Nine Steps to Solve Fear of Fireworks
If your dog is fearful of fireworks he or she is exhibiting one of the most common phobias that affect dogs.
1. Predict the problem
When comparing your dog’s fear of fireworks with its reactions to other worrying noises, fireworks are somewhat different. They are one of the more predictable noise events dogs experience.
Fireworks:
- Almost always occur after dark
- Often happen at specific, scheduled times (for example, 6 pm, 8 pm, 10 pm and midnight)
- Are frequently associated with known locations, such as nearby entertainment venues
Unlike thunderstorms, dogs rarely see fireworks directly.
There is usually little or no associated smell.
Also, dogs do not physically experience fireworks in the same way they experience thunderstorms.
With thunderstorms, rain, wind, pressure changes, and visual cues all contribute to the fear response. They don’t occur with fireworks.
This predictability of fireworks means you can plan ahead:
- Check local newspapers or council notices for scheduled fireworks displays
- Become familiar with nearby entertainment venues and the times they typically set off fireworks
- Take action before the predicted event occurs, rather than waiting for your dog to react
2. Be home with your dog
The most serious problem occurs when your dog experiences fear during a fireworks event while you are away. Dogs are typically far more distressed when left alone during fireworks.
If you are absent during a fireworks event, when you return home you may discover significant damage to household items and that your dog has suffered self-inflicted injury.
If you have predicted that a fireworks event will occur, it is important to be at home with your dog at that time.
New Year’s Eve, in particular, often requires a difficult decision: should you go out to celebrate?
To be honest, staying at home with your dog on New Year’s Eve is the safer and more compassionate choice.
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3. Remove your dog from your garden
Dogs left outside during a fireworks event are typically far more distressed than dogs kept indoors. When left outside, dogs may attempt to escape the yard or force their way into the home.
While the damage to fences and property can be severe and costly, the injuries a dog may inflict on itself in these situations are far more serious — and can be life-threatening.
The safest place for a dog during fireworks is inside the home, ideally in the most sound-proof area available.
So, you need a Den.
4. Place your dog in a sound-proof Den
You know fireworks are noisy and you know it’s the noise that scares your dog. So an obvious strategy is to move your dog to a sound-proof room inside your home. This is called a Den.
Where is the Den?
Go from room to room to find the most sound-proof location.
Download a sound meter app for your smart phone to make that easier. They are free.
You are likely to find that:-
- Brick walls are much better at sound proofing than timber walls and block walls (e.g. Besser block walls) are often the best
- Walk in wardrobes are often very sound proof because they are surrounded by many walls and the texture of your clothes (and the smell of your shoes) may help your dog to be comforted
- Stop firework noise entering through windows of your Den by covering the windows with heavy curtains.
- Foam rubber cut to fit the window cavity is ideal
- Cut an old mattress to fit or visit your local foam rubber shop with the dimensions of the window and they will cut the foam rubber to fit.
- If needed, build a sound-proof Den. using sound proof wall cladding. You local hardware store will help with that
More information on the Denning Principle
5. Use masking noise
Another way of reducing the noise is to mask it by adding other noises to the Den your dog is in. This is the same principle as the music used in shopping centers to mask the noise of activity in the shop.
That can be done by:
- playing a radio or television in the den
- having an air conditioner running
- have a pedestal fan running
- or sometimes using a recording of fireworks at low volume
6. Use Pheromones
Dog pheromones (called the Dog Appeasing Pheromone or Adaptil) can be very effective for calming noise-fearful dogs with up to 70% effectiveness.
The diffuser, the collar and the spray can all be effective but there are different strategies for each.
- The Diffuser is ideal added to your dog’s Den
- The Spray should be placed on a neckerchief, bandana, dog coat or bed 30 minutes before the fireworks start
- The Collar is needed if your dog has to be outdoors of if your dog moves from room to room
More information on Adaptil here
7. Use medication where needed
If your dog is seriously affected, your vet will be able to prescribe medication that may help.
Generally speaking a ‘when you need it’ occasional -use medication can be helpful but ..
- Ask your vet to avoid heavy tranquilisers if possible – some tranquilisers can make dogs more sensitive to noises
- You MUST test the dose needed BEFORE the event to know:-
- what dose is effective
- how long it takes to work and
- how long it lasts for
- That will allow you to use the right dose long enough before the fireworks to help your dog.
Recently, a fast-acting gel has been produced which can be very useful. This is a prescrition-only medication but ask your vet for more details.
Combining Adaptil pheromones with prescription medications provides science-based solutions for dogs suffering fireworks phobia and gives a double-up benefit that can provide the most powerful non-medication approach to noise fear solutions.
8. Practice calming strategies
When your dog is panicking, you need to help it do be calm.
Thus, your job is to do whatever you need to do to create calmness.
Sometimes (even ‘often’) that DOES mean giving the dog comfort and attention when it’s panicking.
Many advise that ‘praising the fear’ by giving a panicking dog attention rewards the panic. This is nonsense. A panicking dog is not able to learn. He or she is far too ‘emotional’ to consider you may be rewarding its fear
You may be able to calm your dog by:-
- Using calming massage concentrating on the major muscle groups such as the cheek, forehead, neck and shoulder muscles (refer to the video in this section)
- Using a novel device called a Calming Cap in combination with a Gentle Leader
- these two devices used together can have a significant calming effect on dogs but your dog needs to be trained to happily accept both before the firework event
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- Wrapping your dog’s body tightly with a towel
- Giving your dog a firm hug around his or her chest
- And showing your dog YOU are calm by:-
- cradling your dog’s face in your hands as if it was a football and make it look at you
- then blinking your eyes as if you were falling asleep
- show a soft smile (and certainly not a worried expression)
- and whispering to your dog is the softest whisper you can manage
If you are one of my clients, it’s likely I have spoken to you about how the Circle of Rewards can help to create calmness.
9. Teach your dog to tolerate firework noise
Desensitising your dog to the noise of fireworks is often possible using quality recordings of fireworks.
The steps are:-
- Determine if the recording, when played through your audio equipment, does alarm your dog but do this once only.
- If so, expose your dog to a level of the recording that causes NO fear and repeat that daily for a few days.
- Then incrementally increase the volume of the noise daily while ensuring your dog remains calm and content.
- It’s useful to combine the above by giving food treats to maintain your dog’s focus. The Circle of Rewards game is ideal for this
- Once successful, the same noise tracks can be used mask the noise of fireworks as detailed in section 5 above.
- If the recording played through your audio equipment does NOT alarm your dog, then you can immediately move to using this as a masking (see section 5).
Solving fear of noises is very complex and difficult. If you want personal assistance with this problem please contact our consulting rooms on (07) 3341 9153 or complete an assessment form
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Last update 31/12/2025