july 4th dog safety tips

It's Independence Day! Today's the day to celebrate our freedom, set off some fireworks, spend time with friends and family..and what about your pets? Maybe you plan on taking a patriotic photo of her in front of the American flag on your front porch, or perhaps you dressed him in red, white, and blue to impress your neighbors on your daily walk.

Here's the not so fun part...pets go missing on July 4th more than any other day of the year. Your dog is probably spooked by the occasional thunderstorm, so on a night where fireworks abounds every second in the dark of night, your pets will obviously be disapproving. Here are some tips to make sure your pet isn't one of the thousands of pets that go missing today.

1. Keep your dog indoors.
Keep your dog indoors today! I don't care if it's the afternoon...some people do early fireworks. I don't care if your dog is on an electric fence, is an outdoor dog, is in an enclosed yard, is on a cable...just take your dog in. If you're cautious, you can walk your dog in the afternoon or morning, but keep in mind that fireworks could still go off somewhere. Always have your dog leashed on walks.

2. Exercise him plenty before hand.
Exercising your dog before all the festivities start is a very, very good idea. A long walk, a game of fetch at the dog park, supervised time in the yard, roughhousing indoors...a tired dog is a happy, calm dog. Get creative with the ways you can tire your pup out.

3. Keep him confined in the evening and at night.
For the safety of any potential guests, your dog, and your precious belongings you wouldn't want chewed, confine your dog to a room or a crate tonight.

4. Give him something to do tonight.
Your dog needs something to do when he's confined tonight. A new bone or chew toy, a jerky chew, a frozen Kong toy...your dog should be occupied and he'll be less likely to freak out from the fireworks!

5. Keep ID on your pup at all times.
This tip is crucial for every day of the year. If your dog happens to go missing, it's smart to have an identification tag on his collar with his name, your name, and your phone number on it. Your address will also be extremely helpful to have on there, and microchipping your dog could be a life saver.

6. Try something natural.
Maybe it's lavender or frankincense essential oils. Maybe your dog always calms down when wearing a Thundershirt, a snug jacket for dogs that helps calm their anxiety. You could try a smart technique like this to help your dog.

I hope this helped!

Happy 4th!


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