Hopefully if you have to leave your dog with separation anxiety home alone this 4th of July you live far away from where the fireworks will be happening! I’ve heard of dogs jumping out of windows and escaping their houses because they were so freaked out from the loud booms and bangs!
Luckily even though I’ve had dog separation anxiety AND I am generally an anxious dog I am not afraid of loud noises (unless they are right behind me!). My sister Brie is very afraid of them and my owners like to give her Rescue Remedy when they know that there will be lots of booms and bangs around. I also recommend having a friend around that is not an anxious dog. My friend Ipanema the Brazilian English Bulldog is the best. Since she is a bulldog she is bomb-proof! She is very brave and she makes me and Brie feel calm and relaxed (as long as she doesn’t get up in my face… then I growl at her and give her my Elvis Lip!).
Separation anxiety in dogs as well as noise anxiety can really cause dogs to hurt themselves very badly and can be VERY DANGEROUS! Make sure to keep your dogs in a safe place where they will not be able to jump out of windows, escape and run away or hurt themselves in any other dangers to themselves.
Here are a few tips to help dogs with separation anxiety or noise anxiety on the 4th of July:
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Counter-Condition Your Dog to Loud Noises
If your dog is extremely anxious you might want to skip the fireworks and stay at home with them. If you prepare a really tasty treat like cooked chicken or turkey you can start working on counter-conditioning them. Every time there is a loud BOOM immediately give them a generous proportion of the tasty dog treat! Eventually they will learn that the big BOOM predicts a tasty treat and they won’t mind the booms so much because they are always followed by something yummy! My owner learned about this from reading Patricia McConnell’s book The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
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Rescue Remedy is always a good idea!
Always give your anxious dog Rescue Remedy at least an hour before you anticipate a stressful event
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Lavender and other smells also have a very calming effect on dogs
Use Nutri-Vet Pet-Ease Natural Calming Spray for Dogs.
This stuff smells great and really helps calm me down! Active Ingredients include Natural Canine Pheromone Extract 3%(just like in the DAP Diffuser), Extracts of St. John’s Wort, Valerian Root and Lavender 2% to help dogs stay calm and relaxed! Our dog trainer really highly recommends this stuff!
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Dog Appeasing Pheromone gets rid of dog anxiety by mimicking the smell of a whelping mama dog!
Consider getting a DAP Diffuser
to keep in the room your dog hangs out when they are the most anxious. We’ve heard of great results with dogs with separation anxiety or any anxiety in general.
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NEVER punish dog separation anxiety or noise anxiety
If you punish a dog for anxiety it will only make it worse! If your dog is feeling anxious always be supportive and comforting and remain calm.
I hope these tips help you and your dog friends! Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
Woof!
Manchego the Anxious Dog