HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

We hope that you have a great time celebrating this year’s Independence Day with great friends or family.  We also know that many Fourth of July celebrations involve FIREWORKS, which can be very fun for you but can also cause a ton of potential issues for your dogs!

A Word of Caution

Unnatural sounds, loud noises, and surprising noises can cause noise sensitivity for any young dog.  Common sounds that cause noise sensitivity are thunderstorms, vacuum cleaners, blenders, fireworks, etc. While noise sensitivity does not NECESSARILY mean your dog will be gun-shy, it can carry over into your dog's response to gunfire in the field. Fireworks are a sound that closely resembles gunfire, thus being a concern for anyone with a gundog in training. 

A Recommendation For Gunfire Introduction

If your dog has not been formally introduced to gunfire, as outlined in the Gunfire Introduction video in our Gundog Academy, then he is at risk. (If you would like to check out our video on Gunfire Introduction, sign up for the free Preview module and check out week 28!) Gun-shy tendencies can be very hard to correct, and an ounce of prevention is far better than a pound of cure.  

Gun Conditioning Alone Isn't Enough

Even if your dog is older and has been introduced to gunfire, fireworks can still cause issues. Dogs left out with the family during fireworks might still get nervous over the constant booms, flashes of light, etc.  Nervous dogs may run off, putting themselves at risk of being struck by a car. Even dogs who love fireworks may take off looking for the “mark” that has been shot, also putting themselves at risk.

Tips To Prevent Issues

Every year following July fourth we hear several awful stories involving dogs and fireworks, so here are a few tips to help prevent both current and future issues that fireworks can cause:

• Be aware of who in your neighborhood plans to shoot fireworks, and try to get a heads up on what time they plan to start. 

• Move young puppies and noise-sensitive dogs to the center of the house, further away from windows and doors.  

• Use white noise to block out some of the firework noise. This can be a fan, a noise machine, or even a radio or television. 

• Distract your puppy during the fireworks by playing with him inside your house, involve some of his favorite games. 

• Keep older, gunfire-introduced dogs on a lead, and remove them from the situation if they show any signs of being nervous or overly excited. 

What NOT To Do

Again, PREVENTION is key.  Don’t wait until the issue has been caused or the fireworks are already going off. If you are caught off guard and find your dog nervous during unexpected fireworks, here are a few recommended "do's" and "don'ts":

• Work to calmly remove your dog from the situation. If you are outside, quickly make your way inside. If you're inside, add some distracting noises and/or activities to take your dog's mind off the fireworks.

• Avoid comforting or consoling your dog if he gets nervous. This may seem like a very natural response, and it is often recommended for this situation, but comforting a nervous dog will reinforce their behavior.

•  Don't force your dog to sit and "get used" to the noise.  Gunfire introduction involves teaching a dog that the "boom" of a gun leads to the "reward" of a retrieve. This is also done in a very controlled environment.  Fireworks are not a good alternative for introducing this sound.  

Come up with a game plan, discuss it with your family, and ensure that this July Fourth is fun for both your family and your dogs!