hbmama
Well-known member
Well, we went to a nice backyard barbeque this afternoon and took Dottie along of course to play with her best friend (an affenpinscher). We sat in the yard and could hear firecrackers and poppers in the distance, and we kept talking and relaxing as usual like they were no big deal. (I wasn't sure how she would react as this is our first Independence Day with her.)
The good news is, she found the noises mildly interesting and continued her normal routine of visiting and exploring in the patio bushes.
When we got home, we sat outside in our backyard because that is when the big bombs started going off, later in the evening. We didn't flinch or act like it was a big deal, and some of the artillery these kids had going in the neighborhood was loud and flashy. (City ordinance says no fireworks of any kind but they all just do it anyway.) Dottie did fantastic, was not the least bit stressed, and happily chased moths while all of this was going on. Her hearing is very acute, as she can hear me whisper "Cookie" from the other side of the house and she comes running.
I am really thankful that she can take all of this craziness in stride, as it will make it easier for her to train for therapy assistance later on. My friends dogs always get so upset that she has to gently sedate them or they could go through a plate glass window with panic. Hope the rest of the U.S. board members dogs weathered this holiday okay too, with little stress!!
The good news is, she found the noises mildly interesting and continued her normal routine of visiting and exploring in the patio bushes.
When we got home, we sat outside in our backyard because that is when the big bombs started going off, later in the evening. We didn't flinch or act like it was a big deal, and some of the artillery these kids had going in the neighborhood was loud and flashy. (City ordinance says no fireworks of any kind but they all just do it anyway.) Dottie did fantastic, was not the least bit stressed, and happily chased moths while all of this was going on. Her hearing is very acute, as she can hear me whisper "Cookie" from the other side of the house and she comes running.
I am really thankful that she can take all of this craziness in stride, as it will make it easier for her to train for therapy assistance later on. My friends dogs always get so upset that she has to gently sedate them or they could go through a plate glass window with panic. Hope the rest of the U.S. board members dogs weathered this holiday okay too, with little stress!!