4th of July – Celebrating with our pups

Independence Day can be very exciting for us. This holiday involves BBQ’s, fireworks, street parties, or outdoor celebrations at your home. For a dog though this day can be frightening; there are loud noises, crowds, and unescapable heat. There are some considerations that need to be made for our dogs to ensure they are as comfortable as possible and able to enjoy the festivities with us.

For dogs that are bothered by loud noises it is probably best to leave them at home and not bring them to fireworks displays. Sometimes there are fireworks in your neighborhood, so avoidance is not an option. There are items that can help keep your puppy calm: Thundershirt, calming collars, calming bandanas, calming sprays, or even a dark quiet room in the house. Another idea is you can play music or a movie in the house to help dampen the noise outdoors.

When bringing our fur babies into public places crowds should be a consideration. If your dog is not friendly or does not like loud crowds of people, it is probably best to just leave them home. If your dog is extremely friendly, then this can be an exciting time for them. A few considerations to keep in mind: not every dog out in public is friendly with other dogs, not every person who brings their dog out in public wants to socialize with other dogs, some dogs are working and cannot socialize, and some people are terrified of dogs. Keeping these things in mind it can be a lot of fun to bring our dogs out into crowded places.

Heat is our last big consideration when bringing our dogs out celebrating Independence Day. Dogs can only release heat in two places: the pads of their feet and their mouth by panting and drooling. To help keep our pups cool we can do a couple things. Bring an umbrella to create instant shade. Bringing water and a bowl can help to keep the cooling process going. Bring a towel so you can wipe their paws on a cool moist towel, this can also help cool them down. When at all possible avoid the hottest part of the day, between noon and three, and rest in the shade when you notice your dog is getting stressed.

Have fun, be safe, and Happy Independence Day.