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Keeping Your Dog Safe During Fireworks Season

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8 Survival Tips for Dogs Afraid of Fireworks

Dog Afraid of Fireworks
alex9500/Adobe Stock

As July approaches, it’s time to start planning for fireworks season. Unfortunately, these loud and scary sounds will usually erupt before 4th of July and can randomly last until after Memorial Day. Then, of course, fireworks return for New Year’s. If you have a dog afraid of fireworks, then follow these tips to ensure he’s comfortable and safe!

1. Choose a Safe Room

If your dog is scared of fireworks, plan to stay home during loud firework displays. However, if your neighbor randomly decides to pop fireworks in front of your home, or you plan to attend firework festivities, you’ll need to rethink a few things.

If you’re staying at home during firework displays

Keep your dog in a safe room that has limited views of the fireworks outside. Join your dog and have a camp out in a back room, and watch Netflix movies.

If you’re leaving your dog home alone

Choose a secure room with a door that can be closed. Bathrooms are usually a bit too small, so choose a back room with a bed and couch and preferably with a TV to drown out sounds.

Start practicing this now, and reward your dog for relaxing in this room while you’re away. Feed food stuffed toys only when your dog is alone in this room, so he learns that good things happen in his safe room.

Every day, feed your dog’s meals (stuffed in a puzzle toy) in the room until your dog is comfortable relaxing in there for a couple of hours. Your dog should eventually learn to enjoy walking into his safe room because he knows good things will happen.

2. Drown Out Sounds

Dogs will usually react to loud popping sounds of fireworks, so it’s important to drown out these sounds. Calming music is nice, but it’s just not loud enough. Instead, use a noise machine to block out the sounds of fireworks.

For maximum sound blockage, pair a box fan with the sound machine. Put the sound machine on low-medium volume and turn the box fan all the way up. Bring your dog into his safe room and condition your dog to these sounds.

3. Block Out Flashes of Light

Sudden flashes of firework lights can freak some dogs out, so close blinds and drapes. If a window does not have drapes, cover it with a thick blanket to block out any firework flashes. Again, introduce your dog to this new item while conditioning your dog to his safe room.

4. Use Anxiety Medication

Sometimes, dog anxiety medication is needed. If you have a dog afraid of fireworks, your dog is most likely having a panic attack. Many dogs get so stressed around fireworks they will have seizures—it’s that serious. If your dog panics, then ask your veterinarian for a sedative for your dog. Remember, steer clear of acepromazine, as this sedative can make the problem worse.

5. Use Thundershirts & Pressure Wraps

Thundershirts and pressure wraps both work well, but pressure wraps alone won’t work. You need to take a multi-prong approach when keeping your anxious dog comfortable during fireworks. To be effective, pressure wraps should fit snugly on your dog, but not too tight. Practice wrapping your dog before fireworks season starts.

Only use a Thundershirt if you’re leaving your dog home alone; that way your dog can break away if the Thundershirt gets caught onto something.

6. Consider Pheromones

Yes, calming pheromones do work, but it’s not a cure-all. Again, it’s important to take a combination approach. Spray your dog’s bedding with Adaptil or plug in a diffuser about a week before fireworks begin. Calming pheromones will calm your dog because it mimics the pheromones of a nursing mother dog.

7. Bring Your Dog Potty on Leash

Before it gets dark, bring your dog outside and potty on leash. Even if you have a securely fenced-in yard, fireworks can freak out a dog, which can cause him to bolt out of the backyard.

Believe me, scared dogs can scale a 6-foot fence and scurry under holes, so walk your dog with a 3- to 6-foot leash (no retractable leashes). Still don’t think your dog can escape your backyard during fireworks season? Animal shelters are flooded with dogs on July 5th—it’s their busiest time of the year. Be safe and leash your dog.

8. Update ID and Microchip

Make sure your dog is wearing ID tags during potty breaks. If you’re leaving your dog home alone, always remove his collar or attach a break-away collar with ID tags. Please, if your dog is not already microchipped, do so before fireworks season starts. Then, register the microchip, so your dog can easily be found if something scary should happen.

By combining each tip, you and your dog can enjoy a stress-free fireworks season ahead.

Do Dog Pheromone Collars Work?

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A Guide to Dog Pheromone Collars

Dog Pheromone Collars
SylvieBouchard/iStock

Many years ago, I attended a dog training conference where a veterinarian was lecturing about the effects of pheromones on dog behavior. I remember scratching my head and thinking pheromone therapy was some type of woo woo stuff and it didn’t work. Thankfully, I kept digging into the topic. If you’ve never heard of pheromone collars or other products before, allow me to introduce you to the world of calming pheromones for dogs. I’ll also answer whether or not pheromone collars work!

What are Pheromone Collars?

Mammals, and some insects, emit pheromones that affects behavior. When a mother dog gives birth, she releases a calming pheromone that calms herself and her puppies. Since a mother dog’s pheromones are so calming, a synthetic version was created. Pheromones can now be found in dog collars, room sprays and wall plug-ins (Adaptil, 2016).

At first, I wasn’t convinced that a synthetic pheromone would calm a dog, so I purchased the wall plug-in version to give it a try. I’m happy to say, it seemed to calm my dog that suffers from separation anxiety and has helped many of my clients’ dogs too.

Do Dog Pheromone Collars Work?

That’s the magic question, right? Yes, pheromone collars do work—in the sense they reduce your dog’s anxiety and stress. Pheromone therapy won’t change your dog’s behavior though. I’ve heard some pet owners swear that using an Adaptil diffuser (pheromone therapy wall plug-in) stopped a puppy from pottying in the house. That doesn’t seem likely because pheromones won’t teach a dog a new behavior.

I do believe pheromone therapy will reduce worry, stress and anxiety, which will ultimately reduce fear and aggression. Think about it this way: if you’re learning how to drive a car for the first time, pheromone therapy will keep you calm. As a result, you learn better. Pheromones won’t show you how to steer a car. Never underestimate the power of remaining calm; it’s the key to learning in a stressful situation. 🙂

Pheromone Therapy Effects on Dogs and Cats

Over the years, research has been conducted on the effects of pheromone therapy on cats, puppies, fearful dogs and puppy mill dogs. For those who don’t know, puppy mill dogs are puppies purchased from pet stores. Researchers found pheromone therapy reduced stress, which then discouraged fighting between cats as well as prevented inappropriate urination in pets.

Several of my dog training clients swear that pheromone therapy keeps their dogs calm during thunderstorms and stressful car rides. I also know many veterinary practices using pheromone therapy to keep pets calm during veterinary visits. So far, pheromone therapy for dogs looks pretty promising!

It’s Not Magic Though

While pheromone products have proven to work, it shouldn’t be used as a fix-all solution. In my opinion, a combination approach is always best.

Dog pheromone collars should be used in combination with:

  • Prescribed medications
  • Anxiety wraps (Thundershirts)
  • Supplements
  • Behavior modification (changing your dog’s behavior)

How to Use Pheromone Products

Pheromone therapy has evolved and with that comes a slew of dog calming products.

Diffusers or Wall Plug-Ins

It’s best to place wall diffusers in a commonly used room by family and pets, such as the living room or bedroom. That way, your dog is exposed to the pheromone scent, but it’s not directly in his or her face. One pheromone diffuser lasts about 30 days. What I’ve found super interesting is most clients are reminded to replace empty diffusers because their previously calm dogs begin acting anxious again. When they refill the diffuser, their dogs calm down again.

Spray

Using spray pheromone therapy works well if you travel a lot. You can spray a paper towel and place it inside your car, hotel room, RV, or kennel when going to the vet’s office or groomer. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell, so I don’t recommend spraying your dog with it.

Pheromone Collar

This is the newest addition to pheromone therapy, and it’s a dog collar that contains the right amount of pheromones. As your dog wears the collar, his or her body heat warms up the collar, which disperses the pheromones. Dog pheromone collars aren’t overpowering; they’re just effective enough for dogs on the go.

Pheromone therapy products are certainly worth a try for your anxious or stressed dog! You can purchase them online or at your local pet supply store. I would love to hear your comments after using these products, so please comment below. 🙂

Dog Training Nation is a dog training blog for pet owners and dog lovers. We cover a range of topics from puppy socialization tips to dog aggression to dog health. It is our hope you share our content to make the world a better place for dogs.

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