If your dog is scared of fireworks, you’ll know that occasions such as Bonfire Night, Independence Day, Diwali, Eid, and New Year’s Eve can be stressful for both dogs and humans.
To make matters worse, fireworks don’t just happen on one night or at set locations anymore - they can go on for a week or more, making them unpredictable and seemingly relentless.
So we’ve teamed up with Pet Remedy’s behaviour consultant Andrew Hale to give you effective ways to keep your dog safe and calm during fireworks. Read on for expert top tips you’ll be relieved to read…
Why are some dogs afraid of fireworks?
Dogs experience the world through their senses - eyes, noses, and ears - and fireworks can overwhelm all three, not just their hearing.
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Unpredictable bangs and whooshes may startle
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Unfamiliar smells like gunpowder may alert a dog’s powerful olfactory system
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Random bright flashes of light add visual stimulation
Dogs hear sounds at much higher frequencies than humans, and their sense of smell is tens of thousands of times more sensitive. Their world is already rich with stimuli, so fireworks can be incredibly overstimulating.
The good news is there’s lots you can do to help your dog feel safer and more at ease during stressful events like fireworks.
5 expert tips to help your dog during fireworks
1. Keep your dog safe
For dogs who are afraid of fireworks, bolting or escaping is a really serious risk. Make sure your garden or yard is secure, ensure your dog has their tag with your contact details on, and keep your dog on the lead if you have to go outside when fireworks may go off.
Make sure your dog’s microchip details and ID tag are up-to-date so you can be reunited if they escape.
It’s best to walk your dog early during fireworks when it’s still daylight if possible. Opt for sniffy walks and calm playtime to help keep your dog’s arousal levels low.
2. Limit exposure to sound and lights to keep your dog calm
Closing curtains and playing background music can help reduce how intrusive the sounds and flashing lights of fireworks are for your dog.
While many people recommend classical music or white noise, Taiko drumming can prove more effective. That’s because the rhythm is more consistent and the bangs of the drum are more likely to mask the firework sounds.
For this to be effective, it's good to introduce the new sound to your dog BEFORE fireworks night - so it’s something your dog is used to before stressful events.
3. Do indoor activities together to keep your dog distracted (and happy)
Giving your dog something fun to focus on can be a good way to redirect their focus from waiting for bangs to something more positive.
For some dogs, calming games that use their brains like ‘Find It’ are a good choice. For others, more interactive games like a highly engaged tugging session work well. Experiment with both and see which your dog prefers.
The Clam is a brilliant toy for helping to keep your dog distracted whilst building positive associations to the bangs on fireworks night. Pop a calming dog treat inside and play a game of fetch and retrieve (with extra treats).
You can also create a noise box ahead of fireworks night to help your dog. Fill a cardboard box with noisy materials like crumpled paper, bottles filled with pebbles and pop The Clam in filled with treats. This activity can help your dog grow in confidence.
4. Use calming supplements to help take the edge off
If your dog experiences stress or anxiety during fireworks there are calming supplements and medications that you can get to support them. Speak to your vet about appropriate medication or opt for natural calming remedies like sprays or calming diffusers.
Pet Remedy have a range of dog calming plug-ins, calming sprays and calming enrichment toys like lickmats and foragers - which can all help to relieve anxiety.
Their party season survival kit includes easy-to-use spray, calming wipes and a diffuser to give you everything you need to support calm during fireworks.
5. Comfort and support your dog
There’s a long-held myth that you can ‘reinforce fear’ by giving attention to a scared or anxious dog. It’s simply not true - if your dog is feeling fearful, then provide comfort in whatever way your dog needs.
Fear is an emotion and not a behaviour, which means unlike rewarding barking which may lead to repeated ‘offences!’, giving attention to a frightened animal will not ‘make things worse’.
Be mindful of your dog’s body language and provide comfort on their terms. That might mean setting up a safe and quiet area they can retreat to, it might mean snuggles under a blanket, it might mean a fun energetic game of tug that takes their mind off things.
Play is a good way to help your dog burn off nervous energy while redirecting their attention. Reaching for your dog’s favourite tug can both provide distraction and help them form positive associations with the noise.
How to help your dog with noise phobia
Helping your dog overcome their fear of loud noises like fireworks is something that takes time. Think about putting a long-term plan in place to gradually introduce loud noises to your dog in a way that builds their confidence.
This video from Pet Remedy shows you how you can slowly help desensitise your dog to scary sounds like fireworks. And they have more support for noise phobias in dogs here.
Noises should be introduced slowly and initially at a very low volume, and tolerating them should be matched with a calming reward.
You won’t see instant results but if you put the effort in you should notice a big difference by the time fireworks start whooshing and banging next time around.
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