 Stay with your dog during the fireworks. Close windows and curtains to minimize noise and flashes of light. Play calming music or TV. Consider a pressure wrap. Remember, it's more than just getting scared. It actually can increase your dog or cat's heart rate, make them hyperventilate. So on this 4th of July... Victor deployed for the first time to Afghanistan in 2003. At 4 in the morning, my phone rang. They said, I regret to inform you that your husband was wounded in action.