I may look like a super sweet fluffball who loves everybody, but this is me hiding under my mom’s desk while she types this blog for me because I don’t love things that go boom. When my parents adopted me, they learned that I had a trauma history around fireworks. Then, BAM! Two months later, it was New Year’s Eve and time for more fireworks.
Other Things That Go Boom
As the clock struck midnight on NYE, someone fired high-caliber bullets into the air with an automatic weapon – the dangerous practice of celebratory gunfire. What goes up must come down! This .223 struck our house less than 10 feet from where I was sleeping. I was just on the other side of the window in the photo below. On the left of that photo, you can see where the bullet left a white mark. Luckily, the bullet grazed the house but didn’t pierce the wall. It lodged in the deck. In that moment, things that go boom became a BigScaryThing
to me.
Pets, Booms, & Holidays
According to the ASPCA, about 20% of lost pets go missing after loud noise from fireworks, thunder, or other things that go boom scare them. I am one of them and 0/10 don’t recommend it. Both fireworks and celebratory gunfire occur most reliably in the United States on July 4th and December 31st each year.
Since things that go boom are not my friends, these holidays and the days leading up to them require extra preparations to keep me safe. My parents and I do some positive conditioning around the noise. That means I get lots of treats and lots of pets when loud noises happen. On noisy days, we take our walk in early in the day and stay home together in the evening. I have a doggy door with a cover (sponsored link), and my parents close it before dark to keep me inside. I also get extra treats, attention, and enrichment like my favorite chews when things that go boom start up for the night.
In case I get lost, I have a microchip, and my parents keep its registration up to date. I also wear an ID tag like this one (sponsored link) on my collar at all times. My parents’ phone numbers are engraved on the back to help strangers reunite us quickly if things that go boom scare me away or if anything else separates us.
Are your dogs afraid of things that go boom? What do you do to keep them comfortable and safe?