New Year’s Eve with your dog: how to avoid stress

New Year’s Eve with your dog can be hard work: bangers, rockets and flashes of light frighten many dogs badly. In a survey covering 1,225 dogs, just over half were fearful of fireworks. The good news: you can do a lot. Starting early, long before the turn of the year, helps the most. On the evening itself, a safe retreat, calm and rewards help, and for severe fear, the vet.

How to tell your dog is afraid

• Body: He trembles, pants heavily, tucks his tail or lays his ears back.
• Behaviour: He hides, constantly seeks you out, paces restlessly or wants to get away.
• Voice: He barks, whines or howls at every bang.
• Appetite: He won’t eat, not even his favourite treats.

Why you should start early

Fear of fireworks often begins in the first or second year of life. In the survey, dogs that had practised with firework sounds as puppies coped much better on New Year’s Eve than dogs without training. Even in dogs that were already afraid, the fear was more likely to improve with training than without. Two things were most often described as effective: linking every bang with something good and practising relaxation with the dog.

How to practise in the weeks before

• Practise relaxing: Reward your dog when he lies calmly on his blanket, until he relaxes on a cue.
• Start very quietly: Play firework sounds so quietly that he can barely hear them while he lies on his blanket, and reward him.
• Increase slowly: Only turn it up once he stays relaxed. If he shows fear, go back a step.
• Early and regularly: Practise daily if possible and start at a quiet time of year, not just before New Year’s Eve. A single loud experience too early can undo the progress.
• Get help: If it doesn’t work, a dog trainer who uses reward-based training can support you. Practised the wrong way, the fear can otherwise increase.

On New Year’s Eve

• Tire him out during the day: Go for a long walk during the day and the last one before dark.
• Only on the lead: In the days around New Year’s Eve there are often bangs earlier. Keep your dog on the lead so that he doesn’t run off in panic.
• Retreat: Set up a cosy spot for him in the quietest room, close windows and shutters and play quiet music or a steady background noise.
• Crate only with care: Some dogs feel safe in their crate, others panic when shut in and injure themselves. Only shut him in if you can keep an eye on him.
• Don’t leave him alone: Stay with your dog or make sure a familiar person is there.
• Bang means treat: After every loud bang, give him something he especially likes, as long as he still wants to eat.
• Stay calm: Let him hide away if he wants to, and give him closeness if he seeks it. Never scold him.

When you should ask the vet

If your dog is very afraid, it’s best to talk to the vet a few weeks before New Year’s Eve. If training isn’t enough by then, the vet can prescribe medication that is given before the fireworks, some of it at least an hour beforehand. Don’t give him anything on your own initiative. If your dog makes no progress in training despite patience, have him examined as well: physical causes can also increase sensitivity to noise.

And after New Year’s Eve?

Most fearful dogs are back to normal the next morning. In some, the fear lasts for days or even weeks. If your dog is changed for a longer time afterwards, get support from the vet or a dog trainer and start training for next year early.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Riemer S.: Not a one-way road: Severity, progression and prevention of firework fears in dogs, PLoS One 2019.
• Lindell E., Horwitz D., Landsberg G.: Treating Fear of Storms and Fireworks in Dogs, VCA Animal Hospitals, accessed 2026.

You can’t cancel New Year’s Eve, but you can make the night much easier for your dog. The earlier you practise, the more relaxed the turn of the year will be for both of you.

Read more: Why does your dog bark at people?