Scaredy Cat? Fraidy Dog?

It looks like Summer is finally here, I hope it’ll stay a while.  It’s nice and sunny, warm, and pretty damn peaceful right now, so of course being a Sunday as well, I really can’t be stuffed doing anything too productive.  Besides we’ve just returned from grocery shopping so we’re all stocked up again post trip to Canada.

It’s Independence Day here on Wednesday, and from what I’ve heard, it’ll be a huge celebration, complete with fireworks.  Which is something we were a little excited about, until I remembered, that Vita our dog, hates loud noises, storms, and anything else that goes bang, namely fireworks.

In fact she hates them so much that she’s been known to try and throw herself through the screen windows of the house to try and get to what she perceives to be a safer area.  No mean feat for a dog that doesn’t even stand 30cm high at the shoulder.  But boy can she bounce when she’s terrified.
I remembered about her fears the other day, and mentioned to a friend that we may have to stay close to home on the night, as she’ll freak out.  We could lock her in the house, but she’ll only get frantic and start destroying things as she tries to burrow through walls and doors, concrete and whatever else gets in her way as she tries to find us.  This was proved last night, when someone in the next street got a little trigger happy and detonated some fireworks a few days early.  Poor Vita almost literally crapped herself and ran up the outside staircase and started efforts to burrow through the side of the house into the main living area.  Further proof of her terror, is she knows full well that the staircase is out of bounds.  Any other day, she’d not go near it.  Last night, even though I was standing there, she didn’t care, she was terrified.  Her only mission in life was to get into the house.

Of course we brought her in, she grabbed her stuffed toy sheep and ran for the mat, curled up and started sucking on it.  Just like a terrified child and it’s treasured “blanky”.

I just don’t have the heart to leave her by herself.  Had we been in our old house I might have, but here it’s a different story.  It’s a rented property, and the fences are pretty rickety, she’s already escaped to visit the neighbours dog on a prior occasion.  I reckon with a few fireworks detonations, she’d run straight through the palings, and probably out into the road if left alone.

We’ll have to see what happens.  I may even phone the vet, and see if we can get some “puppy prozac” for her.  If not for her, maybe some for me. *laugh*  That’d be “people prozac” by the way…  I’m pretty sure Oliver will bury himself under the doona too.

Oh incidentally, if it’s Independence Day…  Why does everyone have fireworks, celebrate, and do all the stores close?  That doesn’t strike me as being very independent… 😉  Kidding!

Okey dokey, that’s it from me, it’s lunchtime (4pm… go figure).

Until next time…  Hooroo!