Somebody posted this sentiment on an area FB page to be considerate and understanding to others. He was BLASTED by so many people, I was shocked.

Rusty -- that is so powerful, poignant and true. Cracks my heart.

Most of the combat veterans I know, including my DH, are okay with firework displays as they know they are coming and can prepare or get away. The problem for them are the random neighborhood/backyard fireworks which can easily trigger a flashback for many veterans. It is so sad that someone could be blasted for asking people to be considerate of others.

Those with dogs, have you tried thundershirts? I imagine you could make one of your own by making a single seam in fabric and making sure it will slip over, yet still be snug on your dog.

I've mentioned dd's dog who sometimes stays with us, and he is a big ol' scaredy-cat. However, the bangs of a firework show don't seem to bother him in the least!

Watchme, you must live further up the hill than we because we can't see any, due to trees. We will go sit on the sidewalk as we did last year near a fireworks site and hope for a good spot.

I'm hearing very few so far this holiday. One loud explosion of some kind yesterday early afternoon. But then, there was a concert in the park a few blocks below us and I was being treated to country western music from 1-6 PM too, various bands and some better than others from this range at least ;0)

I'm surprised at how quiet its been. Maybe we have a new city code that I missed. I think we'll be home night of the 4th. Last year, two days after, I noticed a burned out bottle rocket on my cedar roof that DH climbed up and retrieved. No damage done.

We bought none, no noise from here.

Mystical Manns, I got this from Facebook, but I didn't read the comments that people made on it. I often skip reading comments because I expect there to be those that would be upsetting.

Roxanna, I agree, that is why I posted it.

Sjerin, I have wondered if those thunder shirts really work. I've also wondered what they are made of, and if you could make one yourself. Or even if a bath towel, or other appropriately sized item, hand towel, wash cloth, whatever, wrapped snugly around a pets body and held in place with a belt, tied scarf, or even duck tape (on material, not on pet's body!) would help.

I don't have any pets anymore, but I have spent many July 4ths and many New Year's Eves with a couple of 50 lb dogs both trying to sit in my lap at the same time. We always joked about how determined they were to protect me!

Rusty

I hate fireworks. I have a 100 lb dog trying to get under my bed. My dogs were never afraid of thunder or fireworks until the idiots around here started setting off those ones that sound like a bomb was dropped somewhere. I am tempted to buy one myself and wait for a couple of weeks and sneak over and set it off right by their house. Okay....I can see the point in the ones that are pretty....make a display in the sky, and I know they are loud also....but what is the thing with the ones that just make noise?

The guy up the bayou from me put on a display that would rival Disney World. A few months later, his house was repossessed. Oh, yeah....but you can waste money on fireworks. SMH Hey....I know kids like fireworks. There are plenty of public displays you can take them to.

Make sure your animals are secure! More dogs get out on the 4th than any other time. What's especially sad is that many animal shelters are currently euthanizing shelter dogs to make room for the new ones coming in next week. Completely sad and avoidable.

I went to a fireworks display in a park a few years back and a lady brought her dog on a leash. First firework and the dog took off running towards the busy street. I saw her chasing him but he was panicked and much faster. I don't know if she ever found him.

My guys are not particularly nervous or upset by fireworks but they do spend the evening safely indoors watching their favorite shows on the Animal Planet while I am out enjoying the festivities!

Rusty, I do hear that they are helpful and dd used one when she first got Charlie to help him with other anxieties--separation mostly. They are made of really stretchy material so the dog feels like he's being hugged, so to speak.

Marilyn, if I had a neighbor that did that I'd be a nervous wreck! I take it that it's the same family that took your beloved pig and plays with guns? Hoo boy, how do you stand it?

Our town had their celebration with music and huge display yesterday. Close enough to see all but ground ones from our deck before trees grew. For anyone with animals, its easy enough to make a "thundershirt" by pulling a t-shirt tight with a knot. Our dogs would actually run to the drawer where we kept them. Not because they were well trained, but because they liked them when needed.

The 4th, though, is too much to ask for any device. We kept them indoors with tv loud.

My dog has a thundershirt. It has velcro flaps and straps that tighten around the shirt to make if feel more like swaddling. It helps.

I think a local neighborhood had their display last night. My dog hid out in the laundry room.

I try to potty walk him early on a leash so he doesn't have to go outside during the worst of it.

We will probably not go. Since we have indoor poochies they will not be where they can hear the fireworks. It is so dang hot here and I am in a wheelchair and it is so hard for husband to get scooter off truck since back surgery.

I know that fireworks and July 4th can be difficult for many people and animals but in fairness, it doesn't affect all the same way. It's not all that loud where we are but our dog is indifferent to loud noises. The loudest thing around here is this holiday's fireworks as we very rarely/never have thunder or lightning. She just goes about her normal routine, including sleeping. Lucky for her and for us too.

This year had been better In my neighbourhood. Im ok with the large displays put on by trained fighfighters or other professionals. In my town these are away from any homes. It is the idiots who set of fireworks in back yards that tick me off. The risk of damaged destroyed property is very real, with homes so close together. So often people are clueless or drunk or both. It is so inconsiderate to set off explosives so close to someone else's property

. My pet's were anxious again this year, but manifested in mild pacing. So much Better then in past years when different neighbours set them off from before dusk till two in the morning. I just wish that fireworks were only allowed with permits and by people who know how to handle them properly and know what to do when something goes wrong. And just like other events that can effect the neighbourhood people could have a voice to stop or alter it. But this will never happen so each Victoria day and Canada day I will be the party pooper hoping for over night rain.

Sometimes I think people train their dogs to be afraid. We never had a dog that was scared of fireworks or thunder until we took in a friends of ours full grown beagle. Our friend told us he shakes and you have to hold him and talk to him during storms/fireworks. I don't think so. Most puppies are scared of something new. If you ignore it they learn there is nothing to be afraid of. If you coddle them, then they learn to be afraid of them. After a couple storms of ignoring him and him seeing our other dog was not bothered by them he was fine and usually slept through them.

I don't know if it's training but many dogs can sense human moods and emotions.

Function, you may be right in some cases. Dogs do have very sensitive hearing, and I think that that is what bothers a lot of them, the noise physically hurts their ears. But they all have different reactions to things, just as humans do. Perhaps not knowing what is causing the noise is another reason they have a tendency to hide or run.

And Elmer is right about dogs sensing human moods and emotions.

I personally have no problem with the professionally organized and run fireworks displays. It's the inconsiderate individuals that cause a problem. If someone has PTSD, or a pet is frightened, the big displays always have advance warning and can be prepared for and/or avoided. Our town has a fireworks ban inside city limits, but there are always a bunch of inconsiderate idiots who think the law doesn't apply to them, so they have a field day with the fireworks, giving no thought to their neighbors or anything else. The police do what they can, but it still happens.

Rusty

I had dogs that were afraid in the past. Not to the extent of shaking but a bit nervous and clingy. I used to settle them by making a big joyous fuss when the "bombs" went off. I learned to acclimate my later dogs completely. My current dog was exposed to all things "scary" since she was a pup. She's bombproof. My last Rottie (rehomed to us) was at first fearful but I took her out to watch the neighborhood fireworks and she calmed down once exposed.

We have a so called zero tolerance ban here now. As with all blanket bans all it did was create a larger problem with fireworks that were always illegal. Took away the safe and sane and increased the really radical ones. Families no longer can go outside to have fun with Sparklers, Snakes and Whistling Petes and the guys with the M-80s and black marketed commercial grade fireworks own the streets. Unintended consequences of blanket bans.

Fireworks haven't been too bad here this past weekend. My one dog, Emily, hates them though and I had to give her some benadryl. We had a huge storm this afternoon, started when I was leaving for work. Came home to half my record albums all over the kitchen floor. Apparently Emily had tried to hide under the cabinet where they are kept.

We have so many problems in our community with illegal fireworks and law enforcement acts like there is almost nothing they can do about it. Last year was awful with fireworks going on every night for a month before the 4th- and we are in tight tract houses :( Thankfully this year hasn't been quite as bad.

Last year on the 4th, someone a few houses down lit his shed on fire with some illegal fireworks- bad enough that it required the fire department. We saw all this when we were coming home from the community display. People less than a block away were continuing to light off large, illegal fireworks and law enforcement present at the fire did nothing???

Our cat has already licked himself some bald spots from fireworks stress this year- again not as bad as last year. We had a dog who was terrified of fireworks, but who seemed to be drawn to gun shots (we had lived between two training ranges at one point and she would sit in the yard and turn her nose and ears eagerly in the direction of the sound of gunshots.) I don't know how she could tell the difference. The scariest thing I remember was hearing fireworks on New Years Eve and then realizing that the dog was not having any reaction...

Sjerin, no....it isn't the hog hunter...he spends his money on meth.

I used to have a Doberman that was scared to death of thunder. She could sense a storm was coming before it even started clouding up. I was at my mother's house one day, and she was home. She took off up the road to find me (about .3 of a mile).

Across the road from my mother's house was a rent house owned by an old lady. She used to drive by real slow to check on her house. Well, it just so happened that she was driving by real slow, as my dog came running up. There was a really loud clap of thunder.....she had the windows down in her car, and my dog jumped through the window into her back seat. I am glad the dog didn't try to jump through the the driver's side window. Thank goodness the old lady was okay.....but it was kind of funny.

I hope they are pretty much done now. Fireworks all around for an hour and a half. The one down the road must have cost thousands of dollars. Somebody here is not too happy.