How To Keep Your Dog And Cat Calm During Fireworks

Fourth of July celebrations in Central Montana can be pretty hard on our furry family members.

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American Kennel Club has some great ideas to make the July 4th Fireworks celebration a little bit easier on your pets.

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Make Sure They're Inside and Tags Are Current

The best place for your pet to be is inside with the windows closed. Closing the windows will muffle the sounds and stifle the smell of gunpowder. On the off chance your pet dashes out the door, make sure their tags are current and you have them chipped.

Create A Safe Haven For Your Pet

This takes some planning ahead, but I think it's a great idea. Create a nice place with easy access that you're pet can run into if they're scared. It's suggested to start this before the 4th and make sure there are treats and other things they like, such as their favorite toys, in the location. You want to make sure they always associate it with a happy, safe place to be.

Play White Noise Or TV Or Music

Most animals have much better hearing than we do, so create a barrier of sound with our tv, music or a fan to muffle the sounds. AKC mentions classical music called, "Through a Dog's Ear" that has been proven to sooth them in times of stress.

Soothe Them If They're Scared

It's a great idea to comfort your pet if they're scared. For a dog, it's a good idea to pet them with long, firm strokes down the length of their body.

DO NOT try to soothe them while panicking yourself. It will raise the pitch of your voice and they can sense that you're freaked out, too.

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Talk To The Vet About Anxiety Medicine

There are medications designed for animal anxiety. You can also ask about over the counter pet anxiety medicines and medicines that contain CBD. I gave a fireworks shy dog CBD once, and it helped her a lot along with petting her.

Consider A Trainer

This one really is the long game. You can hire a trainer to desensitize your pet to the sounds and smells of fireworks, but it's something that takes quite a bit of time.

Get Your Dog A Thunder Shirt

Thunder shirts have proven to ease anxiety in pets, so it may be something you might want to consider for the holiday.

Simple ways to help your pets cope during fireworks

Some easy, but important tips that can help keep your pets from getting too anxious during fireworks.

Here Are More Great Ideas

My two big German Shepherds just hated the Fourth of July. My girl Bella used to run into the bathroom, push the shower curtain aside, and lay down in the tub. My sweet guy Zeus who weighed about 100 pounds would try to get in my lap every time I sat down, or would try to hide in the space between the toilet and the tub!

The dog who likes fireworks probably is a good hunting dog too. But, not mine, and not a lot of other dogs on the Fourth of July. But there are things you can do to help your furry kid get through fireworks season without going totally insane.

The American Kennel Club has all kinds of advice on how to get your pooch through the entire summer in good shape. But for the Independence Day holiday, they have 10 tips on how to keep your dog calm.

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