Party, Party, PARTY!
It’s that time of year again when the 4th of July celebrations are right around the corner. We look forward to the cookouts and parties with friends. We look forward to traveling and fireworks.
While we are having fun, it can be incredibly stressful for our dogs. We know that the noise of fireworks can be horribly traumatic for them. But, we forget about how taking them to big parties at strange places with people they don’t know, or other dogs that might not be friendly can affect them. We forget that while we might savor those kinds of things, dogs often don’t. In reality, many dogs don’t enjoy being forced into a situation of so much confusion – loud music, kids running, and being fed strange foods that actually could be harmful to your dog.
Things I worry about include my dog learning really bad behaviors such as begging or stealing food from a low table, or even jumping on a table to steal food. Counter, or table surfing can be life threatening to a dog. Not only can a dog grab a knife that smells good, but he could grab a food that is toxic like grapes.
I really don’t want my dog being fed food he is not used to by a stranger who thinks it’s kind to give him chicken fat that later produces pancreatitis requiring some extreme veterinary care.
I worry about children running up and hugging my dog with a strangle neck hold that scares many dogs. While a dog may easily accept strong hugs from their own children that does not mean if he is stressed in a new environment that he will accept it from a child he doesn’t know.
What if someone decides to set off fire crackers, caps or any other fireworks?
If I have a dog that is already a little cautious about people, children or other dogs, this can mean hours of agony for your dog. Thinking this is good socialization, it probably is not. Socialization should occur in a rather controlled environment where the owner is attentive to the cautious dog giving the dog strength from leadership. If you are distracted by the company of friends, it’s difficult to give a dog the attention good socialization would require.
How would you know if your dog is stressed? Yawning, tail down, lip licking and a worried looks are easy for us to spot. A dog that spends a lot of time sniffing the ground may actually be his way of calming himself down, not necessarily looking for snacks. Some dogs will become agitated with higher than usual energy or even a growl here and there when that sort of behavior has never happened before. A dog that hackles as you get out of the car and move closer to the activity can be a sure sign of your dog beginning to feel stressed. Obviously, hiding under a table or chair is another sign.
The danger is that when a dog is stressed he may very well bite to protect himself, even if he has never bitten before. I have to ask myself, is it worth it to put my dog in that situation?
The best advice I can give is to leave your dog at home in the safe comfort of his bed or crate. If you think your dog can easily handle this atmosphere, but when you get there he is giving you these signs, please take him home. Have a backup plan and be kind. Dogs don’t always feel like we expect them to.
Caption: Not all dogs accept hugs from unknown children.
