Help Your Dog Cope with Fireworks: Start Now

Ryan Leese
Nov 4
3 min read

If you’d rather watch than read, follow this link for the video: Fireworks & Dogs – How to Prepare.

Why this matters (and why complaining won’t fix it)

If you’ve lived with a dog who is terrified of fireworks, you know it’s no joke. Every year the same requests pop up on local social media—please consider pets—and every year many people simply don’t care. So we have to prepare our dogs for this difficult time, whether it’s UK Bonfire Night in November, New Year’s Eve, or July 4th.

Start now—whenever “fireworks night” is

The single biggest piece of advice: start now. The more time you give your dog, the better. This applies to adult dogs who’ve struggled before and to puppies who haven’t heard fireworks yet.

For very extreme cases, speak to your vet—they may be able to help with medication.

Read your dog’s body language

Even if you think your dog is fine, look for subtle signs of discomfort around loud sounds:

Tongue flicks
Tucked tail, ears back, making the body smaller
Shake-offs or whole-body shakes
Any individual tells your dog shows when they’re unsure

Build a simple den

Dogs are denning animals. Create a safe spot in the same room as you:

Cover a crate with blankets, or drape a cloth over a table
Place treats and chews inside (licking and chewing help dogs relax)
Let your dog choose to use it when they need to

Pair calm activities with very low-volume fireworks sound

Choose something your dog enjoys—treat-dispensing toys, puzzle games (e.g., tennis balls in a muffin tray), hand targets, or gentle massage. Then:

Play a fireworks video on your phone at volume notch 1 (barely audible).
Keep it there for the first session (or first night).
Next session, move to notch 2, then notch 3, and so on.

If you see discomfort, drop the volume (even halve it) and try again later. The goal is comfort, not “toughing it out.”

Gradually increase realism—only when your dog is ready

When your phone reaches full volume, introduce a Bluetooth speaker at low volume.
Slowly raise volume across sessions.
Move the speaker to likely sound sources (behind curtains, on the landing) to mimic where bangs usually come from.
If your dog is still comfortable with the activity, you’re on track. If not, step back.

Later, you can switch to TV audio (and a sound system if you use one)—again, only when your dog is coping well.

Some dogs will only take the edge off, others may improve a lot. Work at your dog’s pace.

The day after matters too

If your dog is very frightened, remember that stress hormones can linger. Even in daylight the next day, be extra careful and gentle on walks and around triggers.

Two absolute “do nots”

Don’t punish your dog for reacting to fireworks. Adding fear to fear won’t help.
Don’t leave a fearful dog alone while you go to watch a display.

What else have you tried?

Some owners find products like Pet Remedy or Thundershirts helpful for their individual dog. If you’ve tried something that made a difference, share it in the comments under the video.