happy Forth Of July!

With the Fourth Of July comes fireworks. A night many dog owners dread, because they have to worry about  their dog having a heart attack or running away in fear.  With a little planning you can avoid  those scary scenarios. 

First of all, let’s address prevention. A great many dog’s fear stems from an effect of vaccinosis. Vaccinosis is essentially a form of adverse reaction to a vaccine. Find out about rabies vaccinosis http://shapingchaos.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/symptoms-of-rabies-vaccinosis/ and more about vaccinosis http://www.thedogplace.org/VACCINES/Vaccinosis-1_Bloomer&Thomason.asp . So preventing vaccinosis is preventing fear of fireworks, and we do this by declining vaccines (some places may have a Rabies Vaccine Law) when possible.

   Next thing we need to do is plan for the noisy holiday in advance. Have your game plan ready and available. Make your own plans so that you will be able to keep your dog safe for the night. Take your pet for a good long walk earlier in the day. A tired dog is a less worried dog. Feeding him earlier in the day may be better, seperate from the scary time, as most dogs do not like to eat when they are stressed. Have your remedies and other calming strategies close at hand.
      Items like the Thundershirt recommend that you work with the dog and the Thundershirt before the scary day arrives. http://www.thundershirt.com/?utm_source=bing%2Byahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=adcenter                          
    Some other things you can try are white noise (dryer running, fountain tinkling, a fan running), making your dog a “safe spot” in the basement or a dark interior room of your house that tends to get less outside noise. Making your dog’s crate a safe space that he likes to go to relax is a good idea anytime, but can come in extra-hand in high stress times.  
You may want to try a Homeopathic remedy protocol like recently suggested in the Dog’s Naturally Magazine blog, find that here: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dogsnaturallymagazine.com%2Fhelping-your-dogs…%2F&h=MAQEggCWp

Another strategy I like to put out there is Flower essences, Bach’s rescue Remedy helps many dogs. More Info here: http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ you can also find good deals on Rescue remedy on Amazon.com. 

My favorite remedy for firework fear is putting a couple of drops of Lavender essential Oil or the Peace & Calming Blend from Young Living. You can also diffuse the EO’s or mix a few drops with water and add to a spray bottle and spritz around your home & especially the areas your dog is hanging out. All essential Oils I recommend are Young Living only. My Independent representative # is 1437481, if you wish to make an order.  http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/

That is the best of the strategies that I have heard of or tried. You may have to try them out over the course of time. what works for one may not work for another. You may find that layering your options, using more than one, is  more effective, just stay patient and calm and dont give up. It is worth it to find a game plan that soothes your doggy’s  mind and yours, plus is non toxic in the bargain!  

Good Luck And Happy Fourth of July!!!! 

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About Susan Lewelling, CCNC, Consultant & Natural Rearing Breeder

I breed Naturally Reared UKC Carolina Dogs, I consult/coach natural rearing to carnivore pet owners, with a focus on Naturopathy and the Raw Diet. I live on a mini farm with my husband, dogs and goats and various fowl and in my spare time, I make all natural lotions and enjoy Barn Hunt trials with my dogs.