Just a reminder...

As the New Year approaches, there are already fireworks going all around my neighborhood. My dogs, specially my black lab Joey, gets super scared. It breaks my heart to see him so frantic. I wish that fireworks would be suspended all together. But I know this is unrealistic, so instead I'm going to share a few tips that I follow with my pets scared of fireworks. 

First, I always make sure that my pets all pets are wearing well-fitted collars have and ID tags, some way that serves to ID them, because these loud noises can frighten dogs so much that they run off. 

I always bring my dogs inside on days that I know there'll be fireworks, like New Years or Fourth of July. I put them in their crates with a comfortable mattress and their favorite toys. 

Joey loves music, so I put some music on for them and shut the windows to drown out the noises outside. I dim the lights a bit or put a blanket over their crate (not completely covering it so they can still see their surroundings). I make sure they're in a comfortable environment.

Lastly, I don't reinforce their fear. Instead of making these fireworks noises feel like a big scary deal, I don't make a big fuss about it or coddle them. Instead I play with them like it's a regular day and keep them distracted. Animals, like dogs, can feel our emotions and will imitate them; if one is anxious our dog can also get anxious. So it's important for us to stay in control and calm.