4th of July Pet Safety for Dogs

The Fourth of July is an anticipated summer holiday filled with excitement and joy for you and your family, but it may not be such a fun time from the perspective of your dog. Fourth of July fireworks bursting in the sky, for example, may be a breathtaking sight for you to behold but a bothersome sound for your pets. Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take to keep your dog safe and happy during the Fourth of July holiday, and these pet safety tips are described below.

The first tip is to keep your pet away from people who your dog is not familiar with because your dog may be uncomfortable around people who are visiting your house for the very first time such as your out-of-town relatives. This tip particularly applies to you if you are having a Fourth of July picnic in your yard, and you have invited a lot of guests. One time I went to a relative's Fourth of July picnic, and my relative's dog growled at the unfamiliar guests and made them feel uncomfortable. So, for the sake of your dog and for the sake of your guests, it is best not to leave your dog around unfamiliar people.

The second tip is to keep your picnic foods and drinks away from your pet. The delicious foods that you serve at your picnic may be enough to make your mouth water but may be harmful if accidentally swallowed by your dog. To see a list of foods that your dog should never eat, go the Tres Hanley Web site which mentions several foods and drinks such as chocolate, onions, tomatoes, and caffeinated drinks that could be very harmful to your dog.

The next six tips offer advice on how to protect your dog from the loud sounds of fireworks, which can be piercing to your dog's ears. Pet owners should consider doing the following things on the Fourth of July, according to the Web site of The Humane Society of The United States: Let your pet stay inside your house where it would be more peaceful. Give your pet something to do to keep busy. You might want to visit HomeTipsPlus.com to get an idea of what kinds of toys you can buy to keep your dog busy for long periods of time. If you think that your dog can still hear the fireworks inside your home, turn on your television so that your dog won't hear the fireworks. You may want to even consider putting sound-proof ear plugs in your pet's ears. Mutt Muffs, according to the Safe and Sound Pets Web site, are sound-proof ear plugs specially designed for dogs. Also, don't leave your doors and windows open because dogs might try to run away if they are frightened by the fireworks. In case your dog does run away, make sure it has its identification tag on. Also, if you are going to be out of town, you may want to leave your dog at a relative's house.

Here's the last and final tip. It's something you should do after the Fourth of July festivities are over: Clean up the firework debris from your yard so that your dog won't try to play with it, swallow it, or choke on it. Hopefully, the above-mentioned safety tips for dogs should help to make your Fourth of July holiday go smoothly.

Sources

"Dangerous 'People Food' and Commercial Pet Product." Tres Hanley Web site

"Great Toys to Keep Your Dog Busy." HomeTipsPlus Web site

"Mutt Muffs." Safe and Sound Pets Web site

"July 4^th Fireworks Are No Blast for Pets." The Humane Society of the United States Web site