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Stop fireworks from freaking out Fido
Posted: 06.29.2012 at 12:09 PM
Elizabeth Reed

Elizabeth is the Internet Managing Editor for WNWO.

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Dogs hear the sound of fireworks ten times louder than humans.  / WNWO newsfile
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Fireworks might be fun for the family on the Fourth of July, but one member of your pack won't be as thrilled. Dogs hear the sound of fireworks about ten times louder than humans do, which can create anxiety for your furry friend on the most explosive day of the year.

To help Fido keep his calm, Orlando Cuevas of Sit Means Sit dog training school in Toledo recommends distracting dogs with something positive, like basic commands and using a reassuring tone.

"You want to start doing more things at a distance," Cuevas said. "If all the dog knows is by your side, than that's where the anxiety comes from, is being away from you because they're not used to seeing that. Get them to start doing things that they normally wouldn't do--jumping over things, getting on top of things, movee away from you... it's going to help build their confidence as well."

If you don't have time for training, Dr. Brooke West of Perrysburg Animal Care recommends keeping dogs away from the festivities in solitary areas like a basement.

"It's really important just to keep them in a cool, quiet, dark place so that they can hopefully relax and not get so anxious about the noises." West said.

While there are plenty of dog products and medications that claim to deter dog anxiety, Cuevas said the most important thing to remember is there's not a one-size-fits-all solution.

"You want to work with something that is going to work with everybody and that's dog training because there are so many different approaches and there's so many different methods that you can use for the different dogs to work them through it without having to depend on a shirt or anything like that."

What methods do you use to keep your pet calm on the Fourth of July? Leave your tips in our comments section below.

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