Surviving the Fourth

The Fourth of July is not the most pet friendly holiday, even if you have dogs that aren’t generally afraid. While we have had our share of Fourth misadventures (one year Smokey and Moree escaped on the Fourth and were gone thirteen and sixteen hours respectively- we didn’t go to work the next day), this year wasn’t anything special or spectacular, but it was stressful.

When we first bought our current house, fireworks were legal in our city. They aren’t anymore, but they are in nearby cities, so lots of people go out and buy them and light them off in the neighborhood. We’ve had fireworks going off most of the week and expect it will continue into the weekend. But last night was obviously the worst.

At least with his partial deafness, the fireworks weren’t really in the range Howie could hear. He was up and barking with Larry because that’s what he does, but it was pretty obvious he was responding to Larry, not the fireworks. At least that’s one good thing.

Junebug and Larry react to stress in two totally different ways. In all honesty, we probably should have crated June early on, and she would have been much happier. C’s computer is at the foot of our bed, and when he’s on it, he’s lying on his stomach, propped up on his pillows. June started the night in front of those pillows- in the place that she would be most in her daddy’s way, but “protected” by him, but C was busy talking to roomie J. So then she went in and laid down on J’s bed. She was near her Daddy and favorite person J, and that worked for a while- until the people right next store started lighting fireworks and the noise got really loud. At that point, she came back in our room and went to the dog bed that is living under my desk- it’s a nice little den area, and she was able to settle back there. But it was obvious from her expression all evening that she was not a happy puppy.

Larry hates loud noises- hates them. The Fourth is not a good day for him. He can not settle. He must guard the house from whatever it is making those noises (and the motorcycles, those evil, evil motorcycles). It kept looking like he would settle. He’d lie down on the opposite side of C’s pillows and be good for a few minutes, than there would be a boom louder than the others and off he’d go. Now, I know he also settles better when he’s “denning”. He doesn’t have a crate, and June had grabbed the desk bed. I tried just throwing a blanket over him where he was, but, for once, just being under blankie wasn’t quite enough. Finally, he stopped moving long enough for me to grab him and settle him under the sheet, next to my chest. It took about 30 seconds for him to relax and curl up.

So that’s how we survive the Fourth of July at our house. We take cover under the desk for under the blankets, and hope all those booms stop soon.