Dont let the big bang of july 4th scare the …out of your dog
Don’t>Do you look forward to celebrating 4th of July, but dread it for your dog? How can you help your dog cope with the trauma of all that noise?
It’s a little late to desensitize your dog for this years 4th of July celebrations, but you can work on it for next year and I will tell you how in a few minutes. But first let’s talk about helping your dog cope this year with our online dog training tips.
Do:
Put your dog in a safe, comfortable place as far away from the noise as possible.
Put cotton in his ears to help muffle the noise.
Play some music that is soothing and play it loud to distract your dog.
Give your dog a special toy like a Kong with food inside of it. Or a hollow sterilized dog bone that you can stuff food in the center. If he is use to raw bones then get a big raw bone for him to chew on, if he isn’t use to raw bones don’t, too much at first could give him loose stools. (Food helps to relieve stress.)
Ask your vet for some anti-anxiety medication if this suits you, but I don’t like using drugs if possible.
Try some calming and sedative herbs: Chamomile, Valerian, Catnip, Lemon Balm a trip to the local Health Store may prove to be very helpful. Most have sections for pets. Let them know what you need.
Don’t:
Give your pet a lot of attention and praise this will only reward his fear.
Try to sooth and coddle him it will only reinforce his behavior.
Scold or punish your dog.
Lack consistency and let your dog do something you don’t normally do like: get in bed.
Steps to take for desensitizing your dog to loud noises and 4th of July celebrations:
Record the 4th of July festivities so you can play it at home later. Record and any other loud noises your dog doesn’t like: Thunderstorms, sirens, gunfire, etc. You could also buy sound tapes.
Play the recording of the noises; very low volume at first so the dog hardly notices it. You can do this at mealtime, play time, or play it and give the dog a treat. Slowly increase the volume, as your dog shows no signs of getting upset, this could take weeks or months to get it to the highest volume, so the dog gets use to the loud sound. Always make it a pleasant association with food and fun.
Do this inside the house, and outside in the yard, and even in the car or any place the dog may be with you like at a friends or other family members house. Just because he is fine with the noise at home, doesn’t mean he will be okay with it elsewhere.
Make sure you have a strong leadership role with the dog. My free online dog training Ebook “Discover The Simple Dog Training Secrets Of A Pro”will be a big help in showing you how to properly communicate leadership to your dog.
Practice obedience with your dog working on Heeling, Fun solid Recalls, Long Down Stays, and Sit Stays slowly add distractions, always making it easy for the dog to win and get rewarded. Practice until your dog can do a 30-minute Down Stay and a 10 minute Sit Stay with you in the room at 6 feet away and hopefully farther away too. Also practice these exercises as you play the sound tape, low volume at first, then increase the sound as the dog is ready and as relaxed as possible. Be Patient!
With your Stays, start close and slowly build on time and distance. When you increase time reduce the distance at first then increase distance as the dog shows you he is ready. Build on wins and lots of praise and food treats as rewards. Once your dog is steady in these exercises you can slowly reduce the food treats and just give it now and then. It keeps him guessing. Always use lots of verbal praise.
I hope this helps you and your dog cope this year and be more prepared for next year’s celebrations. Not to mention helping your dog have a more stress and fear free life when you help him face his fears and relax.
