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Make the Fourth fear-free for your pet
Ease your pet's stress
06/29/2009 | View more articles from this date
The Fourth of July is the ultimate summer holiday, a celebration not only of America’s history and traditions, but also of family, food and fireworks fun.
But while we may love our pyrotechnics, pet lovers always need to remember our midsummer spectacular is no holiday for many of our animal companions.
While we humans are oohing and aahing, too often our pets are frightened out of their wits.They’ll spend the holiday under the bed (or in the basement) cowering, shaking, drooling, and seeking safety and comfort. Scared pets have been known to jump out of apartment windows, leap over or dig under fences, or chew their skin until it’s raw. They may also bolt out an open door to become lost but never found.
With the holiday at hand, make plans to ease the stress on your pet.
First, here’s what you should not do — reward your pet for being scared. Comforting scared pets may seem the right thing to do, but it sends the wrong message. If you remain calm and [ read more » ]
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