recent fire crackers being set off by neighbors has been Hell for her. We’ve been putting a blanket over her, and just keeping her favorite toys around her. It seems to ease her mind quite a bit, mostly the blanket idea. I was suprised it worked too, I figured she would just get up and move, but she seemed to enjoy the feeling it gave her =)
My stepmother is a Vet. And My Dog has MAJOR anxiety problems well, recently she told me that Most anxiety medication for animals has about 80% of the ingredients found in a normal Benadryl. So If all else fails wrap a little pink pill in a piece of cheese and he’ll have it! It works rather well, they calm down but it doesn’t make them drowsy or sick. ANd there is no Come down for them. I gave my dog one the other day when my neighbors were letting off some early Fireworks and she calmed right down and went on a walk with me, and then laid on the foot o my bed chewing on a bone til bed time.
All I have to say is make sure you keep him away from anything you don’t want him to pee on. Just talk him through it. Stay calm, pet his head, let him lay on your lap. Just try to convey a calm attitude despite the loud booms.
one of the most important things is to not overreact yourself, if you make a fuss of them the first time then they will portray a scared behaviour next time also and get more sympathy. The best thing to do is to have some music on and be totally normal, or the TV for instance maybe up a little louder.
Normality is the key for pets.
i love dog too.
Well, as I live in Europe, my dog doesn’t really suffer from 4th of July, as there’s no celebration.
Of course, it is still a problem with New Year’s Eve and when there is thunder.
Our dog usually goes hiding in a corner, and we try to play with her a bit to relax her. We used to sedate the dog we had before, because she was a lot more scared of it.
Dog-muffs! They exist… just like ear muffs but for dogs… get them put them over your dogs ears, they’ll be distracted by this odd thing over their head as well… it reduces the noises naturally, and they work.
Make sure you take juicebox out for a walk BEFORE the fireworks start. HAPPY 4TH ONE & ALL
Try picking up some Rescue Remedy and give him a few drops when it starts to get dark and fireworks will be starting. This should help calm him nerves.
Yeah, dogs hear things about 10 times louder than us humans do. Try tiring him down with a walk and maybe a frisbee game before fireworks.
My cousins have an easily-stressed pitbull, and they use something called “Stress-Be-Gone”, something like that. You could probably find it at a pet store. Its a sedative that helps them calm down with fireworks, traveling, thunderstorms, etc.
Get him nice and comfy, with a nice rawhide or something. Its good if he’s on the couch.
Close all windows and doors to muffle noise and of he starts to bark just put some peanut butter to keep him busy
TV and music is also a good idea- just keep him distracted and occupied. Petting Juicebox is good too!
My dog gets very agitated by loud noises. He is not skittish (my female is, but my male is very friendly to everyone and curious about everything)… He is a rottweiler and used to be a very quiet dog *until we taught him to ’speak’- and he never barked EVER until one day the neighbors were setting off fireworks. He did not like it. He barked at the bangs (and it was funny cuz it was the first time we’d heard him actually BARK, in the 1 1/2 years we’d had him)… Unfortunately for him as well we lived RIGHT NEXT to some tornado sirens, which in indiana they tested EVERY FRIDAY. He hated them. I actually got my shift changed at work so that I could be home on friday and cover his ears so he wouldn’t have to hear it, because it’s like a fire engine siren but since we lived next to one it was EXTREMELY LOUD, and we knew if it hurt our ears it hurt his. Now we live in nevada where they don’t have rediculously useless tornado siren tests. Aside from hearing other dogs bark my pup is pretty safe from audible harm, and definitely seems to like it. I haven’t seen him react to fireworks this year, but I’m sure it will be nothing comparitively. Oh yeah, and in Indianapolis all the HICKS would shoot their guns in the air on the 4th of july. Thank god the yahoos out here in nevada aren’t so inbred that they feel the same urges, at least not near where I live.
GOOD RIDDANCE MIDWEST! I will only return to MOCK YOUR PETTY EXISTENCE.
Except GO COLTS! haha
Merlin - all 5.5 kilos of him - isn’t the least afraid of fireworks. We let him out so he can bellow enthusiastic counterpoint to them, and when it’s all over, he comes strutting back in, having completely vanquished those terrible…. whatever-they-weres. A great boost for his ego (not that it needs it).
Dogs like to be under the blanket because by nature they are animals that like to be in dens. Thats also why they’re comfortable in crates.
It’s time to acknowledge that fireworks are cruel to animals, destructive to wildlife, and toxic to the environment.
Animal shelters have an annual spike in intakes of runaway dogs and those hit by cars in ther desperate attempt to escape the noise. Shocked birds and other wild animals abandon their nesting sites leaving their young to starve. The chemicals from fireworks leave toxic residue in the water and the ground (despite what the fireworks manufactureres will tell you). In addition, many elderly and sick people are gravely disturbed by the blasts of fireworks.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is being lobbied to make California the first state to replace fireworks displays with laser shows. Let’s hope this comes through, and make this an issue in our own states and municipalities also.
July 4th isn’t a time to terrorize our pets and pollute America. We are a creative country and surely we can come up with a better way to celebrate our independence.
I put a t-shirt on my dog that has my scent on it and then give him his favorite toys. It has relaxed him before so we shall see again this year.
Ours usually hinds in the basement, sometimes neurotically digging at the concrete floor.
try some benadryl, it will help keep him calm.
I wish I knew because our dog always ran away and the tradition at the end of the night was that we had to chase her
we always used doggie downers on our dogs, just go to the vet’s office and s/he’ll prescribe a few.
As much of a “tough dog” as my German shepherd/Husky mix is, she is terrified of loud noises, like thunder and fireworks. The best thing we can do for her is fill a Kong with peanut butter and toss it in the laundry room — I think the reverberating glass upsets her because she always bolts to the laundry room (the only room in the house with no windows). The Kong keeps her occupied and puts her mind on something else, and the dark, windowless room seems to soothe her nerves. I’m actually surprised she’s not at my feet under the desk right now!
I never saw the original question, but on in the Homework section, this morning at about 11:00 I answered Sahkakdow ’s question How do you passify a patrotic pooch . . .nothing else, and notice the spelling . . .I am laughing so hard right now . . go and see what i so seriously told him. . .
the pooch would be patriotic if so
Please be careful with doggy downers or sedatives. Some dogs, such as boxers, have a negative reaction and it will possibly kill them. A person went to the vet and could not get her dog into the office, he was absolutely terrified of getting out of the car. The vet told her to give her pet a doggy downer, and the dog ended up dying right there in the parking lot. Turns out, giving a boxer a doggy downer can kill them instantly, according to a vet who deals strictly with boxers. So, before you reach for something over the counter or even from your vet, please do your homework.
my dog liked chocolate. always a hit
Has anyone ever considered that these animals are less tolerant to loud noise than we are and they freak out because it freakin’ HURTS their ears / senses?
Maybe the dog would be best off, sitting with someone, in their home, in a nice, quiet place..
I liked the article on juicebox and the different com-
ments. I like dogs as pets, but i like cats better.
The fireworks freak out my dog too. Every 4th I take her down to the local drive-in. The noise of the movie drowns out the sound of fireworks. She cuddles up in the backseat with a chew toy, and absolutely loves getting to spend the whole evening with me. I get to watch a couple movies at little cost.
Most dogs in my family were totally panicked by the fireworks. We just made them comfy in the quietest part of the house during the fireworks, which they normally never got to visit.
My current dog, a cocker spaniel, really LOVES the skyburst mortar shells, rockets, roman candles, etc. and lightning too, and will chase them if possible. He must think they are some strange birds to flush out of the sky.
my dog is a yorkie. it does not like noise. i say take the dog to where it cant here the noise or leave the t.v. on and talk to your dog. dogs love to be talk to.
what we always did with our old dog was take her into the bathroom and run the tub to drown out the sound, relax, sit there and pet her, and maybe throw a wet-ish towel over her head
My dog understands the mean of ‘It’s okay’ in a reasuring tone. Anytime something falls or drops, he jumps and it frightens him a little. He is tiny so always looking up if he hears noise. When the fireworks started, I just said ‘It’s okay’, petted him and cuddled a little. When he saw he wouldn’t get hurt, he joined in :/ . Have fun.
OMG!!! Never give your dog chocolate, it is deadly! And in terms of my dog, I avoided coddling her and she seemed fine…she eventually knew it wasn’t something to be scared of( and I kept her away from the noise).
First, let the dog into the house. Then, it will find a safe place on its’ own which is either a distance away from all the noise and lights or just quiet. It will curl up tight against the wall or something and just wait until everything is over. Then, it will come out. The natural instinct to protect itself is there. So there is nothing to worry about. Or may be see what the dog wants. If it wants to be cuddled and held, why not ?
–Although YAMMY, you’re my major domo–you
didn’t mention that cats freak out at fireworks
too–[i have 5 of these “scaredy cats”].Or maybe you just freak out at cats–being a rodent and all..
My daughters’mature dog, Cooper, panic’ed at being locked in the house on the fourth and chewed off part of the front door frame including the door stop. Next year he will be given a tranq. via a his Dr;possibly Benadryl. Poor guy was terrified, and we won’t let it happen again.PS Somehow I don’t think Cooper is much of a patriot. At any rate he’s not voting for McCain!
We always have problems with our Great Danes, Heidi (Female-Blue-3 y/o) and Hugo (Male-Black-2 y/o) whenever there is fireworks or thunder, but we usually take them out for a long walk in the evening on New Years (No 4th of July fireworks here in Canada) and some other holidays. Afterwards we get them to eat and give them some Benadryl … then the are either sleeping (zzzzz) or really relaxed. Our neighbours set off fireworks once in a while during the summer for no reason, but usually not until after Heidi and Hugo are sleeping so it isn’t a problem.
L8R
First of all, chocolate is NOT toxic to all dogs. No, it isn’t a good idea to give it to them, but I’ve seen German Shepherds consume a pound of filled chocolates and only suffer an upset stomach.
Our dogs respond best to what they see us feeling. So if we feel, and say, “no big deal” to fireworks, the phone, the doorbell, they think, “Oh okay, the pack leaders don’t think this is a big deal; we won’t either.” Same thing with thunder.
awww, juicbox is such a cute name for a dog!! i love it!
Put the dog inside for awhile. If that doesn’t work, put him on a leash and hold him in your lap. I had to do the same thing with my dog. He was so hyped up that he bit someone. He just wanted to be near me to be sure that everything was alright. Sometimes all they need is to be caressed and assured that all is well despite the awful noise. Good Luck. Dont let the dog loose, or he will run.
I found that if I pet me dog some, let him lay on/by my feet he usually is ok with thunder/fireworks. I use a product called Calmdown, it’s homeopathic, gentle, stress releaver, & only takes a teaspoon of it to help. It does not matter how much a pet weighs for it to work. Although I would not give a tsp. to very young, small pets.
I have used Calm Down, which is a homeopathic stress reducer. I have only had to use 1 tsp. as given on the directions for both dogs. My pom mix only gets it if he gets so afraid he will be right under my feet when I move about the house. Sometimes he gets under my bed while I sleep if he hears thunder, and he seems to be very comfortable under there.
akmmk aokm
My dogs would usually curl up in the bathroom. This year we had the a/c running and the TV on and everything, so they never even started acting funny (which was cool).
I also wanted to say, great Corgi pic - that’s what mine is
I have a Toy Poodle name Cricket who is afraid of Thunder and the sound of Fireworks. I just let her stay near me and tell her every thing is okay. She responds very well to just being told she is safe.
thank you
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