MAKE THE FOURTH A LITTLE LESS FEARFUL FOR FIDO

The Fourth of July is a great holiday.  Food and family are abundant and everyone seems to enjoy the festivities, especially the fireworks.  Everyone except poor Fido.  Most owners are aware of their dog’s reaction to loud noises such as fireworks and thunder, but few have a plan in place for these times when the dog is most likely to panic.  There are several approaches to helping your dog deal with fireworks (or thunder or loud noises) and you may need to use a combination of them to help your pet. 

To help Fido have a better Fourth this year, start with his environment.  Allowing your dog to come into the house where the firework noise is a little more muted is a good beginning.  Turn up the TV or radio to help muffle the noise from outside.  Make sure windows are closed and the drapes are drawn.  If your dog becomes destructive as a result of the fear, place him in his crate and partially cover it.  Many dogs seek out the bathtub during thunderstorms and fireworks displays and there is no reason to chase them out.  A dark closet is fine as long as there is adequate ventilation.

There has been a lot of discussion on the trainers’ lists lately about comforting your pet during scary times.  Though trainers disagree about whether it is harmful to soothe your dog when he becomes fearful, I side with the group who believes that it is okay to calmly pet your dog, sit close by, and talk softly if he seeks comfort from you.  Do not make the dog the center of attention, coddle him, or use baby talk, as that may reinforce the fearful behavior and encourage more of the same in the future.  If possible, you may wish to engage him in a game of hide and seek or find the Kong instead. 

There are several products on the market designed to help fearful dogs.  One is called the Anxiety Wrap and can be found at http://www.anxietywrap.com/ .  It seems to follow the same principles as swaddling a baby, where continuous touch to the skin’s sensory receptors help with communication to and from the brain.  If the cost is prohibitive for you or time is running out for you to order and receive a wrap, there is a alternative homemade anxiety wrap using an Ace bandage demonstrated at http://www.crvetcenter.com/bodywrap.htm .  Please be sure to remove either of these wraps as the noise subsides.  They are not designed to be worn for long periods of time.

Many people look to drugs to calm their dogs’ fears.  Due to the side effects many drugs may have, I try to avoid this if possible.  However, if your dog becomes so destructive he becomes a danger to himself and/or others, you will want to see a veterinary behaviorist for an evaluation and possible prescription.  You can find a board certified veterinary behaviorist by checking the website: www.avsabonline.org .

You may wish to check some homeopathic or natural remedies. ( Disclaimer - always check with your vet to be sure these remedies will not interact with other medications your dog may be taking or produce negative side effects if your dog has certain illnesses).  Drs. Dodman and Aronson of Tufts University’s Veterinary Medical School Animal Behavior Clinic studied the effect of melatonin (an over-the-counter natural hormone) on noise phobic dogs and found it to be successful in about 80% of cases they studied.  Another natural alternative, Rescue Remedy, a Bach Flower Essence, is quite popular, works for many dogs, and is easy to locate in town.  For healthy dogs, these provide a safe alternative to prescription medications.

Though it may be too late for this year’s Fourth, I would suggest you begin to teach your dog to associate loud noises with something rewarding.  When we first got our three-legged rescue dog, he was afraid of loud noises, particularly thunder (not good since we lived in the thunderstorm capitol of the world – Tampa, FL).  When we knew storms were approaching, we made it a point to begin playing fetch the ball or tug with Dodi to distract him from worrying about the noise.  To this day, he will run to get his ball or a tuggy toy when it thunders.  Known as desensitization and counter-conditioning, it works beautifully, but does takes some time and patience on your part. 

Help Fido enjoy the Fourth of July – don’t take him to the fireworks display.  Give him a stuffed Kong and leave him home to enjoy it.

Jan is a reward-based trainer and owner of Smiles and Wags Pet Services.  Please email any questions to jan@smilesandwags.com.