This may not affect you, but bangs, cracks, and pops can feel like the end of the world to your furry friend. Assuming your furry friend shakes and shivers during storms, or hides under the bed every Fourth of July, here are several steps you can take to help him.

Safety

Help your dog find his happy place. If you are at home, think about the places your dog naturally goes to relax and keep them open for her. If your safe space is a box, leave the door open so you don’t hurt yourself trying to get out.

Treatment methods for noise capture

Various treatment methods work for various dogs. Overall performance to lessen symptoms, there are other concerns to consider when evaluating which treatment option may be best for your pup. It is also normal that a combination of treatment methods is later the most useful for a specific dog.

1. Change the puppy’s environment

Try creating a safe haven for your puppy (such as a crate covered with a blanket) or find a place that minimizes the amount of noise. If you know an event is coming (for example, thunderstorms or fireworks), try giving your dog plenty of physical exercises in advance.

2. Pressure wraps

A “pressure wrap” is anything that wraps the puppy’s upper body and chest to ensure gentle and regular pressure.

No one knows for sure, but it’s probably a combination of making the puppy feel calm and secure and keeping him from concentrating on what he’s afraid of. Pressure wraps usually show good results with the first use, although some domestic dogs need two, three or more uses before symptoms are diminished or eliminated.

3. Therapy

Desensitization is the most common behavior modification attempted for noise stress. Simply put, in an organized environment, you start by exposing your dog to a small amount of noise that annoys him.

4. Medications

If your puppy’s stress is severe enough, there is a wide range of prescription medications that your vet can recommend. Some are administered on a regular basis throughout the life of the dog.

What not to do

• Don’t try to reassure your puppy when he’s scared. Instead, try to behave normally, as if you don’t notice your fear.

• Do not put your puppy in a crate to avoid being destructive during a thunderstorm. They will still be scared when they are in the box and will probably hurt themselves, maybe even badly, trying to get out of the box.

• Don’t discipline your dog for being nervous. Punishment will only make them more fearful.

• Don’t try to force your puppy to experience or be around the sound that scares him. Having them stay near a group of young people who are lighting firecrackers will only make them more nervous and could cause them to become disruptive in an attempt to get away from the situation.

If your dog is still nervous, the animal will continue to present that fear in any way it can, whether that’s digging, jumping, climbing, chewing, barking, or howling. Know that formal training will not make your dog less afraid of thunder or other noises, although it may help boost his overall confidence.

When everything else stops working

If your dog has severe fears and phobic disorders and you are unable to achieve success with the procedures we have outlined here, you should meet with an animal behavior practitioner and your veterinarian to help calm your dog’s fear of loud noises.