Offering Some General Advice On How To Keep Your Dog Happy, Healthy, And Safe This Memorial Day
One of our favorite springtime holidays is right around the corner! The last Monday of May is known and celebrated as Memorial Day. This is a very important holiday because it honors and mourns the military personnel who have died while serving in the United States military. However, most dog owners would agree that this is a difficult holiday for our furry four legged friends. This article will discuss some basic safety tips on how to manage and keep your dogs safe this Memorial Day.
What Is Memorial Day?
As previously mentioned, Memorial Day is an important holiday that honors and mourns those who died while serving in the United States military. Many good Americans gave their lives so that we could have our basic freedoms and liberties. That is something truly worth celebrating.
Three-Day Weekend
While Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday of May, it is often celebrated during the whole weekend prior to that Monday. Memorial Day is a federal holiday meaning that most businesses are closed that Monday. This results in more people having that day off and enjoying a three-day long weekend. This is great for most people who work a typical Monday through Friday job. However, it’s not great for most dogs for a variety of reasons.
Why Memorial Day Is Hard For Dogs
As you may know, dogs possess an incredible sense of hearing. According to the University of Adelaide, dogs can hear high frequencies of sound up to 70 to 100k Hz. By comparison, humans can only hear high frequency noises up to 20k Hz. This means dogs can hear sound frequencies at least three times better than humans. This is normally a blessing for dogs as it helps them better perceive the world around them. However, during Memorial Day weekend, it feels more like a curse.
Fireworks And Fear
Memorial Day weekend is notoriously known for fireworks. Americans love to shoot off fireworks and this is especially true during Memorial Day Weekend and 4th Of July Weekend. While fireworks are fun for us, they are terrifying to dogs. Fireworks are excessively loud to us and even louder to dogs. Dogs don’t understand what fireworks are and why we use them. The only thing dogs understand about fireworks is that they are terrifyingly loud.
Safety Tips For Dogs During Memorial Day
Memorial Day weekend can be a scary and dangerous time for dogs. Between the excessively loud fireworks and the over abundance of backyard cookout food, your dog faces many risks. Here are a few general safety tips to keep your dogs happy, healthy, and safe this Memorial Day weekend.
No People Food:
Memorial Day is also known for its barbeques and backyard cookouts. As delicious as these types of foods are, they are not good for your dog. Realistically, dogs should never be given table scraps because they can’t process certain foods the way we can. If you’re having a Memorial Day party or bringing your dog to one, make it clear to everyone there that your dog should not be fed any people food.
Keep Your Dog Secure:
Fireworks are very loud and your dog will hear them going off miles away. Even if you don’t live near a place that has firework demonstrations, odds are someone in your neighborhood will be shooting off fireworks. Many dogs have been known to run away on Memorial Day weekend out of fear from the sound of fireworks. Be sure to keep your dog in a secure location where they can’t escape. A crate would be ideal, but you can also utilize a spare bedroom.
Keep Your Dog Calm:
Most dogs will become very fearful at the sound of fireworks. However, there are many things you can do to help keep them calm and less stressed out during Memorial Day weekend. Thundershirts are good for keeping dogs relaxed when exposed to loud noises. CBD oils and CBD treats are also a good way to keep your dog calm and relaxed during fireworks. For more information regarding CBD oil for dogs, check out the American Kennel Club website. You can also resort to sedatives such as Acepromazine and Trazodone to help keep your dog calm and relaxed. Be sure to consult with your veterinarian first before giving your dog any kind of sedatives.
Microchips And I.D. Tags:
It’s always good to take preventative measures. In the event that your dog escapes and runs away, it’s important that they have proper I.D. tags and/or be microchipped. Having up-to-date I.D. tags ensures that your dog will be returned to you by whoever finds them. While I.D. tags can be removed or lost, microchips are permanent. Having your dog microchipped is very useful should they end up at a shelter where they can be properly identified and returned to you.
Keeping Cool & Avoiding Heatstroke:
Memorial Day occurs on the last Monday of May, just before the start of the Summer season. This usually means nice weather and hot temperatures. Be sure to provide your dog with a designated place for them to stay cool. If indoors, we recommend having some kind of air conditioning or fans for circulation. If outdoors, be sure to have some kind of shaded area for them to cool off.
A Safe Holiday
We hope you found this article informative and helpful regarding how to manage your dogs during this Memorial Day weekend. This holiday is very important as it gives us all a chance to remember and honor those who died for our basic freedoms, liberties, and rights as Americans. While we feel our dogs should be involved in these celebrations & festivities, keeping them safe should always be a top priority. For more articles like this, check out the blog section of the official Paws and Claws website. We hope you have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!
