Summer time and the living is easy
Unless you have a reactive dog 🙈. No but seriously, with summer often our usually quiet trails, parks and walking areas are suddenly a lot busier. It can be a real adjustment for our dogs with big feelings to deal with a surge of triggers every time they go out. And often it’s not even needing to go out, even at your own homes you might have a lot more trigger stacking elements, perhaps it’s the neighbors now having BBQs in their yard, or like our home, suddenly the neighbors young children are running around the yard squealing and laughing which the dogs find very exciting. Having the windows open means many more sounds for our sensitive dogs. So let’s talk about a few ideas to perhaps help our dogs with big feelings and let’s talk about how to protect our young dogs from unpleasant events that could lead to fears and concerns.
Sounds: If you are like me, who throws open every window as soon as it’s nice out to let the fresh air (and noises in), perhaps also have some white noise- running a box fan, having some music playing, etc to mask some of the noises. Have treat caches placed around the house so you can help your dog when they hear triggers. Get to know your neighborhood schedules, like I can tell you the reactive little neighbor dog named Stella takes her walks between 6-6:30am and between 5:30-6pm, so I am ready to help Julia when Stella barks her way by. I know most dog walks pass by between 8-10am or 5-7pm so I know these times I need to always be ready to help Julia.
Walks: Getting up earlier (like Stella’s mom) so you can walk before most people are out and about can help, or walking later in the evening can help lower trigger exposure. Using Sniffspots to get some relief. Finding quiet roads to walk on.
Barking at the world going by: can you put some window film up or block access to the street facing windows during peak dog walking (or other triggers) time?
Reactive dogs can need extra help during these times when things really escalate! Don’t be afraid to talk to your vet about medical ways to help them cope as they adjust to the busier world.
SOUND SENSITIVITY!
If you have a young dog and this will be there first 4th of July, NOW is the time to already be preparing!
Use the sound sensitivity protocols in the Reactive Dog Course: Chapter 3
Playing firework and thunder storm videos low volume as you do your dog’s favorite things with them can help create some positive experience with those loud sounds. If you start now you have time to start very low volume and over the next 5 weeks gradually increase the volume.
Make a holiday plan now for them:
Don’t leave dogs alone on the 4th at night if you can avoid it, this is the #1 time of the year for dogs to go missing as they run away when getting frightened by the booms. If you cannot arrange someone to stay with them at the very least:
Take them for a nice long walk earlier in the day so they are exercised
Leave them in an interior room with no windows and leave white noise on: a box fan & music or the TV turned up to help mask outside noises. As a vet tech I have helped sew dogs up who jumped through glass windows when freaked out by fireworks, so be sure they are secure and safe if you leave them!
Set up a remote webcam so you can check in and see how they are doing
Talk to your vet and get some medication incase they are freaking out. Be sure what you get is for anxiety and not a sedative, acepromazine is a sedative some old school vets will give you, this is not good, this just makes dogs anxious but too stoned to do anything about so they are still very scared. You want things like: Sileo, Trazadone & Gabapentin, Xanax, Valium, etc.
This year the 4th is a Friday so you need a plan and meds for the whole weekend as people usually carry their celebrations over the weekend.
The 4th is a great time to go backpacking, camping or places where fireworks are not allowed, a nice time to stay in a remote cabin 😂 if you can find and rent one. Just be aware some campgrounds are worse than in town!
DON’T take your dogs to parades, etc if you can avoid doing so. Most dogs are super overwhelmed during these big events and easily get startled and develop sound sensitivity but getting freaked out and overwhelmed.
Also some BBQ’s and such can be overwhelming, often people drink too much and do really stupid stuff thinking it’s funny to scare dogs, so be ready to advocate for your dog.
