The Scariest Day of the Year

Uh oh. It's that time of year again -- the most scariest day of the year -- the day when all the loud noises happen! I know it has something to do with the independence of the country we all live in, but to most of us dogs, it's just plain scary! It is to us at least. Chubbs seems pretty oblivious to everything.

We know that we are kinda scaredy dogs, but our mom has made life really good for us, and you can do the same thing for your dogs this year. First of all, don't get mad at us! We can't help it that we're scared. Mom always understands that when something is scary to us, she can't get mad. She just has to find a way to teach us how to be relaxed. To do that, she has made us a "safe" area where we can go when we are stressed out and no one can bother us.

We both have a crate, which we really like because dogs are den animals. Don't worry, we don't think of it as punishment. We really like it in there. It makes us feel safe. When we are really stressed out, she will also set us up in the bedroom. It is really comfy with the big bed, and it's in the back of the house, so when she closes the door, we can't even really hear sounds. It's very relaxing. I (Muggsy) also have a room in the garage where I like to go to hide out when I'm getting stressed by all the other dogs in the house, but we don't recommend that for July 4. If at all possible, you should keep your dogs inside because if a really scary noise happens, they might try to bolt out of your yard. Then they will be lose in the neighborhood, scared and disoriented. Who knows what will happen?

Our mom is going to stay home with us all day because she knows how upset we get. When the loud noise happens, she's going to say in a really happy voice, "Oh boy! Fireworks! Who are my good dogs" If we stop barking and run to her, we get treats. It helps us appreciate the scariness and helps us remember not to bark. We like to listen to Mom. We will sit in the bedroom with the door closed listening to relaxing music, eating treats when we are good.

For those moms and dads who can't be at home, set your dog up in the safest place in the house with a nice, warm bed, a couple of good bones and some music or TV for background noise. Use a DAP diffuser (which you can find at any pet store) to put calming pheremones in the air. If you know about flower essences, you can use those, too. The vet can also give you some to help them calm down, but that stuff doesn't work on us. It doesn't make us feel less stressed at all! Also, make sure to give extra exercise that day if you can. If we're tired, we are less likely to get too stressed!

Enjoy the worst day of the year!

Love, Muggsy and Fenway