Emerson and I relish any opportunity to get out of the house for some fresh air. He enjoys his daily walks, but the Fourth of July holiday gives us the opportunity for extra time together, which usually means we take a small road trip. Because I live within driving distance of the beach, and Emerson loves running around and playing “fetch” in the sand, my Fourth of July weekend plans entailed frolicking at the Pacific Ocean with him.
However, the downside to Fourth of July is the fireworks. There were plenty of kids playing with fireworks at the beach, which happens to be one of Emerson’s least favorite seaside activities. Emerson can get quite anxious, especially when it comes to loud noises.
From past years, I learned that the best solution is to keep him on an isolated part of the beach and away from the noisy firework festivities of any kind. This way, Emerson and kids can both enjoy the holiday. Anxious Pets can exhibit severe distress, leading up to destructive behavior. Sometimes, your anxious Pet will be happiest in the comfort of your own home. Banfield recommends making your home as comfortable as possible for your Pets during any potentially stressful time, such as the Fourth of July. Leaving on the TV a little louder than usual, playing the radio in each of the bedrooms and leaving on extra lights tends to mask many of the unfamiliar noises that startle Pets. In addition, your Pet may find comfort being kenneled while you are gone—it’s a safe zone for many Pets and they will rest easier knowing they are in familiar territory.
Although veterinarians will generally recommend keeping Pets at home during Fourth of July and Emerson has more than his fair share of anxiety, I always find he is most content and comfortable wherever I am. My presence and the distraction of play enable him to ignore the loud noises and bright lights coming from fireworks. You will know what’s best for you and your Pet, and you can always go to your veterinarian for behavioral advice. I think that’s why Emerson was brave enough to endure pesky firework noises at the beach this past weekend. Apparently playing fetch with mom far outweighs the scary things in life!
Our Maltese Whitley will not stop drinking out of our pool. We have chemicals clorine and salt. Will this hurt our Little dog.??
July 14th, 2010 at 7:46 pmThat’s an excellent question Rosie. I certainly cannot recommend that Whitley continue drinking out of your pool. The amount of both chlorine and salt that he ingests will determine just how sick he might get, and I’m afraid I can’t say just how much will make him sick. The salt in the pool water will increase his thirst rather than decrease it so he is actually making himself more thirsty, thus perpetuating the problem. If at all possible avoid him drinking from the pool at all. If you do catch him doing it then encourage him to drink water as soon as possible to counterbalance the thirst created by the salt. The chlorine can also cause an imbalance in his internal regulation system so it truly is important to stop this behavior. Dogs are creatures of habit, much like us, therefore it may take some time to break him of this habit. If you are finding it very challenging to get him to stop I would recommend a visit to the vet to discuss some behavioral modification techniques which could be very helpful. Good luck!
July 20th, 2010 at 6:30 pm