On July 4, Americans will celebrate their 249th Independence Day. It is a day of patriotism and pride, American flags, hot dogs and hamburgers, beer, and fireworks.
For your dog, it may be the most terrifying night of the year as deafening cracks and massive booms transform your neighborhood into a brilliantly colored combat zone for hours at a time. And this year the Fourth of July falls on a Friday, which means your poor pooch may have to put up with bangs and kabooms for three nights running.
Many dogs (and cats) find fireworks deeply distressful. The colorful explosions that entice appreciative oohs and ahhs from the crowd may trigger fight-or-flight behavior in your pet such as panic, howling, barking, shaking, anxiety attacks, destructive or aggressive behavior, or just running away…