July 4th is a great holiday with lots of festivities, BBQ’s and Fireworks. As much as you might enjoy the celebration the same is not necessarily true for your four legged companion(s). Your dog and cat may be sensitive to the change in their daily routine, visitors to your home, the sounds of the parade or the vibration and sound of fireworks. All of these can add to their anxiety.
Each time a guest enters your home, pets are exposed to new energy and a new level of stress. An animals senses are a lot more fine tuned than ours making certain smells and sounds very intense for them.
Some animal caretakers lock their companions away in a room while guests are in their home, while others allow their dogs to roam free among strangers. Either can be stressful to our dogs and cats.
As humans, we have many ways to help keep ourselves calm. We can meditate, practice yoga, reikii, and drink herbal tea to help us to release stress. But, our pets are dependent upon us to provide a quiet environment.
Following are a few suggestions to help affect their peaceful behavior and well being:
Walking your dog, playing fetch and letting them play outside, if weather permits, is a wonderful way for them to release physical tension and stress. Giving your dog plenty of play time, running, physical and mental stimulation is helpful. During holiday time I make sure I take my dog on a long walk, I also have a treadmill which is beneficial as it is both physically and mentally stimulating. A tired dog is less likely to be anxious.
Take the time before the 4th to let your dog sniff and smell the outdoors. Walking dogs for exercise is, of course, always beneficial. But, sometimes letting them be still and sniff to their heart’s content is very calming and joyous for them. This can help to relax your dog.
For cat people, engage your cat in play time. My cats love to fetch, play with cat toys, chase a flashlight, and play find the treat.
Chewing can help your dog to expend energy. Get Kongs (made of hard rubber and designed for different chewing strengths) or bones, and stuff them with peanut butter, cream cheese, yogurt, rawfood, whatever your dog likes. Keep a number of stuffed Kongs/bones in the freezer and give them to your dog during the fireworks to keep he/she busy. I give my dog raw bones to keep him busy.
Music is soothing to the savage beast. Canine music therapy can help provide balance. Classical music has been proven to calm dogs. I recommend “Through a Dogs Ear”, which has been created in what is called a passive hearing mode (rather than active listening). Passive hearing techniques facilitate relaxation. And honestly, it’s not only calming for the dogs (and cats, in many cases) but equally relaxing and enjoyable for people. Sound is a potent energy that is not to be taken for granted – it has profound effects on all species.
Flower essences can also be helpful. Each Flower Essence is a tool that can lead us towards greater health and well being by offering us the Flower’s healing wisdom about specific emotional, mental, physical and spiritual concerns. Flower essences for anxiety or for being in groups can be very helpful to both dogs and cats
In addition, we can nurture ourselves and our dogs using Aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy can help both you and your dog to remain calm during the holidays. The use of high quality essential oils have been found to have a positive emotional and physical effect on both you and your dog. An added benefit is that it will help everyone in your home to remain peaceful, even your guests. To apply essential oils to your dog apply a few drops of a high quality essential oil to your palms and rub your palms together and massage your dogs ear flaps and torso. For cats, let most of the essential oil absorb and pet your cat. Diluting essential oils in a carrier oil, like fractionated coconut oil allows you to give your animal a relaxing massage prior to the festivities. For you, apply the oils to your wrists and back of your neck. I highly recommend Lavender, Frankincense, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile and Cedarwood, which are very calming and can be applied topically to both you and your dog or cat.
Essential oils can also be diffused using an essential oil diffuser to change the environment in your home. Car diffusers are beneficial if your dog or cat does not like being in the car. For July 4th, I would begin diffusing at least a few days before the holiday, so as to create a calm home. This will also enable you to determine which combination your animal likes the best and therefore you can diffuse that on the holiday or during the fireworks. My dog’s favorite combination is Grounding Blend and Wild Orange or Reassuring Blend and Frankincense.
During the fireworks make sure to keep the doors secure as frightened animals may try to escape your home or the area where they are to avoid the noise.
As a Animal Health and Wellness Coach I teach people how to create a peaceful home environment and how to restore health and well-being to you your dog and/or cat.