Last Updated on November 20, 2021 by ellen
Are you wondering how to keep your dog calm on July 4th? Every year, countless American dogs panic, hide, or even run away on July 4, terrified by the loud fireworks and boisterous barbecues that their humans enjoy so much. For many dogs and dog owners, Independence Day can be an unhappy event that’s more stressful than it is fun.
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How to Keep Your Dog Calm on July 4
So how can you relax on Independence Day and enjoy the peace of mind that Fido is calm and safe?
The dog behavioral experts at OneMind Dogs —a revolutionary dog teaching method out of Finland used by some of the world’s top agility trainers and their canine competitors—are sharing some secrets that will help both you and your dog breathe easy on July 4.
SECRET #1: EXUDE A CALM ATTITUDE
Dogs automatically associate the emotion surrounding an experience with the event itself. So, if you’re alarmed by the fireworks or worried about keeping Fido calm, he will be, too. If you maintain an upbeat, serene attitude, your dog will mirror that behavior.
SECRET #2: LEAD WITH BODY LANGUAGE
While soothing words can help calm your own nerves, body language is what your dog naturally understands and responds to first. Communicate to your pooch that it’s okay to hide in a safe place by showing him where to go.
SECRET #3: REASSURE WITH SMALL TREAT PORTIONS
Reward your dog throughout the day using smaller bits of treats. To keep your dog interested in remaining calm and following your lead, spend time finding which treat works best as an incentive.
OneMind Dogs was developed in 2003 when a top-performing agility dog named Tekla suddenly lost her hearing. From then on, her trainer had to see the world from Tekla’s perspective. He had to rely only on physical cues to communicate. What could have been a crushing roadblock for Tekla’s agility career turned into a groundbreaking way for all dogs and their humans to become better connected?
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Ellen runs a small pet sitting business in southern Vermont. She has experience with a variety of small animals, dogs and cats. She has also cared for ducks, chickens and rabbits. Combined, she has over 20 years of experience in pet care and pet sitting.
Our household is pretty laid back. We’ve always taken our dogs with us to see fireworks, and they haven’t had any issues. I think it helps that we do stay calm and we let them cuddled with us.
I’m sure that helps!
These are great tips. I have tried and tried all of these, but I think I either attract the most high strung dogs, or I make them high strung. Either way, we will all be hiding in my bedroom The Oatmeal style for the 4th. LOL
Some dogs just do not like the noise. A lot depends on personality.
Our dogs used to be so scared of them. We ended making a campout in the basement on the 4th every year!
That’s a fantastic idea!
I love these ideas!! It really is sad how much something fun like fireworks is so hard on our pets and cause so much anxiety.
Thanks, Audrey. I agree!
Great tips!! We’ve been having thunderstorms here anyway, so our doggie is already scared and being taken care of inside. 🙂
Thunderstorms can be a real challenge too!