Noise free Diwali: 10 dog-friendly ideas

Diwali, the festival of lights, is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the festivities than with our furry best friends!

The true essence of a festival is in celebrating together. With the same idea, we bring you some tips for having a pet-friendly Diwali celebration.

How to help dogs during Diwali? 

1. Pledge to say no to crackers. Ask others too.
2. Ask the naysayers to at least burst crackers in a limited and centralized location, so that animals are exposed to lesser noise.
3. Take your dog out for a walk during the day before the fireworks begin.
4. Shut the windows to cease the aftermath of firecrackers. Turn up the volume on the television or radio to help limit the external noise.
5. Consult a veterinarian if your pets are showing acute discomfort or distress from loud noises or smoke.
6. Keep a first-aid kit ready with you.
7. The loose hanging electricity cords may tempt the dog as playthings and increase the risk of getting entangled or electrocuted. Keep them off reach from your pets.
8. Lamps and candles should be kept out of your pet’s reach to avoid accidental burns.
9. Ensure that your pets are wearing identification tags with your contact information.
10. If your dog is getting too anxious, you may consult your vet for medication that helps control anxiety due to fear and emotional stress.

Noise and the dogs

The canine sense of hearing is far more developed than humans. They can hear about 4 times the distance of a human who has normal hearing. Dogs detect sounds in the frequency range of approximately 67 – 45,000 Hz (varies with different breeds), compared to humans with the approximate range of 64 – 23,000 Hz. So you can very well imagine how ghastly these sounds of crackers must be to their ears.

1. Don’t punish your dog for fearing the noise. 
2. Dogs often learn to be afraid of fireworks from other dogs or people who are afraid, please keep calm and try not to react to the fireworks.

How to help stray dogs in Diwali?

1. Please see that no one injures an animal – by tying up crackers to their tails or hurling a live fire at them. You may threaten them with police action.
2. Try if you may provide a safe house to the nearby strays – basement, parking space or your loving home.
3. Help any stray animal on the road into your garden or garage and feed them food and water.
4. Put up posters on your society/school/college/office notice board asking people to be kind to stray animals.
5. Keep a list of local NGO contacts/municipal boards/vet(s) in case you find an injured animal in your locality or on the road.

Here’s wishing all of our readers a happy, prosperous and noise free Diwali!

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