If fireworks frighten your dog, the aim is not to make them put up with it. It is to help them feel safer now, then build confidence gradually. Fear can improve: worsening is not inevitable. [1, 2]

Notice the quieter signs

Trembling and hiding are easy to recognise. Pacing, panting, freezing or trying to escape can also signal fear. Look at the whole dog and the situation, rather than relying on one gesture. [1] In an international online survey of 1,225 dogs, 52% were at least partly affected by firework fear. That was a self-selected sample, not a UK-wide prevalence estimate. [1]

Make the evening easier

• Offer a familiar, comfortable hiding place and let your dog choose whether to use it. Introduce it on quiet days, not only when fireworks begin.
• Reduce flashes and noise where possible by closing curtains and windows. Background sound may help mask some noise.
• If your dog wants food or play, offer something they enjoy when a bang happens. Do not force them to eat or leave their hiding place.
• If your dog seeks reassurance, you can respond calmly. Fear is an emotion, not something that is simply rewarded into getting worse by comfort or food. [2]

Train on quiet days, not in the middle of panic

Counterconditioning means pairing a sound with something good, such as food or play. Desensitisation means introducing the sound gently enough that the dog stays comfortable, then increasing it gradually. With recordings, start very quietly and reduce the intensity or stop if your dog looks worried. Recordings do not reproduce every part of real fireworks, and some dogs do not respond to them. [2]

In the 2019 survey, training before fear developed was associated with lower fear scores in both puppies and adult dogs. Encouraging evidence, but not a guarantee: it was owner-reported observational research, not a randomised prevention trial. Avoid deliberately frightening a dog to get them used to noise. [1, 2]

When a tailored plan makes sense

If your dog is very frightened, refuses even favourite food or has developed a new fear, speak to your vet ahead of the next noisy period. Health problems, including pain, can be relevant. A plan may combine environmental changes, behavioural support and prescribed anti-anxiety medication. This guide does not recommend medicines or doses. [2]

The evidence review found that most alternative calming remedies are unlikely to be enough on their own for serious noise fear. Focus on welfare and a plan that fits your dog, rather than expecting a product to solve it. [2]

General information only, not a substitute for veterinary advice. This guide cannot assess your dog or replace a behaviour or treatment plan from your vet. It deliberately does not name medicines or doses.

Sources

1. Riemer S (2019). Not a one-way road—Severity, progression and prevention of firework fears in dogs. PLoS ONE 14(9):e0218150. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0218150. International online owner survey (self-selected sample).
2. Riemer S (2023). Therapy and Prevention of Noise Fears in Dogs—A Review of the Current Evidence for Practitioners. Animals 13(23):3664. doi:10.3390/ani13233664. Narrative evidence review, not a primary trial.

Evidence checked 8 November 2026; citation details and key figures re-checked 12 November 2026. These sources inform the content; their authors have not reviewed or endorsed this article.