How to Help Pets Stay Calm During Fireworks

Every year around the 4th of July, social media fills up with the same posts:

“Please stop shooting fireworks, my dog is scared.”

And while the concern is completely understandable, there’s also something pet owners need to realize.

The 4th of July happens every single year. It shouldn't be shocking when it gets very loud again this year.

With a couple of days to go, you still have plenty of time to prep your pets for what is coming.

Instead of waiting until the first mortar shell rattles the windows and you decide to hop on Facebook to ask the community to cancel America... How about you do the responsible thing for your own pets?

That may come off harsh, but we're all thinking it. Someone has to say the quiet part out loud. And it's not without solutions to your problem.

There are a ton of ways to help pets handle fireworks, and while you'd be best to spend a little on the good stuff, it doesn't have to cost you a dime.

You can always create a quiet place inside your home for your pet. They already feel comfortable in the home, so doing your best to soundproof a closet can help reduce that overstimulation.

Is it a one-and-done answer? No. Dogs have incredible hearing, and blankets and pillows can only suppress noise to an extent... But it would be better than letting them raw-dog the chaos in the backyard.

Background sounds also help more than you might realize. TVs, box fans, calming music, or white noise machines can calm the chaos enough to keep pets from going full DEFCON 1. Some pets respond really well to weighted blankets and wraps.

Exercise leading up to sunset will help too. Tired pets are calm pets. Take a walk, toss a ball, and get them active before dusk.

If you've tried all of that with little or no luck, call your vet ASAP. There are plenty of safe medications your veterinarian may recommend to help them while the rest of us celebrate being American for the night.

If your pet isn't chipped, there's no better time than now.

Listen, nobody wants to intentionally stress out your pet. But the vast majority of us also won't let your pet harsh our Independence Day buzz.

It's one day a year. You have a few days to be the grown-up. Handle that.

If you have the kind of pet that enjoys fireworks, congrats. Those are the goodest boys.

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