Fourth of July Safety

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Going Home Greyhounds

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Jun 30, 2023, 10:38:15 AM6/30/23

to Going Home Greyhounds

It's a holiday weekend. Keep them safe. Keep them indoors. We cannot stress this enough!

The best advise we can give you is to let your dog out for his last potty break before the festivities begin. If you are attending a party, he will be safer and happier left at home. See below for additional tips.

Every year GHG gets calls from adopters whose greyhound has taken off due to fireworks. Sadly, one greyhound was found dead after spooking from the neighbors fireworks a few years ago. The following are some tips that may help:

--Do not leave your dog outside unattended in the yard even if it is fenced. Dogs can spook and just run blindly to get away from the noise.

--If your dog is comfortable in the basement, it is less likely to hear the fireworks there. Play the TV or radio loudly to drown out the noise. Also, cotton in the ears helps (just remember to take it out!)

--If you are somewhere with your dog, make sure you have the leash wrapped tightly around your wrist in case your dog tries to run or gets scared. In fact, ALWAYS make sure you have the leash wrapped tightly when you are our with your dog. Put the loop all the way around your wrist and wrap the leash at least twice around the palm of your hand and make a fist. Never leave go! Even better, it's best not to have your dog out at all during this time.

--You can try giving an adult dose of Benedryl, which can make them sleepy. There is also a product called Comfort Zone. It is a D.A.P. (dog appeasing pheromone) and an all-natural way to treat anxiety in dogs. It's an oil that heats up when you plug it in and disperses throughout the room. It has a calming effect on dogs when they inhale it, so plug it in a day or so ahead of time. You can get it at almost all pet stores. If you know your dog is extremely afraid, check with your veterinarian for a stronger sedative.

--Make sure your dog is wearing identification on its collar and consider having your dog micro chipped. Double check to make sure the collar is fitted properly and not too loose. It's bad enough to have a dog out running, but worse when it doesn't have an ID on it because it slipped the collar.