Is Your Dog Scared of Fireworks? Here's How To Help

It’s important to be able to recognise what’s wrong; and during fireworks season, you might find your poor pooch is a lot more jumpy than usual.

It’s normal and common for your dog to be scared or sensitive around fireworks and unexpected noises. A pooch who’s feeling anxious, nervous or frightened, will often show behaviour such as:

• Clinging to you
• Shaking or trembling
• Keeping their ears pinned back
• Hiding or cowering
• Barking or whining
• Pacing, panting or drooling
• Trying to run away
• Messing inside the house - even when house trained

Nobody likes to see their dog feeling frightened! So what can you do to help?

How to Help a Dog Who’s Afraid of Fireworks

Block out scary sights and sounds

Unexpected flashes and loud sounds are enough to make anyone jump. With their expert senses, your dog will be able to hear much more than you can, so even if the fireworks don’t seem loud to you, your dog may still find them scary.

If you can, it helps to mask fireworks noises and flashes by keeping your dog inside, and closing doors, windows and curtains. This will also stop them from trying to run away from the noise. Though it’s a natural instinct to escape, you don’t want your poor pup to be lost and frightened outside. Playing calming music and talking to your dog will also help to block out scary sounds.

Give them a safe space

A comfy, familiar environment is always best if your pooch feels uncertain! Make sure your dog always has access to their own safe haven. This should be a calm, doggy-friendly space, filled with their favourite toys, blankets and bedding. If your dog is feeling afraid, never force them out of this space - it’s important that they have a place to escape to.

Create a distraction

There are lots of ways to make fireworks seem less scary; distraction is a great way to stop your pooch from feeling nervous! It often helps to:

• Speak softly and calmly. Sometimes acting as though nothing is wrong will encourage your dog to relax, so talk in a comforting manner - as if you were training them again. If they respond in an equally calm way, be sure to reward them.
• Give them a food puzzle. If your dog enjoys playing with treat puzzles, that could be just the distraction they need. If they’re not put off of their food, a chew or food-filled toy can be a relaxing, comforting distraction.
• Encourage play. Staying with your dog and playing with them is always a good way to build your bond, and calm them. However be sure not to reward nervous or fearful behaviour - only play with, fuss or treat your pet when they’re acting calmly.
• Tire out your pooch. If you know that a fireworks event is coming up, try to take your dog on a long walk during the day. If you can tire them out by the time the fireworks happen they may be more likely to rest, and have less energy for fearful behaviour.

Try sounds training

If your dog is especially sensitive to unexpected sounds, training and sound familiarisation can be a big help. Using a noise soundtrack or sounds CD can help your dog adapt and learn not to be afraid of unfamiliar or surprising noises. When training your pooch:

• Only train during quiet times - when no other unexpected noises or fireworks are happening
• Introduce new sounds very quietly at first, at the lowest volume, and always reward calm reactions
• Slowly increase the noise over time if your dog stays calm
• Always stop if your dog reacts badly. You can always try again another time. When you next try, be sure to go back a step - playing the recording at a much quieter level before building up again.

With repeated training sessions, your furry friend will gradually get used to unfamiliar noises and learn that they don’t always need to be afraid.

With love, support, and a calm reaction from you, it’s possible to help your dog be less nervous or surprised by fireworks. However, using an ADAPTIL Calm home diffuser can bring a little extra support; creating a comforting environment to ease firework fears.