The Fourth of July is a notoriously stress-inducing holiday for our canine companions. Loud fireworks, bustling crowds of strange people, other nervous dogs, barbeques full of dangerous foods for dogs; a lot could go wrong! Instead of dreading the holiday, you can prepare for it and keep your pup happy and safe. If it’s your new dog or puppy’s first Fourth of July with you, it’s better to be proactive, even if you suspect they won’t react strongly. There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain from a little preemptive training

TRAINING

If your area allows fireworks (or if it doesn’t, but you expect neighbors to be lighting them anyway), you can preemptively do some training to help gradually acclimate your dog to the sounds of fireworks.

Counterconditioning and desensitization by playing digital audio or popping bubble wrap. This is a gradual process of acclimating your dog to the potentially frightening sounds and pairing them with something they like to forge a more positive association. If your dog already has an adverse reaction to fireworks or other loud noises, this process will take longer.

Find a video online or a smartphone app with playable audio of fireworks. Here’s one example, but you should be able to find plenty!
Starting at the lowest possible volume, play the sound, then follow up immediately with a high value treat. Keep sessions short, 1-5 minutes!
Gradually increase the volume if your dog is exhibiting calm body language (low wagging tail, anticipation of the next treat, soft eyes, relaxed muscles).
If you see signs of fear, stress, or anxiety (yawning, lip licking, scratching, moving away, hyper-vigilance), take a break and try later with a lower volume.

Teach your dog to make sounds happen by interacting with a noise-making object. This helps reduce their startle response by allowing them to control when and how a sudden noise happens.

Pick a lightweight object that will make sound when touched or knocked over (an empty thermos or water bottle, a service bell, a toy instrument, etc).
Knock over the object yourself, then immediately feed a treat. If your dog startles easily, work on a soft surface to muffle the sound at first.
After a few repetitions, ask your dog to interact with the object. You can use a hand target (“touch”) or nose target (“paw”) if your dog knows either cue to guide their interactions.
Click and reward when your dog produces the sound with the object.

MANAGEMENT

You may not be able to get your dog completely away from the hustle and bustle, but you can set your environment up to be as calm and safe as possible for your dog.

Reduce the visuals of moving crowds or fireworks by closing blinds, drawing curtains, or keeping your dog in a part of the house where access to windows is limited. You could also condition your dog to accept wearing a calming cap (pictured below), a lightweight mesh mask which partially limits vision to reduce reactions to frightening stimuli.

Many dogs who are fearful around fireworks are reacting to the loud and sudden onset of sounds. Muffle the sounds outside by playing music (research has shown that classical, soft rock, and reggae are best), turning on fans or fountains, and putting on some white noise. For dogs who are extremely fearful of fireworks, you can condition them to wear noise-cancelling headphones for dogs, a grooming Happy Hoodie or snood, or even put some cotton balls in their ears.

For some dogs, calming pheromone sprays or diffusers like Adaptil can help reduce anxiety. For others, physical contact with their people or gentle compression from a garment like a Thundershirt can be beneficial. You can try these items out ahead of time to see how they affect your dog!

PREPARATION

Don’t be caught unaware! There are a few more things you can do to get you and your dog ready for a fear free Fourth of July.

Get plenty of exercise before the festivities start. A tired dog is not immune to feeling fear or anxiety, but it may help to go on a nice long hike, bike ride, or your physical activity of choice well before any fireworks start.

Prepare a stuffed puzzle toy (or two, or three), like a kong, with your dog’s favorite treats. You can keep it in the freezer so it’s even more long-lasting! Lickimats, snufflemats, and safe chews are other great things to have on hand so your dog has plenty of calm mental enrichment.

Make your dog a safe space where they can go to hide if they feel stressed, and don’t try to pull or force them out. Cover their crate with a towel to create a den, and fill it with cozy blankets. You can also spritz it with some Adaptil pheromone spray.

Have your dog wear a collar with their ID tags (on a breakaway collar if left in their crate), double-check that all of their microchip info is up to date, and make sure all gates and doors are securely locked. The fourth of July is the day when the most pets are reported missing, and a frightened dog can go to great lengths to flee.

Your veterinary team is always there to help! If you know your dog struggles with the holiday, talk to your vet about medications or supplements that may help reduce anxiety. You can find a fear free vet professional or practice at Fear Free Pets.

You can print out this helpful infographic from Fear Free Pets for free! Email us to get your PDF. From the whole Clickstart team, have a happy Fourth of July!

How to Have a Fear Free Fourth.