This is a difficult week for my dog. He absolutely hates loud noises and with this being the 4th of July weekend and people already shooting off fireworks it has been hard on him. He paces nervously and he shakes, he does the same thing during thunder storms. Last year he escaped out of the fence and fortunately a nice police officer who knew who he was returned him home, lucky for us because they would have taken the family jewels if he had gone to the pound.
This time of year shows one of the highest rates for animals getting loose and ending up at the pound, so if by some chance you have a skittish dog like I do and they get loose check the pound first. We had a friend the year before who’s dog got loose that night and unfortunately was never found. My poor friend was heart broken. The hardest thing for any animal owner is loosing the family pet, they aren’t just a pet but are more a family member.
There isn’t a whole lot you can do but I have a few suggestions.
1. If you have an enclosed yard like we do go around and check the whole fence line and make sure there’s no way for your dog to get out.
2. If you can keep your pet inside until the worst part of the fireworks are over.
3. Try to comfort them to make them feel like everything is ok, this is very important to your pet, to know that you care and you are there for them.
4. If, like us, you are out of town find a trusted care taker and make sure they know your dog’s reaction and to make sure to keep the dog inside.
5. DON”T leave them outside, chained or not, unattended. I don’t believe in chains anyway, but some people don’t have a choice.
6. Consider talking to your vet about some sort of relaxant and give it to the dog a few hours before. This should help calm them and is better than loosing your treasured pet.
7. If you do loose your pet make sure you have current photos and post on craig’s list. I have known a lot of people who have gotten their animals back by using this great service.
8. Put flyers all over, you never know how far a scared animal will travel trying to get away from the noise.
9. Most importantly keep a close eye on your animal. Watch their reactions and behavior, specially if it is a new pet to you.
All in all Happy 4th and I hope everyone makes it through the holiday with their treasured family member intact.
