Help Your Dog Cope With Fireworks
How to help your dog through Bonfire Night, Diwali and New Year’s Eve, from the advice of the main UK animal charities.
About this guide. I wrote it from the published charity and government pages listed at the bottom. I am not a vet or a behaviourist, so ask your vet about your own dog.
Bonfire Night is Thursday 5 November, but fireworks go on for days, and Diwali and New Year’s Eve follow. This guide puts the advice from Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, RSPCA, PDSA and Battersea in one place, so you can plan now.
Start here
What do you need right now?
Pick where you are to see what matters.
Before the night
Set up a safe space your dog can choose to use, check their microchip details, and make sure doors, windows and fences are secure. If your dog is very frightened, speak to your vet now. Dogs Trust says some medication has to be given before the fireworks start, so it cannot wait until the night.
Check when local displays are likely and tell your neighbours your dog is scared, so they can plan. Dogs Trust also suggests sealing gaps around windows and doors to reduce noise, and making sure someone your dog knows well is at home on the key dates.
Blue Cross warns against starting training in the middle of firework season, because it may make the problem much worse. This week is for the basics, and the training plan is for next time.
Jump toYour planSigns of fear
Sources: Dogs Trust, Supporting your dog during fireworks, and Fireworks are coming, prepare ahead; Blue Cross, Dogs and fireworks.
On the night
Walk your dog while it is still light and be home before dark. Dogs Trust suggests feeding earlier too, so they can eat and toilet beforehand. Stay with them, because Dogs Trust says they could panic if left alone. Close the curtains, leave the lights on and play music or the TV at a comfortable volume, or play Dogs Trust’s Sound Blanket video on YouTube.
Let your dog choose where to be, stay calm yourself, and act as normally as you can. If they need the toilet, go out with them on a lead during a gap in the fireworks, and be quick.
Jump toYour planWhat not to do
Sources: Dogs Trust; Blue Cross; PDSA, Dogs and fireworks; RSPCA, Pets and fireworks.
Afterwards
Go back to your normal routine so your dog can settle, and keep an eye on them through the day. If they had an accident or chewed something while scared, do not tell them off, because Dogs Trust says it might make them more scared.
Plan ahead for the next display. If your dog suddenly becomes fearful, PDSA says to contact your vet, because it could signal pain or illness.
Jump toSigns of fearNext year
Sources: Dogs Trust; PDSA.
Next year
The long-term fix is to get your dog used to firework sounds gradually. Blue Cross says to start three to six months before the season, and to ask your vet or a qualified behaviourist for help. Dogs Trust offers a sound therapy programme called Sounds Scary.
Jump toThe training plan
Sources: Blue Cross; Dogs Trust, sound therapy; PDSA.
Spot it early
Signs your dog is scared
Not every dog shows obvious signs, so know what to look for.
Panting, drooling, yawning or lip-licking
Trembling, pacing or restlessness
Whining, barking or growling
Hiding, clinginess or a tucked tail
Trying to escape, or refusing food
Small changes in their normal behaviour
Sources: Dogs Trust; Blue Cross; PDSA; RSPCA. PDSA notes some dogs do not show obvious signs, so small changes count too. Dogs Trust says some of these signs can also point to a health problem, so check with your vet if you are worried.
Your plan
Nine things to sort before the fireworks
Flip each card for what the charities suggest.
A safe den
A familiar, enclosed spot your dog can choose.
A safe den
What to do
- Behind the sofa, under a table, an open crate or a cupboard, with blankets, favourite toys and water nearby
- Set it up weeks ahead, never force your dog in, and do not lock them in a crate
Microchip and ID tag
If they bolt, this brings them home.
Microchip and ID tag
What to do
- Check the microchip details are up to date
- Keep a collar and tag with a readable phone number on, even indoors
- Make sure doors, windows and fences are secure
A daylight walk
Walk well before dark and be home early.
A daylight walk
What to do
- Walk while it is still light, and keep your dog on the lead if fireworks might go off
- Be settled indoors before the fireworks start, and do not go out after dark
Block the flashes
Curtains shut and lights on.
Block the flashes
What to do
- Close curtains or blinds on all windows
- Leave the lights on to soften the flashes, and darken the den if you can
Mask the bangs
Music or the TV at a comfortable volume.
Mask the bangs
What to do
- Classical music, or music with a deep bass, at a comfortable volume
- Dogs Trust’s free Sound Blanket is on YouTube and Spotify, but may not suit dogs sensitive to music or spoken radio
- Do not turn the volume up if your dog is not used to the TV or radio
Chews and puzzle toys
Something to do if your dog is unworried.
Chews and puzzle toys
What to do
- A long-lasting chew, a lick mat with dog-safe peanut butter, or a puzzle toy stuffed with layers of food
- Offer a toy, but do not force your dog to play
Calming products
Ask your vet first. They may help some dogs.
Calming products
What to do
- Blue Cross says to ask your vet about pheromone products such as Adaptil, which may help promote calm
- PDSA lists diffusers, collars, sprays, supplements and compression shirts, but says each dog responds differently and a shirt is only for a dog that is comfortable in it
- No product replaces a safe space, and never give medication your vet has not prescribed
Products are not a recommendation. Ask your vet first.
Water and toilet breaks
Fill the bowl, and keep toilet trips short.
Water and toilet breaks
What to do
- Fill the water bowl to the brim, as worried dogs tend to drink more
- Go out with your dog during a gap in the fireworks, on a lead, and be quick
- Never let them out into the garden alone
Vet and behaviour help
Speak to your vet early if the fear is strong.
Vet and behaviour help
What to do
- Some medication has to be given before the fireworks start, so ask well in advance
- Your vet can check for medical causes and refer you to a behaviourist
- Dogs Trust’s Behaviour Support Line offers free calls, so check their opening hours
Vet bills can add up, and pet insurance can help. Check the cover, limits and exclusions before you buy.
Quotes are not a recommendation of any policy.
Avoid these
What not to do
- Shout at or punish your dog for being scared
- Take your dog to a fireworks display
- Tie them up outside, or leave them in the garden or the car
- Force them outside, or force them into or out of their den
- Leave them alone if you can help it
- Start training in the middle of firework season
- Give any medication that your vet has not prescribed
- Turn the TV or radio up loud if your dog is not used to it
Sources: Blue Cross; RSPCA; PDSA; Dogs Trust; Battersea.
The law
When are fireworks allowed?
Knowing when the noise should stop helps you plan.
| When | Fireworks must stop by |
|---|---|
| Most nights | 11pm, and not before 7am |
| 5 November (Bonfire Night) | Midnight |
| New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year | 1am |
Source: GOV.UK, fireworks: the law. GOV.UK says to check with your local council for any local rules.
Next year
Teach calm for the next season
Getting a dog used to the sounds takes months. PDSA describes the steps, and Blue Cross says to ask your vet or a qualified behaviourist to help.
Start very quietly
Play firework sounds at a very low volume.
Watch for stress
Watch for signs of stress, such as lip-licking, yawning or barking. If your dog reacts, stop and try a lower volume the next day.
Build up slowly
If your dog seems comfortable, play the sounds for a few minutes, repeating over several days before slowly raising the volume.
Add a treat
Once your dog does not react to loud sounds, pair the sound with a treat.
Be patient
Be patient and consistent. Progress takes several months.
Dogs Trust says Sounds Scary is especially helpful for puppies of 13 weeks or younger, and suggests planning enjoyable activities indoors for a puppy’s first fireworks night.
Source: PDSA, Dogs and fireworks; Dogs Trust, Fireworks are coming, prepare ahead. PDSA says not to rush or move to the next step before your dog is completely unresponsive to the sounds.
Quick answers
Should I comfort my scared dog?
Dogs Trust says to let your dog choose: allow them to hide if they want to, and comfort them if they come to you. Blue Cross says cuddling is fine if it helps, while Battersea says to avoid following your dog around or being overly affectionate. Stay calm and act as normally as you can.
Is it too late to train my dog this year?
Blue Cross says training should start three to six months before the season, and warns that starting during fireworks season may make the problem much worse. For now, focus on the safe space, masking the noise and keeping your dog secure, and plan the training for next time.
Can I give my dog something to calm them down?
Only medication prescribed by your vet. PDSA says never to give medication your vet has not prescribed, and that prescribed medication should only be a short-term solution. Blue Cross suggests asking your vet about pheromone products such as Adaptil. Speak to your vet well before the season.
Can I take my dog to a fireworks display?
Blue Cross says it is never a good idea, and RSPCA advises against it.
Should I leave my dog alone?
Dogs Trust says to stay with your dog, because they could panic if left alone, and RSPCA says not to leave them alone if you can help it. If you have to go out, plan ahead so they are not alone, for example by asking someone they know to stay. That last part is my suggestion, not from the sources.
What about cats and small pets?
RSPCA has a page covering dogs, cats and other small pets, linked in the sources below.
Sources
- Dogs Trust, supporting your dog during fireworks (undated)
- Dogs Trust, fireworks are coming, prepare ahead (6 October 2026, reviewed by their behaviour team)
- Dogs Trust, sound therapy and firework training for dogs
- Blue Cross, dogs and fireworks (reviewed 26 November 2025)
- RSPCA, keeping dogs, cats and other small pets safe during fireworks (undated)
- PDSA, dogs and fireworks (published December 2022)
- Battersea, dogs and fireworks (updated 3 July 2026)
- GOV.UK, fireworks: the law