Dogs & 4th of July
With the 4th of July approaching, lots of dogs are scared of fireworks (including my dog Sadie). There are a few things you can do to help your dog during this stressful time of year!
• Lickimats | these mats come in all kinds! I like to uae peanut butter or plain yogurt and put them in the freezer. Not only does it provide a nice cool treat for your dog, but licking also helps reduce stress in dogs.
• Medication | there are medications that dogs can take to help with the stress of fireworks such as gabapentin and trazadone. Always talk to your vet about giving your dog medication and see if it would help benefit your dog. My dog takes gabapentin for fireworks and thunderstorms.
• Brain Games | do fun games with your dog while fireworks are going on. Maybe turn up the tv or put on a white noise machine and practice obedience or maybe teach a new trick!
• Desensitization | Leading up to the 4th of July, you can play very light sounds of fireworks and give rewards. Slowly increase the volume of the firework sounds so your dog can slowly get used to the firework sounds. Always start out slow with lots of treats. Never flood your dog.
• Puzzle Toys | Snufflemats, Kongs, Toppls all work great for this. Use yummy treats and be creative! You can also freeze some dog safe fruits and vegetables with some peanut butter or yogurt and have your dog lick them. You can also put some treats in puzzle toys and snufflemats and have your dog look for treats and get their minds thinking!
Always supervise your dog. Make sure your dog is safe inside so your dog doesn’t run away and get lost. Not all dogs are scared of fireworks, but a lot of dogs are and thankfully there are some ways we can help our furry best friends feel a bit more relaxed during the stressful day! 🐶 🇺🇸



















































































