Every time I hear the pop of a firecracker, I wince.
Between Canada Day and U.S. Independence Day, millions of North American people and pets feel stressed and afraid of the sound of firecrackers.
But even if your dog isn’t afraid of fireworks, there’s one thing you should never do.
Honey is a Gun Dog
No one would ever confuse my golden retriever Honey for a hunting dog.
She does not have the drive to work all day. She prefers lying on the couch to retrieving ducks in cold water. And when she does see a duck, she only wants to make friends.
But Honey retains one breed characteristic. And we’re thankful.
She’s absolutely unafraid of loud explosions.
When firecrackers start cracking all over the neighborhood this time of year, Honey hardly notices. Why be bothered by all those loud popping sounds when there are strangers to flirt with and food to beg for?
But even though Honey is unafraid of fireworks, I don’t take her to where they are being set off.
Don’t Take Your Dog To A Fireworks Show
There are so many reasons not to take your dog to a fireworks display you’d think no one would have to say it. But every time I go to see fireworks, I see people with dogs.
Here are just two reasons to leave your dog home when you watch fireworks:
People
There are tons of them. And they’re not looking out for your dog.
Nope, they’re holding lit cigarettes at dog eye level. Or running around with sharp pointy sticks that sparkle.
And let’s not forget they’re eating chicken wings and tossing the bones on the ground.
Do you really want to subject your dog to all that?
And of course, there’s the obvious reason to leave your dog home.
Fireworks
I have yet to see Honey look up at the sky sparkling with colors and find a look of amazement on her face. Fireworks are for humans.
Even though Honey doesn’t mind the booms, they might still hurt her ears. Especially at close range.
And paws aren’t that good at covering ears (although don’t pups look adorable when they paw at their ears?).
So even if your dog is the rare one who doesn’t mind fireworks much, don’t stress her hearing by getting too close.
How We’ll Celebrate the Fourth of July
I’m not a total curmudgeon. I like big sparkly lights in the sky as much as anyone. And Honey is with me nearly everywhere I go.
But we won’t be walking over to the park where the fireworks are being set off. Instead, we’ll admire them from the cockpit of the boat. At a distance. Where they aren’t so loud.
Honey will probably be sitting on my lap where she likes to hang out. And I’ll probably be holding my hands over her ears.
Just in case.
Your Turn: Do fireworks cause drama in your house? What will you be doing with your pets when the big booms start happening?
photo credits: K.M. Klemencic DSC_8357 via photopin (license), Abhijit Tembhekar 1st Jan 09 – Baltimore Inner Harbor via photopin (license).
Can You Tell the Temperature By Looking At This Dog?
Great advice. Sam didn’t use to mind fireworks but over the years they seem to have gotten louder and sounding like they are a whole lot closer in our neighborhood and now they distress him. I cannot even imagine someone taking their dog to professional display but then again I can’t imagine a person leaving their dog in a car in the summer either. Have a safe and happy 4th.
Sorry to hear that Sam is minding fireworks more. That’s probably another great argument for not taking your dog to a display. Because dogs, like people, change over time.
Callie was my loud-noise-anxious dog. She hated thunderstorms, fireworks, and gunshots. (Yes, we’ve heard a few over the years.) She would either try to hide between my legs if I was standing, or try to melt into me if I was sitting or laying down. I lost many a good night’s rest to her t-storm anxiety. But I didn’t care. I had an upset dog needing comfort and I did my best to provide it. I tried a thundershirt at one point, but it was useless. She wriggled around so much that I couldn’t put it on her properly. So I went back to lavender water and massages to help calm her down. And the two together worked about 95% of the time.
Thankfully, Shadow and Ducky seem to have recovered from the trauma of having been home alone during the worst of the hailstorm in March. Ducky will usually sleep right through all the noise, or just bark back at the louder noises. And Shadow will come to me looking for some love and attention. I can see the concern in her eyes, but she starts to relax quickly. I try to not leave them home alone during storms since that hailstorm. Either Sam or I stay here if we need something at the store. Most times, we just make do without, at least until the storm is over.
As 4th of July celebrations? We just stay home. Neither of us wants to drive in that kind of traffic any more; and I can only stand so much of the boom-boom-boom in my sensitive ears. (What I lack in vision, I seem to more than make up for in hearing and my other senses.)
Have a safe and happy holiday!!
Sounds like no one in the family will mind being at a distance from the fireworks. And you can always watch them on tv with the sound turned down. 🙂
Blueberry and I both share a hate for loud sounds. This year I am giving her Ewegurt and I did my best to make my walk in closet a little more sound proof. It’s hard to mask the sound since our location amplifies thunder and the fireworks display that’s less than a mile from the house.
Good advice and it seems like common sense. But as we know, the average person lacks that quality.
What, are you saying common sense is not that common? 😉
There won’t be any fireworks here to worry about tomorrow, but there are lots in November for Guy Fawkes. Fireworks don’t worry me. The cats come to me if they get worried, but that only happens if the fireworks are very loud. The bipeds stay in, and they say, ‘it’s only fireworks’ when the noises start – after that they ignore them.
The cats are lucky to have such a brave dog to reassure them. I’ve been at a dog park during hunting season when EVERY single dog reacted badly to a nearby gunshot.
Apparently dogs that don’t mind loud noises are a small minority.
I have been incredibly lucky with my animals, no one has been bothered by fireworks or thunderstorms. When my dog Pepsi went blind at around 12 years old he became terrified of thunderstorms. At least now I have access to more information so if I encounter that problem again, I will know different things I can try.
YES to the increase of information. I’ve also never had an animal of my own fearful of firecrackers or thunder (although I’ve fostered a few). But it’s so much easier to be a responsible dog person with so much great information online.
Heck, just meeting people who have had similar situations with their dogs that I’ve had with mine has been a tremendous help.
They don’t get that whole King George rebel thing either and dogs always pursue happiness
Ha ha! Honey begs to differ. She did stage a rebellion a few years back.
https://www.somethingwagging.com/honey-declares-her-independence/
They cause drama for Bailie and my mom. Bailie is terrified and Mom is super mad because it is so very loud and they go on for days and until all hours of the night. We don’t get much sleep around here because of it all. Well, actually, me and Madison don’t mind, but the loud ones wake us up too. Stupid stuff!
How sad that Bailie fears the firecrackers. It’s too bad she can’t relax seeing how you and Madison take them in stride.
We’re homebound today. Taking the Boys out a few times today to get as much exercise as possible. Then they will stay in the window while we sit on the front porch. I’ve got a great view from Brittle Bank Park so I don’t have to go anywhere. Stay safe my friend and enjoy! Hugs to Honey
It is good to have a house in a great location. Enjoy the fireworks!
I love Honey’s before and after fireworks photos. While Tallulah and I aren’t afraid of fireworks, we are annoyed by them. That can lead to barking, which then leads to our humans doing their own version of barking. Last night was a relatively quiet one for us, thank goodness. We can see the downtown fireworks from our balcony . . . which is just close enough for everyone. Hope you had a fabulous Fourth!