For many of us, fireworks are the highlight of the summer celebrations. Guide Dogs for the Blind Medical Director, Dr. Kate Kuzminski, reminds us that fireworks can be a stressful and scary experience for our four-legged family members. Here are a few tips from Dr. Kuzminski to help keep pups safe and happy throughout the festivities!
- Keep dogs in the house.
- Take your dogs out for a long walk before the sun sets when fireworks are expected. Make sure to relieve them ONLY on a leash if you must take them out.
- Give them a safe place inside. Put them in a crate in an inside room of your house. An ideal place is a walk-in closet.
- Use ambient noise to mask the sound of the fireworks. Leaving a television on or playing the radio with soothing music can help diminish the sound of the fireworks.
- Reliable identification, including microchipping, is extra important this time of year as pets may run out of instinct when frightened. Make sure their collars and identification tags are on securely.
- Keep them busy! Ensure your dogs have safe, appropriate toys to distract them.
- Speak to your veterinarian ahead of time to see if there are anti-anxiety tools such as synthetic dog pheromones, specially designed shirts, or pharmacology that might help reduce your dog’s anxiety.
For more summer safety tips from Guide Dogs for the Blind, visit our Dog Safety Series.
