5 Tips to help your dog with Firework Season 🧨

🧨 Firework season is upon us and depending on where you live and the dog that you share your home with, this can be a source of real anxiety for both dog and human.💥

I have 5 tips for you to make this year the best year you and your anxious dog have had:

1️⃣ Be prepared:  Research the big events in your local area so that you can control the situation as much as you can.

2️⃣ Reduce visuals:  Choose that the dog is in a room where you can close the curtains and blinds so that he/she cannot see the strange flashes streaking across the sky.

3️⃣ Reduce noise impact: Put the TV on AND put another device on with white noise at the other side of the room. 

4️⃣ Create them a safe space:  This can be a snuggy, covered crate or even just a space beside you on the sofa.  Some dogs like to bury their heads, some don’t.  Find out what your dog chooses and let them chill there.

5️⃣ THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE: 🚫👀❗️Do not look at your dog or soothe them while they are freaking out! 🚫👀❗️ 

All this tells them is that you are scared too and it makes their anxiety worse.  Instead, do all of 1-4 and BE CALM!  Easier said than done?  Fake it until you make it.  Your anxious dog needs to see you be their calm role model.  They are like sponges and so will be whatever you are being.  

Please understand the worsening effect of making eye contact with them and talking/touching them during fireworks.  In their language it means, yes this is weird and I’m scared too.  The opposite of what you’re trying to do. 

So, be prepared, set it all up the best you can and then BE the role model your dog needs you to be.  You’ve got this 👊🏼 😌🧘‍♀️

I recommend you start practicing this NOW, so that it’s not such a change of behaviour for your dog to notice.  Because they do notice! 👀

Find out more about my Speak Dog Coaching Programme here: https://calmkindhappy.co.uk/online-dog-training-courses/

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