"Living With Your Pet Tips": Don't Let Your Dog Become a July 4th Statistic!

Don't make your pooch have to "phone home" on July 4th!

Did you know that animal control services across the country see a 30-60% increase in lost pets between July 4 and July 6 each year? And unfortunately, according to nationwide statistics, only 14% of lost pets are returned to their owners.

First, let's address the "why" of these startling statistics:

__Dogs don't keep a calendar, so they don't know that it's July 4th and that we typically celebrate our country's independence with fireworks (aka really loud noises). They don't plan for it or expect it like we do.

__Our dogs' hearing is sooooo much better than ours that the typical fireworks sound like an air raid to our four-legged friends, making these unexpected "booms' and "crackles" nearly eardrum-splitting.

So what can we do from July 3rd to July 6th or so to make this time easier for our canine pals and to lesson the chance that they'll take off for parts unknown? We particularly liked these tips from DogGeek.com, that range from taking measures ahead of time to keep your dog calm, like ensuring that they've had plenty of exercise, and even going the extra mile, so to speak, and providing drawn curtains or blinds and a bit of aromatherapy (a touch of lavendar oil rubbed on their pillow or bed is supposed to help calm even the wildest beast), to not letting them out to "do their business", even in a fenced yard, after dark. Better yet, if they have to go out after the racket (I mean celebratory fireworks) is over, take your pooch out with a leash, even in your own yard. And whether your home with your dog or not, it's recommended that you leave all lights on, draw the drapes and turn on the TV or radio to help drown out the outside noise.

Here's to a safe and enjoyable July 4th holiday - kaboom!

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