Most people really love the Fourth of July; a time to celebrate our freedom with family and friends, offically kick off our summer and enjoy some fireworks. However, your Chandler dog sitters want to warn you that chances are good your pets will not be enjoying the festivities. If you are going to be out of town for the 4th, it is incredibly important to use a professional pet sitter. Even if you are not out of town but will be gone for the evening you may want to consider hiring a pet sitter!

Did you know that the 4th of July is when the MOST pets go missing and/or never return home??!! That’s right, in fact animal control will typically see a 30% increase in lost pets between July 4th-6th! So what does a professional pet sitter have to do with that?

Many people go out of town for just the weekend and may invite friends or family to check in on their furry family members, but chances are that during 4th of July celebrations your friends and family are out enjoying their own! They are most likely not at home with the critters. Whether your next door neighbors are setting off some fire crackers and bottle rockets, or your town is setting off a fireworks display, many pets will be cowering in fear and anxiety over the noise, alone…. 🙁

If you hire Chandler dog sitters, we will make sure that your furry family are being well loved and soothed. If you have pets that are particularly prone to noise anxiety, and many pets are during this holiday even when they normally are not, then we encourage you to consider an overnight or live-in pet sitting for your pets.

We can make sure we turn on some soothing music for your pets to drown out noises, we can cuddle them on the couch and talk softly and reassuringly to them, we can make sure they are inside, not out, during the loudest part of the festivities. Some pet owners opt to keep their pets outside at night to enjoy the cooler weather, but imagine leaving your pets in the backyard while all that noise is going on. Or maybe your friends figured they’d be more comfortable outside while they go enjoy their celebration and your dogs get out while they are away. Not a great phone call to get on your vacation being told your furry family escaped and can’t be found!  (I actually corralled a dog who was being watched by a family friend and had gotten out of the back yard – the dog was running around in the streets of the neighborhood. Luckily I was able to return the dog to the (very sadly) indifferent friend.)  These things happen and are more likely to happen during this time of year than any other! This is why a professional Chandler dog sitter is so important during this time.

Other things we can do to calm your pups is apply lavender essential oils to dog ears and bellys. The smell has a very soothing effect on them and in many cases helps them become so relaxed they fall asleep. My sister uses this on her dogs who are storm phobic; works every time. We can engage your dog in fun games to distract them from the noise outside. Finally if you have one, we’re happy to put on your dogs thundershirt for the couple hours of the worst noise.   http://www.thundershirt.com/

Whatever you do, whether you’re traveling out of town or not, please keep your pets in mind over this holiday and take precautions to care for them. They have *no idea* what all that noise is.