Updated: 14/10/24
Many dogs experience firework phobias.
This is often made trickier by the fact that fireworks are frequently used throughout the year, rather than just on the traditional bonfire night.
Depending on your dog’s level of fear there are various steps that can be taken to help reduce their stress.
These include ensuring your dog is kept indoors and not left alone, managing your home environment to reduce stress and keeping your own demeanour calm.
For dogs with severe firework phobia, it is sensible to seek further advice from your vet and some dogs will also benefit from referral to a certified pet behaviourist to help manage their fear of fireworks in future.
Making a hideout for your dog can help them to feel safe. Place lots of blankets in the hideout so the dog can dig and burrow and include a piece of your clothing which contains your scent. Cover the den in more blankets to help muffle the noise and create a safe atmosphere.
In the weeks leading up to fireworks
- Create a hideout or safe place. Creating somewhere safe for your dog to hide can help to reduce their stress.
- Try to prepare a hideout at least two weeks before the fireworks are expected.
- When choosing where to create a hideout, try to choose a naturally quiet room located towards the centre of the house with minimal windows. Ensure curtains or blinds can be closed.
- Some dogs will already have a favourite room or place to hide and in these cases their preferred ‘safe space’ can be modified to form a suitable hideout.
- Examples of hideouts include covering a dog crate or table with blankets for your dog to hide under.
- It’s also beneficial to place blankets inside the hideout so your dog can dig and burrow, along with a piece of clothing that smells of you for reassurance.
- In the weeks leading up to fireworks, encourage your dog to enter the hiding place two to three times daily by feeding them in there or offering a treat for them to take inside. This will help your dog to see the hideout as a positive place.
Supportive treatment and products
- Depending on your dog’s level of fear, there are various supportive treatments or products that your vet may recommend. Where possible, speak to your vet for advice well in advance of fireworks so that you can be prepared. Your vet may also advise reaching out to a certified pet behaviourist for additional support.
- Pheromone plug-ins can help, but should be put in place a week or two before bonfire night.
Just before the fireworks start
- Try and get your dog to go to the toilet before the fireworks start and then keep them indoors.
- For dogs that struggle to eat when stressed, provide access to food and water all night. If you know when the worst nights for fireworks are likely to be, you can feed your dog late afternoon or early evening before the fireworks start.
- Make sure the house is secure by closing all doors and windows as scared pets can sometimes bolt. Close curtains and blinds to minimise flashes.
- Create some background noise. Moderately loud rhythmic music with a good beat can help to mask fireworks and should be played in the room where your dog is. Some classical radio stations provide soothing playlists and live shows for pets around November 5th. For some dogs, familiar sounds like the television may work just as well.
- Make sure your dog cannot get trapped as this may make phobias worse, for example, don’t shut them in anywhere.
During the fireworks
- Ensure your dog is not left alone and keep them indoors throughout.
- Allow them to use their hideout if they wish, and don’t try to coax them out.
- Try not to get cross or frustrated, as this is likely to increase their fear.
- Try to keep your demeanour calm and passive throughout, and offer your dog comfort if they come to you for reassurance.
- Instigate play or training as a distraction if your dog seems happy to engage with this.
Planning for future events
- If your dog has a serious noise phobia, this is unlikely to go away by itself and may even become worse over time.
- Speak to your vet for advice and to check your dog doesn’t have a health issue which is making their fear worse. Your vet may also recommend referral to a certified pet behaviourist for behavioural therapy to reduce your pet’s stress for future events.
Dogs Trust also have helpful information on sound therapy for pets, which is accompanied by free audio files. These can be accessed using the following links: