The 4th of July May Be Fun For You
The 4th of July is not especially fun for your dog. Especially for nervous dogs. I’m grateful that my dogs are always calm during all the poping, noisy fireworks, but many of you have to deal with a dog that is sensitive to loud noises.
Other triggers during the rest of the year may be thunderstorms, backfiring vehicles, emergency response vehicles and various other sudden and loud noises.
Why are dogs afraid of sudden, loud noises?
One reason is that of the frequency range of a dog’s hearing. While a human hears at a frequency range of between 20 and 20,000 Hz, a dog hears at a range of 40 to 60,000 Hz.
A dog’s ear muscles are also superior to humans. A dog has over 18 muscles in his ears that allow him to rotate them, tilt them, and raise or lower them. They are like antennae or radar for honing in on sounds. This movement and his sensitive range allow him to focus in and locate exactly where a sound is coming from.
When we are out in the open we hear sound with both ears and can tell the general direction it is coming from. Dogs, however, hear sound with each ear independently. He can listen to you with one ear and hear a sound from the bushes with his other ear.
Dogs are flooded with smells and sound all of the time. He has the ability to filter sounds. They can selectively pay attention to sounds or he can drown out familiar sounds that they know are not a sound of danger. Have you noticed that a dog can sleep right through a television blaring but immediately jumps up when he hears a cheese wrapper being opened? My dogs LOVE cheese and come running from the farthest part of the house when that happens.
Be kind to your dog and try these tips to help them this 4th of July.
- Distract
- Keep Indoors
- Desensitizing
- Proper Identification
- Keep Them Home
Distract. Play music or distract them with a toy or a bone to chew on.
Keep Indoors. Don’t let your dog go outside during peak 4th of July fireworks time.
Desensitize. Before the 4th begin desensitizing by recording the sounds that he is afraid of and play them back low enough to not bother them. Reward them with a special treat when they are calm. Gradually increase the volume and repeat.
Proper Identification. Dogs will try to run away from the scary sound if they are given any chance at all. It can happen to the most diligent owner so be sure that they are properly identified and that all the information is up to date.
Keep Them Home. Are you going out to watch the fireworks? Don’t take them with you for the very same reason as mentioned above.
Finally, as a last resort, there are medications to help calm them and there are natural remedies too. Always consult with your veterinarian before you give your dog any medications even natural ones.
