Many dog owners will view the festivities of firework night and New Years with dread rather than joy as they know the misery their four legged friends go through each year. Large numbers of dogs are turned into quivering wrecks by the first muffled bang from a distant firework or rumble of thunder. Various theories suggest that a dog’s more acute hearing and general sensitivity to loud noises can make them susceptible to significant anxiety. Some breeds seem to get more anxious and anxiety can also be affected by how old the puppy was when they were first exposed to the noises.

What to do if you have a stressed pooch
The first steps are to create a nice safe den at home, keep windows closed, curtains drawn and turn up some music or the TV to drown out external noises. Plan in advance to walk and feed your dog before it gets dark if you can. Try not to fuss your pet if they show mild signs of anxiety, as you can reinforce the nervous behaviour. If the anxiety is more significant then try a D.A.P plug-in diffuser (Dog Appeasement Pheromone) or one of the Serotonin (calming hormone) boosting dietary supplements that will increase their own natural hormone levels – e.g. “Kalm Aid” or “Zylkene”. Failing that, you can get stronger anti-anxiety medication from your vet that can help them to chill out when all else fails.

In an ideal world we would recommend trying to expose young puppies to loud noises (in a controlled manner) before they get too old. Some studies have shown that puppies born later in the year are less likely to be stressed as they get to hear fireworks at a much earlier age.

Counter-conditioning and habituation
The best long-term treatment for noise phobias is counter-conditioning or habituation. This involves a long, steady process of exposing your dog to low level noises at the same time as doing something your dog really enjoys – playing, eating, getting the lead for a walk, etc. By gradually increasing the noise levels over many weeks the dog starts to associate the noise with something positive and slowly stops being afraid or phobic. You can buy CDs with firework or thunderstorm noises specifically for curing dog phobias (“Sounds Scary CD”). In the long-term it is possible to cure a dog of noise phobia, but it requires a long-term view and is best to start the drawn-out process of counter conditioning after the New Year!