Dog Anxiety from Thunder or Fireworks?

With July 4th right around the corner, you might be worried about how your best friend will do with all the firework sounds.

Hurricane season has also started and we’ve already experienced some lightning and thunder which can be scary for your dog too!

Dog anxiety is always worrisome for a pet parent. Clearly you want to appease your dog, but often they will just hide and shake. Many dogs flee, which is why July 4th is the #1 day in which pets get lost and end up in shelters.

What can you do to help out your dog during July 4th and Hurricane Season?

1. Keep your dog inside during fireworks or thunderstorms, preferably with human companionship.
2. Provide a safe place inside for your dog to retreat. When scared of sounds, dogs often prefer small enclosed areas. We highly recommend using a crate (see our article on the Dog Crate) and perhaps putting a blanket over the crate.
3. Ensure your dog gets plenty of exercise earlier in the day – a tired dog is a happy dog.
4. Keep the windows and curtains closed.
5. Make sure your dog is wearing ID tags with a properly fitting collar. They should also be micro-chipped just in case they are lost and brought to a shelter.
6. Distract your dog by giving him a bully stick to chew on or an interactive food toy (see our article on Treat Dispenser Toys).

Try Out the ThunderShirt – a medicine free solution!

If you haven’t tried one before, we recommend trying a ThunderShirt to help your dog with anxiety.

How does ThunderShirt work? Pet experts believe that pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system, possibly by releasing a calming hormone like endorphins. The ThunderShirt’s gentle, constant pressure relaxes most dogs if they are anxious, fearful or overexcited. Just to be clear, this does not mean you can hug your dog and get the same results – a hug from a shirt/wrap is different from a hug from a person.

ThunderShirt has conducted surveys on over 2,000 customers and over 80% of dogs showed significant improvement in symptoms when using a ThunderShirt.

ThunderShirt comes in a variety of colors, so even if your dog is anxious, he can now be extra stylish in a ThunderShirt. We love the new camo / orange color for our male dog!