Tips from Peri's Trainer to Keep your Doodle Calm this Weekend!!!!!!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

This is from Peri's trainer - I receive monthly newsletters from her and I thought of my DK friends - just some helpful tips.

HAPPY 4TH FROM LADY PERI AND TAQUITO =)

While we are on the subject of thunderstorms and fireworks, here are a few tips for you and your pooches for this upcoming 4th of July holiday.

1. Keep your pups inside during while fireworks are being set off in the vicinity. Every year dogs bolt from their fenced yards out of fear during the 4th of July holiday. Some are never recovered. Make sure your canine companion is safe from the beginning by keeping him or her inside.

2. Turn on music or the television to cover the sound of the fireworks.

3. Don't baby your dog when she appears nervous or frightened. Use a calm, confident, almost silly tone of voice that lets her know you aren't worried so she needn't be either.

4. Use a natural calming remedy like Quiet Moments or Rescue Remedy at least an hour before you expect fireworks to begin. Or dilute the Rescue Remedy in Fido's water bowl. These natural remedies can be really beneficial to some dogs (haven't heard of this before, have you Dkers?)

5. Use the Thundershirt (pretty cool, she sells them in her shop - )!

6. Create a safe haven for your pup that he knows he can go to when he feels nervous. Some dogs go into the bathtub. Some go in closets. Some go in hallways. Take your cue from your dog and set up his safe haven in the same area he normally goes to on his own.

7. If your pup will eat, try giving her pieces of some extra super special treat like roasted chicken or peanut butter licks from a spoon. This will hopefully help her to have a better association with the fireworks by using counter conditioning. Also, just in case she won't eat, make sure you have fed her long before any fireworks are scheduled to begin.

8. Remember, too, that a tired dog is a happy dog! So lots of physical and mental exercise (interactive toys, anyone?) early in the day can often drastically help ward off anxious behavior in the evening.

Be safe. Keep your houndies happy and cool. And enjoy your holiday!!

[Anna and Achilles]

thanks for sharing, some really great ideas. MY first doodle never was afraid, but they are all diff. This is Achilles firs 4th with us.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Thanks for sharing this. I've also been hearing that you should avoid "babying" them if they seem frightened. When Guinness was a puppy I did that way too much. I would hold him and tell him that everything was "okay". Later I learned this was just acknowledging his fear, and now I'm very careful not to do that. I've heard about Rescue Remedy, but I don't know much about it. I'm going to google it to see what I can find out.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Great tips, thanks a lot!