If this year is anything like last year, my local Animal Care & Control will pull dozens of extra dogs off the streets in the week following Independence Day. They won’t be scrawny “street” dogs. They will be well-groomed, well-fed, well-loved family pets. Dogs who simply mistook the noisy celebrations for the apocalypse, freaked out, and ran away from home.

Even dogs with no history of phobias, anxiety or escape attempts have been known to lose their marbles on the Fourth (and New Years, and any other holiday celebrated by blowing things up).

To keep your pup from joining the ranks of newly-minted shelter dogs, here is a last-minute plan for prepping Fido for the coming not-apocalypse:

1. Make sure Fido is wearing proper ID – Snap a tag with your name and phone number to your dog’s collar and check that the collar is secure. Also, is your dog microchipped? If not, you might want to see if you can get that done at your local shelter this week. Many shelters/pounds will chip your pet for $15 – $25. This is a really last minute thing but well worth it. Microchipping is the best way to make sure that you’ll be reunited with your pet if he ever gets lost.

2. Prepare an escape-proofed area - like a bedroom, bathroom, or laundry room. Put Fido’s crate/bed, toys and water in here. Make sure that there’s nothing important he can chew up. If Fido is not used to being in this room, spend the next couple days letting him hang out in here, so that he doesn’t think it’s weird when you lock him up here Monday night.

3. Prepare some food-filled toys – To keep your dog calm, you’ll want to give him something to keep his mind off the loud noises. What better way than to make him work for his dinner? Put together 3-5 (or more if you’re feeling ambitious) “smart toys:” Put peanut butter in a Kong (freeze it to make it last longer), fill an old sock with kibble. Click here for more smart toy ideas.

4. Exercise Fido a couple hours before celebrations start - What’s worse than an anxious dog? An anxious dog with energy to burn. Take him for a walk or play fetch. Nothing too strenuous (you don’t want him passing out), but 30-40 minutes of moderate exercise is good.

5. On the evening of the Fourth… As you’re getting ready to head out to your festivities, hide the smart toys in the dog-proofed area. One toy should be easy to find, the rest should require some work. Before you leave, stick Fido in his room. Key word: “casually.” If Fido senses that you’re stressed, he will freak out long before the first firework is launched. Be relaxed and upbeat: “Okay, buddy, time to go to your room. Oh, look! There’s a toy on the floor! With treats! Looks fun. Okay, Fido, seeya later!” Close the door securely behind you. If people will be in and out of the house, make sure that they know not to let the dog out.

Photo credit

photo courtesy of Flickr.com/urnes

It usually happens with movie dogs like Siberian huskies from Snow Dogs, cocker spaniels from Lady and the Tramp and the star breed from 101 Dalmations. Now it looks like it’s going to happen with the Obamas’ dog breed of choice: The portuguese water dog.

It’s the phenomenon that happens whenever a particular breed is put into the public spotlight. It goes like this: People see the dog on tv, fall in love, and rush out to buy a puppy.

Fast forward six months: the now-teenaged dogs are driving their owners crazy. The hype that surrounded the breed when the movie came out (or when the president adopted it) did not paint an accurate picture of what the dogs were like, and likely made the breed sound too good to be true. Now, the owners are living with a dog that they can’t control or that just doesn’t “mesh” with them. The dogs end up in the pound.

So before you go out to get a dog just like Bo the Portie, here are some things to consider:


1. Their brains can get them into trouble
If you’ve followed the Obama Dog story at all, you’ve probably heard that Porties are very smart. As an owner of another very smart breed, the Border Collie, let me warn you that this is not always a good thing. Smart dogs have brains that never stop. You need to constantly provide them with mental stimulation, or they will find their own – like figuring out how to open the back gate, for instance.


2. They prefer to work full time
The thing about working breeds: they’re just that. No four hour work week for these guys, thank you very much. They come with a built-in need to have a job. Agility or obedience training (and a lot of it), therapy dog work, or full-time-fetching are good choices for a Portie. If you don’t give them a job, they’ll become self-employed. Jobs of choice include, but are not limited to: rearranging your garden, digging to a distant continent, chewing up every toy your kids own or hiding your shoes for safekeeping.


3. Noo! Don’t leave me!
According to the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America, these are not outdoor dogs. They are loyal beasts who prefer to spend all their time with their families. Expect to keep this dog indoors with you when you are at home, and don’t be surprised if he develops separation anxiety symptoms when you’re gone.


4. No energy drinks required
Porties were designed to be fishermen’s assistants. They were required to jump in and out of boats to herd fish into nets, swim from ship to ship as couriers, and dive underwater to retrieve lost equipment. They did this all day long. Does this give you an idea of how much energy these dogs possess? A leisurely walk around the block every day won’t cut it. Serious exercise like jogging, running alongside a bicyclist or participation in some dog sport (or all of the above) is needed to keep them happy. (See “Five Ways to Calm Hyper Dogs”)

Now that I’ve sufficiently put you off from the breed, let me qualify this by saying that Porties can and do make great companions. But they are best suited for families and individuals who enjoy lots of physical activity, and are willing and able to put in all the work required to turn these potentially rambuctious dogs into well-behaved pets. Before you decide on any breed, make sure you do your research. Getting a dog just because its breed is in style at the moment is never a good idea.