Top Tips to Help Your Dog Stay Calm During Fireworks

Spooky season is well and truly upon us, but did you ever think that it'll just be as scary for our dogs too? As the nights get longer and darker, celebrations will take to the night sky with Diwali, Guy Fawkes night, Christmas, and New Years all coming up. It can be extremely stressful for our dogs and upsetting for us to watch them in such a panicked and stressed state. Help them feel a bit more relaxed and calm with these top tips:

Your dog may be confused when firework season starts, so sticking to your usual day to day routine as much as possible will help them understand that fireworks don't necessarily mean anything bad will happen. I'd recommend taking them on their usual route when going for walks, feeding them at regular times, and playing with them as you normally would. Be sure to enforce your standard nap times and bed time too and this way you can help your dog feel a bit more confident that they'll know what will happen next in the day.

The one tweak you may want to make to your usual routine is to walk your dog earlier in day light wherever possible. Still stick to your usual route but with the days getting so much darker so much earlier, people may be tempted to start lighting fireworks early too. Walking your dog in day light will help you avoid getting caught out with your dog when fireworks are going off, preventing them from really panicking.

A little trick to help making dogs more relaxed during fireworks is to mask or disguise the noise of the bangs. There are many ways to do this from playing the radio to leaving the TV on. One way to make this even more effective is to play different noises from as many different rooms in the house so that way your dog will find it harder to identify the bang of the fireworks and where it's coming from. My dog trainer has once even told me to watch The Hurt Locker! Of course, if you get the opportunity to desensitise your dog to the sound of fireworks before they start then that will always be the better option.

It's vital that you allow your dog to have a safe place to go to when they're feeling really anxious. If your dog is crate trained then don't be surprised if they choose to go in there. Even if they look like they're trembling or having a tough time, resist the urge to move into what you may think is a better place such as on the sofa next to you. Giving them the choice of where to go when they're scared (within reason) will help them feel more in control of a scary situation. Just be sure they're not wearing a collar or harness (or anything else that might mean it could get caught in the crate) and you may even want to cover the crate to help. If you dog doesn't like the crate and wants to stay somewhere unusual such as in a corner in the kitchen, then so long as they're no in danger of getting hurt then you should allow them to stay there if they're comfortable.

Whilst they're not a miracle solution, it doesn't hurt to give them a try. Having a calming diffuser or letting your dog have calming treats could help balance out their nerves. It could help them be more receptive to comfort and other distractions from the fireworks.

It may seem like an obvious one but it can make a big difference when it comes to helping your dog stay calm during fireworks. Close all your curtains, blinds or shutters. This not only help muffle out the noise but will prevent your dog from fixating on the flashes of light as well which can just as easily cause anxiety.

Avoid letting your dog outside unsupervised if you know your dog is scared of fireworks. Even if your garden is fenced or you have a gate at your front garden your dog may try digging or jumping to escape when a firework goes off overhead. Try using a houseline or slip lead and go out with your dog to prevent escape attempts or even injuries when trying to get away.

Some dogs need extra comfort when stressed. A thunder jacket or cosy blanket can help make your dog feel safer as gentle constant pressure is known to have a calming effect, similar to a weighted blanket. The science behind this is that gentle pressure can benefit a dog by soothing their autonomic nervous system which is what controls their "fight or flight" response. Just be sure that there's not too much on your dog so that they're not at risk of overheating which will only add to their stress.

If you have a nervous dog please do give these tips a try and you can let me know if any of them helped by commenting on my social media post and pages. You can also share your tips with me as I would love to hear from you and together we can help more people and their doggos!