If you’re a dog owner and live in the U.S., you probably dread the Fourth of July because of the stress that fireworks put on your dog.

My poor Daisy – tough looking as she is – is terrified of fireworks. Her firework protocol during a walk is getting low on the ground and completely freezing her body – no matter where we are – to the point that she cannot be moved (she’s a 60 pound dog, after all). I remember a particularly difficult walk last year (a full week after Independence Day, mind you), where she found a boat to nest under for 15 minutes while I tried to coax her out.

The Fourth of July is the number one day for dogs to go missing and it’s no surprise – just imagine how loud and terrifying they must be to dogs, whose hearing is much more sensitive than ours (they can hear sounds at four times the distance that a human can).

Over the years I’ve come up with one golden solution to keep my dogs happy and safe around the Fourth of July – simply keeping them inside in the evenings. This means banning evening walks for a few days before Independence Day and up to a week after and making sure they go potty before the hoopla begins in the evening.

Simple, huh? Although you may get the occasional morning firecrackers, most people opt to light up they sky in the evening. So by simply making the small change of keeping your dog inside during the festive evenings surrounding this holiday, you are making a big difference for your pup.

And don’t forget – whether it’s legal or illegal in your area, you’ll probably have individuals partaking in Independence Day activities several days before and after the actual holiday, so be kind to your dog and keep that in mind.