Ringing In the Summer With Things That Go "BOOM!" - How to Help Your Dog Cope With Fireworks and Thunder

It's so common.  The 4th of July approaches and between the fireworks and summer thunderstorms, your dog becomes a drooling, whining, quivering mess in the corner of the room.  Or she becomes so anxious that she literally won't leave your side.  Your heart breaks for her.  Doesn't she understand that these loud noises aren't going to hurt her?  The truth is, for many of our dogs, the loud noises of summer can be a bit too much, as they don't understand why suddenly it seems like the world is falling apart. 

The good news is, fear of these loud noises doesn't have to be a life sentence.  Depending on the severity of your dog's reactions, there are some things you can do to help her cope.  While in severe circumstances, there may be a need for medication to help your dog take the edge off (and for this, you would consult your veterinarian), there are also plenty of natural home remedies that may help your dog deal with her anxiety as you work to provide her some support while desensitizing her to these common summer happenings.

Desensitize her to these noises by practicing frequently:
It's true, you can't control the weather or when your neighbors are setting off fireworks.  But buying a CD of sounds that include fireworks and thunderstorms will give you a chance to practice exposure to these noises more frequently in small slices that you can control (when it isn't really happening full-throttle).  When your dog is calm and comfortable, play only a few seconds of the CD on low volume.  The entire time that the noise is playing, provide her with lots of calm praise and some high value treats (you may even need to go so far as cooked chicken, hamburger or even string cheese if the store-bought treats or natural dried jerky won't do).  When the CD is turned off, the praise and treats stop. 
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​This will help pair the not-so-good thing ("BOOM!") with something very rewarding (the best treats and praise!).  If you do this frequently (a few times a day for 3-10 seconds each time), it will start to seem like no big deal to your dog.  Gradually, as she gets more comfortable, you can increase the volume and duration of playing the CD until it is closer to that of a full-blown storm/fireworks show.  While dogs can also sense the change in barometric pressure that leads up to a storm (and there's no way for us to simulate that), if you at least desensitize her to the sound when there isn't a storm, she will be better off when storms do occur.

Plan ahead and prepare for a thunderstorm or fireworks display by: 

• Providing your dog with a quiet place to relax, preferably close to the center of the house and away from windows and doors that will rattle and make lightning more visible and dramatic (if you have blinds or curtains, closing them can be best).  Sometimes providing a special blanket or t-shirt with a familiar scent that she can snuggle in for comfort can help (part of the reason the ThunderShirt works for some dogs is because it hugs the dog and makes the dog feel comforted).  Also, keep windows closed and doors locked so your dog cannot accidentally escape.
• Keep your dog inside (as opposed to in a yard, even if fenced) and do NOT bring her to fireworks displays.  A dog's ears are much more sensitive to noises than ours, so while you may think she would enjoy being with you, chances are high that the noise and activity at a fireworks display will be quite overwhelming for her and not much fun!
• Play some soothing music (classical piano or strings work well, as does a "Spa" or "Soundscapes" station) or use a noise machine leading up to the storm/fireworks to drawn out the noise a bit.  It's a good idea to play this kind of music also when there isn't a storm/fireworks so she doesn't learn to associate the music with the coming of the boom.
• Provide her with a special goodie (like a consumable chew or frozen stuffed Kong) to productively work out some of her emotional energy.  The act of chewing and consuming can release dopamine in her brain, which may override the fear response if what she's consuming is valuable enough.  She may not be willing to take the average treat when contending with such loud and sudden noises, so understanding her Value Hierarchy will be important here.  
• Help her "take the edge off" by giving her some natural herbal supplements/treats (like those made with valerian, chamomile, St. John's Wort, tryptophan, Skullcap, Passion Flower or Hemp - which all have natural calming qualities).  If given a half hour or so prior to the start of the storm/display, these can help your dog stress less.  You can usually find a few different varieties at a natural food store, a boutique pet store, or on Amazon through my Supply Shop.  One I really like is Ark Naturals "Happy Traveler" - they come in bite-sized little treats that don't smell horrible to dogs (valerian in particular is known to be not-so-pleasant smelling) and taste like liver - or so my dog says ;-)
• Spritz calming sprays like Richard's Organics "Pet Calm" on your dog's collar, on her bedding or in the air, or diffuse high-quality essential oils like my "RELAX" blend in an ultrasonic diffuser, which will disperse these therapeutic molecules throughout the air.  Be sure to use therapeutic grade substances - a lavender-scented Yankee Candle or Bath and Body Works spray may smell nice to us but since they are made with synthetic fragrances (and usually a variety of chemicals), they do not actually have any therapeutic value and will not work the same!

During a thunderstorm or fireworks, don't coddle but do provide some calm, confident support: 
​Many dogs may feel comforted just by being close to you, so letting your dog hang out near you may give her the "buddy" she may need to know she isn't facing the scary stuff alone.  It's important we don't make a bigger deal for your dog than the storm/display already is, so don't coddle her and feed into her frenzied state, but providing occasional calm verbal reassurance can help her understand that what's happening is not a big deal. 

​And who doesn't like a massage to de-stress?  I wouldn't stroke her constantly, but adding in some of the following touches may help relax your dog during the storm/display.   There's a method called T-Touch which I've implemented before - you can learn more about it here and probably even find videos on YouTube.  A few simple methods:

• Calmly and slowly stroke her from the back of her head (behind her ears), all the way down her spine to the base of her tail
• Gently hold her ears in your fingertips, starting at the base of the ear with four fingers on the underside of the ear and your thumb on top of her ear.  Gently stroke from the base of her ear to the tip. 
• Trace small circles with your fingertips around her body.  Start in one spot, and using only a few fingers and light pressure, trace a small circle about the size of a quarter in a clockwise direction.  Slightly move your fingers to another nearby spot and repeat.
• You may also slowly zig-zag along her sides, starting at the base of her shoulders, down towards her underarms, back up to her spine, down towards her belly, back up towards her spine and back down again to her hocks.

Lastly, remember that our dogs pick up a lot of their emotional energy from our own, so staying in a calm and relaxed state of mind yourself will also feed that energy to your dog.  Try to keep your dog away from the kids screaming, running back and forth wielding sparklers, etc. as this kind of frenetic energy can quickly increase a dog's arousal level.  And while you may have a beer or Lynchburg lemonade to chill out and enjoy the day, don't be tempted to share one with your furry friend ;-) Enjoy!