Calm Your Dog During Thunderstorms and Fireworks

It’s approaching the time of year where it’ll soon be July 4th, and where I live that also means from the rainy season is here. Yes, Florida gets a rainy season and it’s dring the summer which is when we have our hurrican season. Here are tips to calm your dog that I’ve learned from owning dogs and going through this stormy season as I call it.

I definitely enjoy going out and having a backyard BBQ or going to see fireworks as well. Even if I don’t go out to see the fireworks you can still hear them going off nearby my house. Which is potential for my dogs to freak out if they are scared by the noise. Of course not all dogs will be phased, some will be and some of those that are can definitely get over it easier than others.

One of my dogs has just always disliked the fireworks, but she has definitely gotten far better. This sweet puppy would just go curl into a corner, shake, and not want to move. Sometimes I could go with she was tired from a day of playtime but mostly I knew she didn’t play hard enough to be “that” tired.

Once I heard the fireworks, I realized that’s what was causing her to be scared. It definitely made me feel terrible and worse for not noticing it sooner. At the start I would cuddle and snuggle her but she eventually became glued to me and that showed I was just giving into her being so scared.

Exercise

This is my first tip and is helpful if you know that there will be fireworks. Exercise will help your dog burn that extra energy. This helps as your dog will then want to stay calm and rest instead of getting so worked up over the storm or fireworks.

Water

Whenever a dog gets worked up, they burn more energy. This can cause them to become dehydrated quicker so make sure they have a full bowl of clean water.

Toys

Keeping your dog’s favorite toys around will definitely keep them happy. Toys can be good for distractions but also if they have a favorite toy, it can be somewhat of a security blankey for your dog to feel safer during these “scarier” times.

Stay Home

Another great thing to do to help calm your dog is to just stay home. Staying home if you can during storms or fireworks can definitely show your dog they are safe and that they can remain calm. Nothing like a movie marathon or binge watching your favorite shows during a storm.

Positive Reinforcement

This is probably the main way I got my dog Evee to not be so scared during storms or fireworks anymore. She’s gotten adjusted to getting pet and cuddles randomly throughout them and has her blanket and a toy she cuddles as well. Not making a big deal out of these issues has helped tremendously.

What are your go to tips to calm your dog during stressful situations? Did any of these work?  Be sure to also check out the Thundershirt as many friends have also recommended it to me to use on my dogs or my foster dogs as well.

Wanting to make some yummy treats for your dog during events or to use for special occasions, try out these Salmon Jerky Treats.