Keep It Down: Why Dogs and Fireworks Don't Mix

With the Fourth of July just around the corner, preparations are underway. People break out the flags, dust off their grills, and get ready to celebrate! However, dogs (and their owners) are a little less enthused…July 5 is one of the busiest intake days for shelters across the country, with the ASPCA reporting that 1 in 5 pets gets lost after being spooked by a loud noise.

Plenty of people love the noise and spectacle of fireworks lighting up the sky. To a dog’s sensitive ears, the sudden bang of fireworks, accompanied by an unpleasant smell and strange visuals, is much less fun and can be outright painful–especially since fireworks rarely go off in isolation. Multiple bangs make it difficult for a dog to pinpoint where the noise is coming from or predict when the fireworks will start or stop.

All this potentially can cause a frightened dog to flee. Dogs that run away are most likely obeying their fight-or-flight instincts. Fight-or-flight is a physiological reaction in which the amygdala, once triggered, activates the pituitary gland which releases a bunch of hormones and transmitters, including adrenaline. This gives dogs a huge surge of energy, allowing them to escape a threatening situation.

Training Your Puppy

The good news is…you know exactly when the Fourth of July is coming, giving you plenty of time to prepare your dog.

Desensitizing and counter-conditioning your pup to the sound of fireworks well in advance can go a long way. YouTube and Spotify have tracks designed for desensitization work, allowing you to control the volume and keep your dog under threshold. These tracks are easy to play softly during mealtimes. Your dog should be aware of the noise but more interested in their food–don’t be afraid to move slowly!

If you’ve just gotten your puppy and you want to set them up for success, expose them to loud, sudden noises. New York helpfully provides plenty of these, sometimes from the comfort of your own home! Trucks backing up, vacuum cleaners or blow dryers turning on, construction banging next door…If your pup learns early on that loud noises are no big deal, fireworks season will be much easier to face.

Preparing For the Holiday

Microchip your dog. Make sure all information is up-to-date! If your dog does escape, shelters and vets will use the microchip’s information to contact you. Out-of-date information can slow down the process.

Exercise earlier in the day. Firework celebrations tend to be reserved for nightfall, leaving the rest of the day for your dog. Get them as tired as possible to help take the edge off any anxiety they experience.

Eat dinner earlier. Stressed dogs may refuse their meals, so bump up dinnertime just in case.

Provide a safe space at night. Crate or mat training comes in handy here! Draw the curtains over the windows to lessen the visual impact and play a white noise machine to help muffle the noise. TV or music are good options too–just make sure they’re sounds your dog has been exposed to before.

The Hidden Impact of Fireworks

Humans are just about the only animals that enjoy fireworks (and even then it’s not unanimous). While we have plenty of notice leading up to the event, the sudden explosion of sound and light shocks nearby wildlife. In worst-case scenarios, they abandon their nests or dens, run into roadways, or fly into buildings.

NYC appears to be a city inhabited just by humans, but many wildlife species call it home. Bats, deer, coyotes, skunks, foxes, raccoons, and other animals live out of sight in the city parks. The city is visited by over 200 different species of birds annually, including several endangered species.

Much like dogs, cats and rabbits (the other two popular NYC pets) may try to hide or run away during fireworks. If you want to try your hand at some cross-species training, they also respond well to counter-conditioning techniques.