Bright Lights and Loud Booms are Not Appreciated by Dogs

While many people enjoy firework displays at Halloween and on other holidays, the bright lights and loud noise can be very frightening to dogs. Dogs have more sensitive hearing than we do, and the loud noise may actually hurt their ears. Even a very well trained dog could become frightened and run away in fear. Also, a normally friendly dog, running away from the loud noise, may act out in self-defense if approached by a stranger. We had that very thing happen on Halloween with our old family dog; he disappeared on Halloween night, and was missing for three days. Fortunately, someone found him cowering under the bleachers at a baseball field many miles away, and was able to get our phone number from his dog tags, so we were happily reunited.

If there are fireworks in your neighborhood, keep your dog safely indoors. Even a small display in someone's back yard can be extremely frightening to a dog. Every pet owner wants to include their pet in the fun and excitement, but any kind of firework, and general Halloween activities, really are not suitable for our dogs. Even sparklers can result in painful burns on paws, noses and eyes, so be sure to keep pets away from children with sparklers. The bottom line, keep your pets safely in the house during any fireworks event.

The danger doesn’t stop with the noise, either; before bringing your dog back outside after a nearby fireworks display, thoroughly check the area for hot embers or fireworks that may have been lit but did not ignite. Fireworks ingredients, exploded and unexploded, are very poisonous. If eaten, they can cause stomach agony that could be deadly. So, go out and have a great time this Halloween, and enjoy the fireworks; but please, ensure your pet is safely sheltered and cozy at home.