Your dog isn't being dramatic, so plan your evenings around them

If your dog shakes, hides or barks the house down when fireworks start, they're genuinely frightened. The kindest thing you can do is be at home with them and stay calm. In a 2025 poll for the RSPCA, almost two thirds of dog owners said fireworks had affected their dog, so if yours struggles you're far from alone.

Fireworks season in Bristol also lasts a lot longer than one night. Displays started before Halloween, and garden fireworks will carry on through the weekend after Bonfire Night, then come back for Diwali and New Year. Here's how to get your dog through it, using advice from the RSPCA, Dogs Trust, Blue Cross and PDSA.

Why fireworks frighten dogs so much

Dogs can hear sounds four times further away than we can, and at much higher frequencies, according to the RSPCA. A bang that makes you flinch hits them much harder, and there's no warning or pattern to it. Add sudden flashes and the smell of smoke and it's easy to see why so many dogs panic.

Fear doesn't always look like shaking. Watch for:

  • panting, pacing or not settling
  • trembling or clinging to you
  • hiding behind furniture or under the bed
  • barking, whining or howling
  • licking their lips, yawning or tucking their tail
  • trying to dig, chew or get out of the house
  • going off their food or having accidents indoors

Some dogs only show one or two of these. If your dog is acting out of character on a fireworks night, assume they're struggling.

Get ready before the bangs start

Most of the work happens in the days before. Leave it until the night and you're mostly firefighting.

Talk to your vet now if your dog has struggled before. Your vet can check nothing else is going on, suggest calming products like pheromone diffusers or prescribe medication, and refer you to a qualified behaviourist if needed, as the RSPCA advises. If they do prescribe something, give it before the fireworks start rather than once your dog is already panicking.

Build a den. Pick a spot your dog already likes, such as behind the sofa or under a table. Cover it with a blanket and pad it with cushions to soften the noise. Put their favourite toys in there and let them find it on their own terms. Never shut them in.

Check their microchip and tag. By law, every dog must be microchipped with up-to-date details on an approved database, and wear a collar and tag with your name and address when out in public.

Escape-proof the house and garden. Look over fences, gates and doors. Frightened dogs can get through gaps you'd never expect.

Move walks and dinner earlier. Start shifting your evening walk into daylight now, and feed a bit earlier, so it doesn't feel like a sudden change on the night.

Think long term. Sound therapy, where you play firework noises very low and build up slowly, can make a big difference. The RSPCA recommends a pack called Sounds Scary. It takes months though, so it's one to start in the new year for next season.

On the night: stay in and stay calm

Don't make plans for the evening. This is the big one. The RSPCA says not to leave your dog alone during fireworks if you can help it. Having you there helps calm them, and a dog panicking on its own is far more likely to hurt itself or try to escape. Skip the pub, move dinner with friends, or get someone your dog knows and trusts to sit in with them.

Walk early. Get them out for a decent walk and a wee well before dusk, on the lead. Check their collar or harness is snug in case a stray rocket goes off on the way home.

Shut out the world. Close windows, curtains and the cat flap before it gets dark. Put the lights on and the telly or some music up a bit louder than usual. Classic FM runs Pet Classics in fireworks season, with calming music the RSPCA recommends.

Let your dog choose how to cope. If they want to hide in their den, leave them to it and put water nearby. If they come to you for a cuddle, give them one. The old advice to ignore a frightened dog has been dropped, and both the RSPCA and the Royal Kennel Club now say to comfort them.

Never tell them off. If they bark, chew something or wee on the floor, they're terrified. The RSPCA is clear that punishing a scared pet only makes things worse in the long run. Clean it up and move on.

Act normal yourself. Dogs pick up on your mood. Potter about as usual and offer a game or a long-lasting chew if they're up for it.

Keep the front door in mind. Halloween and fireworks overlap, so be careful a nervous dog doesn't bolt when you answer the door. A baby gate in the hall helps.

Afterwards, jot down what your dog did and what helped. It'll make the next fireworks night, and your next chat with the vet, much easier.

Mistakes worth avoiding

  • Taking your dog to a display. Even if they seem unbothered, the RSPCA says it doesn't mean they're happy. Low-noise shows are still too much for most dogs.
  • Leaving them home alone on a night you know fireworks are likely.
  • Getting cross with a frightened dog, for any reason.
  • Dragging them out of hiding or forcing them into the garden while fireworks are going off.
  • Letting them off the lead anywhere near dusk during fireworks season.
  • Assuming it's just one night. In Bristol you'll hear fireworks for weeks, so keep the routine going until things settle down.

If your dog gets out or can't cope

If your dog bolts, contact your microchip database straight away to report them missing, then let your local council's stray dog service and nearby vets know. Post in local dog groups too, as people are usually out looking on fireworks nights. If you see any animal hurt or in distress, call the RSPCA's 24-hour line on 0300 1234 999.

If your dog is still shaking a day or two later, or seems worse each year, book in with your vet. You don't have to wait for next November to get help.

Where to get trusted advice

  • RSPCA — Fireworks advice for dogs and other pets, plus Sounds Scary sound therapy
  • Dogs Trust — Step-by-step fireworks advice and help finding a qualified behaviourist
  • PDSA — Vet-written guide to dens, sound CDs and getting ready for fireworks season
  • Blue Cross — Pet behaviour advice and fireworks guidance
  • GOV.UK — The fireworks curfew: 11pm usually, midnight on Bonfire Night, 1am on Diwali and New Year's Eve

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