Mutts: Fearing the 4th: Dogs and fireworks - A blog for animal lovers on pets, dogs, cats, shelters and animal rescue

It's a holiday for us humans, but the Fourth of July is also a day that can turn an otherwise normal dog into a panting, pacing, quivering bundle of fur.

When the bombs start bursting in air later this week, many a dog will get the jitters -- a result of the sudden noises, bright lights, and even the scent of gunpowder, which some experts say may add to their unrest.

It's also a day that keeps animal shelters busy, with an influx of dogs that flee their homes when the celebrating starts.

"It's the worst day of the year," says Jim Monsma of the Washington Animal Rescue League. "Dogs that never could jump that fence sail over it when the fireworks start."

Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) has issued an advisory reminding everyone to keep a close eye on their animals on the 4th. It passes on the following tips:

-- Keep you pets indoors in a sheltered area at peak fireworks times, and make sure you've removed any items that might be harmful if chewed.

-- Having a television or radio playing at low volume can help calm an animal.

-- Check with your vet in advance if you know your animal gets distressed on the 4th.

-- Don't leave your pet outside unattended, even if your yard is fenced.

-- Make sure your pet is wearing identification tags

-- Leave your dog home if you're going to a fireworks display.

-- Do not leave your pet in the car, even for a few minutes.

As this Associated Press story points out, it's best to have taken the right steps ahead of time, so you're as prepared as you can be when the fireworks begin.

For more long term methods to help your pet get over the stress fireworks can cause, another recent Associated Press story offers some helpful tips.

Conditioning a dog to be relaxed during fireworks can take months, but it's possible.

At Behave Canine Solutions, a company that offers dog training classes in Oregon, dogs in the Puppy Preschool program spend a day training for fireworks. The process involves integrating sound, smells and visual displays into activities such as playing or eating.

"What a dog is or isn't exposed to, especially in the first 16 weeks, can affect their behaviors for the rest of their lives," said Denise Mullenix, one of Behave's trainers. The class moves puppies to different stations that play sounds of fireworks, expose them to small smoke balls and burning charcoal, and bring them near sparklers and bright flashes.

Owners can also train their dogs at home by playing recordings of fireworks at a low volume during an activity that the dog enjoys. By gradually increasing the sound, you can get to the point where the dog stops exhibiting signs of anxiety -- panting, drooling, pacing -- and is comfortable.

If owners don't have months for training, some veterinarians recommend sedatives -- an option most dog trainers says should be a last resort.

Some dogs can go to fireworks shows and be fine with it, but for others, and espeically first-timers, be sure to keep a close eye, and a good grip, on your pet.

If your dog starts freaking out, get the dog indoors as quickly as possible, or, if you're away, into the car with you.

At home, or in a car, you can turn on the air conditioning or the radio to minimize the sounds. Giving the dog a treat can get his mind on something else.

Also available are products that produce pheromone-mimicking scents that can relax and comfort a dog -- DAP, or Dog Appeasing Pheromone, for canines, and Feliway for cats.

Then there's the greatest sedative of all -- exercise. If you wear your dog out earlier in the day with a lengthy romp, chances are, safe at home, he might even sleep through the noise.

(Sun Photo)