Summer Safety – Pets and Fireworks

This is an article copied from our good friend, Susan Hansen’s website, Critter. Susan developed and patented an in-ear silicone earplugs to protect dogs hearing.

Fireworks Are Back

The 4^th of July will be here soon, ushering in a whole new season of fireworks shows. Does your dog have firework fears? Your dog is not alone. Many dogs are afraid of fireworks. There are ways that you can help your dog through this firework season. Let’s explore what you can do! The firework shows will be back in full force. For dogs with firework fears, this year could be rough. They have gotten used to things being quieter over the last few years – and some pups are too young to have known life before the pandemic.

Why Dogs Have Firework Fears

Many humans enjoy a good firework show. So why do dogs have firework fears? There are two main reasons:

• Fear of the unknown
  When a dog hears those big booms being shot off, the dog doesn’t know what is going on. Is it a threat? Biologically, just like us, dogs are programmed to fear anything that could be a threat to their survival.
• Fireworks are loud
  A human’s hearing is geared towards hearing the voices of other humans. A dog’s hearing is geared towards being able to hear small pray in the wilderness. Dogs can hear noises that are far too quiet and high pitched for humans to hear (source). Loud percussive noises, like fireworks, can be too much for a dog’s super sensitive hearing.

Ways To Prepare For The Big Booms of Fireworks

You may not be able to stop the big booms from coming, but you can prepare to handle you dog’s firework fears. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Talk to your veterinarian
  Your veterinarian may have so great tips for addressing firework fears that will be suited to your dog’s particular situation. Never give your dog any medication without talking to your veterinarian first. Even medications prescribed for your dog can have side effects. Read all the information with any drug and weigh the pro and cons.
• Create a safe space for your dog
  It could help to have a safe, quiet place for your dog to relax during the firework shows. No one should be able to go into this room during the firework show. You may want to play a little soft music to help drown out the loud booms. Make sure that your dog is familiar with this room as a place to relax before it is needed.
• Plan a trip away from the city
  Do you know when your local firework shows will be? Plan a trip out to the countryside to relax with your dog away from the big booms. Visiting a friend outside of your city might be helpful too.
• Use Dog Earplugs
  With a Noise Reduction Rating of 31 dB, our CrittEar Calm dog earplugs can help buffer down the loud sounds of a fireworks show to the level of a quiet conversation. What your dog can hear, they can’t fear! These go great with the “safe space” idea for your dog. Just put in the dog earplugs before the beginning of the fireworks, put your dog in their safe room, and let them relax for the evening.

Learn more about CrittEar

Susan was so kind to share this content with us. Critter isn’t currently available, but you can learn more Susan and about her invention here.