7 Tips to Calm Your Dog During Fireworks
There are certain times of the year when your dog needs to cope with loud noises. In particular, July 4th firework, New Years Eve fireworks, and whenever there’s a particularly loud thunderstorm.
Here are 7 Tips to help your Poodle calm down, or stay calm in the midst. I’ve chosen some of the best advice on the net.
1. Drown the Noise Out
Drown the noise out. Play music, or turn on a machine that emits white noise. Vacuum the floor or turn on the washing machine. Turn on a fan or the television. Anything you can do to minimize or cover the sounds from outside will help keep your dog calm.
2. Earmuff on Your Dog
Put earmuffs on your dog. Prevent him from shaking them off by putting the dog in a down-stay and sitting with him until the fireworks have ceased. Look for the type of earmuffs designed to protect the hearing of dogs on aircraft.
via How to Keep a Dog Calm during Fireworks | The Daily Puppy
3. Exercise Your Dog
Wear your dog out. Three or four hours before the celebration, take your dog for a long walk, run, or to the dog park. Playing catch is also a great way to exhaust your dog – try it for a half hour or until your dog tires. By releasing energy now, he’ll have less to exert during the fireworks and hopefully be less stressed.
4. Feed Your Dog Before
Feed your dog a big meal an hour or two before the celebration. He’ll feel relaxed and content like you do after a big meal.
via Keep your Dog Calm and Safe During July 4th – Dogs and …
5. Sound Therapy
Sound Therapy: The psychoacoustically designed music of Through a Dog’s Ear has been specifically designed to reduce canine anxiety and has been successfully utilized by dog lovers world-wide. It is most effective when you first play the music well before the fireworks start, at a time the dog is already feeling peaceful and relaxed.
He will begin to associate the music with being calm and content. Then play the music a couple of hours before the fireworks start and continue to play through bedtime. The music doesn’t need to be loud to be effective as it has been clinically demonstrated to calm the canine nervous system. Listen to free sound samples.
Sound Therapy combined with Desensitization: The Canine Noise Phobia series (CNP) consists of four CD’s that can be used individually or as a set: Fireworks, Thunderstorms, City Sounds, and Calming. CNP is an innovative desensitization training tool that combines three distinctive elements for the treatment and prevention of sound-sensitivities and noise-phobias:
via 10 Safety and Calming Tips for Dogs During Fireworks …
6. Keep Dog Inside
If you normally keep your dog outside, it might be best to keep your dog indoors during the celebration. It will put your dog at ease, keep the barking to a minimum and reduce the risk of him jumping the fence and running into the streets
If you need to keep your dog outside, be sure to keep an eye out for pranksters and hoodlums that might try to scare your dog. People have been known to throw firecrackers near the dog to get a reaction, so just be mindful that people may think it is funny to try to scare your dog.
Make sure your dog has a collar with tags with current info of how you can be reached in case your dog runs away.
via 10 Tips To Keep Your Dog Calm During Fireworks This 4th of …
7. Tactile
There are two canine wraps on the market that reportedly help sound phobic dogs. The original Anxiety Wrap was created by professional dog trainer Susan Sharpe, CPDT-KA. The patented design uses acupressure and maintained pressure to reduce stress. Thundershirt is also a wrap for dogs that provides gentle, constant pressure. Many dog lovers use one of these wraps in combination with canine sound therapy.
8. Scent
Calm Aroma Mist can help dogs relax and cope more effectively with loud noises and other stressful situations. Spray Calm Aroma Mist in the room and on your dog’s crate. It’s equally enjoyable and calming for people.
via 7 Tips for Calming Your Dog During Fireworks
With a bit of thinking ahead, your poodle can stay calm during the loud fireworks. My favorite tips were to exercise your poodle an hour before it gets dark, then have other noises going on in the house to help mask the noise.
Another option is to simple play very relaxing music. If you have other tips, feel free to leave a comment below.
