Dogs, Cats, and Other People by Matthew Margolis

A lot of dogs — and Madonna — suffer from brontophobia, an irrational fear of thunder. Well, to a dog, a Fourth of July celebration is just a rapid-fire succession of thunderbolts: loud and scary.

This Independence Day, do your dog a favor and don't bring him to the party. Instead, follow these guidelines to keep your dog safe and comfortable on what can be a real fright night for our canine companions:

— Take your dog outside to relieve himself before you leave the house.

— Treat your dog to an extra-long walk or a strenuous game of fetch to burn off energy and wear him out.

— While you're out, leave your dog in a secure room in the house or, even better, in his crate.

— Close all windows, blinds and drapes to help deflect the sound and the flashes of light.

— Leave the lights on in his area to further dilute the flashes of light from fireworks or sparklers.

— Surround him with his favorite chew toys and a soft blanket.

— Keep your departure that night simple, without a lot of fanfare that could excite him or make him anxious.

— Play music or keep the television on at a normal volume — and tuned to a channel that will not be airing a live fireworks display.

— If your dog must stay outside for some reason, make the extra effort to ensure all fences and gates are secure.

— Make sure his tags are attached to his collar and contain current contact information.

By heeding these precautions and planning ahead, you can avoid the close call this family experienced last year:

"Last Fourth of July, we went to a party, not even thinking about the effect fireworks might have on our dog.

On the way home, we saw the fireworks and I panicked, wondering whether 'Ruby' was scared. She was gone when we got home, but thank God someone found her, picked her up and called us. The woman who found her said she almost hit her with her car."

They attended a Fourth of July barbeque and left Ruby at home in the backyard — which was surrounded by a fence in need of repair. Fireworks scared the dog, who responded by bolting over the sagging fence and out into the street. It happens all the time.

Hands down, crating your dog for the festivities is the ideal course of action because the fear of fireworks — just like thunder — is so extreme for some dogs that they'll gnaw through doors or jump through closed windows and seriously injure themselves. There's nothing rational about a phobia — and it's possible to grow into them.

Just because your puppy never seemed to mind the boom and glare of a good bottle rocket doesn't mean he'll feel the same way as an older dog. Your dog's hearing is 10 times more acute than yours. As they age, their hearing changes, and it is common for dogs to develop an intolerance for loud noises later in life.

Bottom line: If you can't be home with him, it's still better for him to be home on the Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day!

Woof!

Dog trainer Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis is co-author of 18 books about dogs, a behaviorist, a popular radio and television guest, and host of the PBS series "WOOF! It's a Dog's Life!" Read all of Uncle Matty's columns at the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com, and visit him at www.unclematty.com. Send your questions to dearuncle.gazette@unclematty.com or by mail to Uncle Matty at P.O. Box 3300, Diamond Springs, CA 95619.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.