What To Do For Your Frightened Pet

Fireworks can be disturbing for pets. We had a golden lab that would panic and run under the bed when she heard fireworks going off in the neighborhood. She huddled there late into the night on those days.

Our neighbor’s dog took a different approach. She tried to bite the lit fireworks when the kids were lighting them off. Other people have had their pets run off from the flashes of light and loud noises. 

There is lots of advice online to help pets who are traumatized by fireworks. Here are some of the ideas presented:

Medication: Calming drugs for your pet. 

Training: Work with loud noises before the holiday to get them used to the stimulus. 

Safe Space: Making a safe place for your pet and comforting them with treats and playing music to drown out the sounds. 

There is one suggestion I especially like. This site gives you ideas on building a soundproof doghouse or kennel. They suggest everything from putting blankets around it to getting soundproof panels for the inside. 

I had a dog that would copy the sound of sirens from police cars and fire engines. It was pretty funny until she did it in the middle of the night. A soundproof doghouse would have solved the problem.  

Having worked in radio studios, I know a bit about deadening sound. It’s hard to describe if you haven’t experienced it, but when a room is covered in foam, the sound seems to escape from your mouth and disappear. It makes me happy to think of my dog cozy in a quiet little doghouse, oblivious to any mayhem outside.

My dog Molly isn’t afraid of fireworks, however, I may build her a soundproof kennel just for fun. In fact, there’s probably a market for it.