My least-favorite holiday is coming up -- Independence Day. It used to be among my favorites, until I moved to a city where fireworks are plentiful and got a dog who's terrified of loud bangs.

How do your dogs do with fireworks? If you've got one who reacts, how do you manage it?

Regulars to the Dog Blog have discussed this topic a lot over the years. Some have dogs unaffected by the noise. Others have developed a routine for minimizing the stress. If there's anyone new to dog ownership and you're worried about what to do, Google around for advice in advance. I stumbled on this PDF on dogs and fireworks offering advice for conditioning your dogs in advance and for managing the stress. Check it out. It also has a link to a video of recorded fireworks, so you can work at conditioning your dogs in advance.

Eddie has gotten better of the years, mainly because Kelly and I are learning how to manage it. We try to find a place that's insulated from the noise and flashes. He wears a Thundershirt. We turn up the TV or radio. And we give him a place to hide out where he's comfortable. That won't be easy this year because we'll be in Seward for the Fourth, but we have a popup trailer with hard walls that offers some insulation, and we'll bring his crate and a radio to muffle the noise.

My other two, Jillie and Lucy, seem fairly unaffected. That's a relief.

Good luck!