To the Rescue: Ease Firework Fear in Your Pet

By Sarah Lipoff

Updated on 7/4/2014 at 12:00 PM

Fireworks can be very frightening to a dog. Since it's the season of sparklers, here are some quick tips to help your pets cope with these scary sounds. Canines can hear sounds at an ultrahigh frequency (like those "silent" dog whistles) and can register sounds three times greater than your ear! If it's loud to you, it's definitely too loud for your pet.

  1. While it's fun to include dogs in your activities, this is one they should definitely sit out on. Please keep your animals inside during the noisemaking. If you've got a pet that goes out, make sure he does his business before the fireworks display or can wait until after it's done.
  2. Close all doors, windows, curtains, and blinds. Turn on the television or radio to drown out the noise (as best as possible).
  3. Try to distract your pet with special guests, brand-new toys, or rare treats right before the display starts, if possible in a room farthest away from the noises, like the basement.
  4. If your pet finds a hiding spot once the pyrotechnics begin, let him be. Trying to lure out a frightened creature while the scary stuff's still happening is not a good idea — and extrastressful.

Ease the stress and build up your pup's ability to cope with the loud blasts with these free downloads (when you right click). To use these audio effects with a pet, start playing at a low volume and build up to a normal sound level over time. If you play repeatedly, furry friends can get desensitized to the noise from within your home.