- Spot the fear: trembling, panting, tucked tail, hiding, dilated pupils
- Use a long line (even with dogs that come when called, since bangs can trigger flight)
- A secure harness instead of just a collar (prevents your dog from breaking free in a panic)
- Desensitization: train with New Year's Eve sounds weeks ahead
- Comforting is allowed: offer closeness if your dog seeks it, and stay calm yourself
- Alternative: spend New Year's Eve somewhere without fireworks
Spotting the Fear
Typical signs: ears pinned back, dilated pupils, panting, trembling, a crouched posture with a tucked tail, hiding (under the bed, in the closet, in the basement), uncontrolled barking, peeing indoors.
Safety measures: a secure harness with an extra strap instead of a collar. A long line on every walk around New Year's Eve. Keep the microchip registration current (for example with TASSO) in case your dog gets loose despite your precautions.
7 Tips for New Year's Eve
1. Adjust Your Walks
Take a long walk on the morning of December 31, while it's still quiet. Choose forest trails or field paths away from the city. In the afternoon and evening, only short rounds to do their business. If your dog doesn't want to go out at all on New Year's Eve: don't force it, they can hold it for a few hours.
2. Train for Sound Sensitivity (Weeks Ahead)
Desensitization is the most effective measure, but it takes lead time. Play New Year's Eve sounds (fireworks, firecrackers) quietly while your dog is doing something it enjoys (eating, playing, cuddling). Increase the volume gradually over days and weeks. Vary the room and time of day so your dog doesn't associate the sounds with one specific spot. Practice at least once a day.
3. Stay Calm
Yes, you can comfort your dog. If they seek your company, offer it: speak softly, keep your hands calm and stroke them where they enjoy it. Fear is an emotion, not a behavior you can accidentally reward. In Stefanie Riemer’s large survey, comforting had no effect on whether fear got worse. Becoming distressed yourself does not help, as your agitation can affect your dog. Stay calm. Do not pull your dog out of their hiding place; sit nearby instead.
4. Prepare a Safe Retreat
Close the windows, lower the shutters or draw the curtains. Offer a crate with a favorite blanket as a hiding spot. Keep familiar background sounds going (TV, music at normal volume). Don't leave your dog alone on New Year's Eve.
5. Distract and Keep Busy
Puzzle toys, snack balls, or scent games take your dog's mind off the noise. Repeat familiar exercises and reward them. The goal: your dog focuses on the task instead of the sounds.
6. Calming Aids (Discuss With Your Vet)
The EU has prescription medicines specifically approved for dogs with noise anxiety. Your vet decides whether medication is appropriate for your dog and which one to use. In Stefanie Riemer’s survey, 69 percent of owners using prescription medication reported success. For training with food or play at every bang, the figure was 71 percent. These are owner reports, not a guarantee of success.
For pheromone diffusers, Bach flower remedies, homeopathy, essential oils and supplements, 35 percent or fewer reported success. The analysis found no effect of these products on whether fear improved or worsened. Do not rely on them. If used at all, they should only supplement a safe retreat and training, never replace them. We do not recommend CBD.
Never give your dog human medicines or leftover medication from another dog. Medicines that merely sedate can be misleading: ask your vet whether the medicine reduces anxiety. More on this under calming aids for dogs.
7. Calm Music
Calm classical music (Mozart, Bach) has a proven calming effect on dogs. Let it play quietly in the background to mask the noise from outside.
New Year's Eve Without Fireworks
For severely anxious dogs, a New Year's getaway to a place without fireworks can be the best solution.
Islands: Amrum and Hallig Oland (fireworks banned entirely). Föhr (only allowed at the Wyk harbor beach). Sylt (only professional fireworks in Hörnum).
National parks: Bavarian Forest, Harz, Hainich, Lüneburg Heath, Müritz, Lower Saxon Wadden Sea, Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea, Lower Oder Valley. Fireworks are banned in the park, but allowed in neighboring towns. The closer to the forest your accommodation is, the quieter it stays.
Historic town centers: Many half-timbered towns have a fireworks ban to protect the buildings. Example: Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The ban usually applies only to certain areas.
Were you paying attention?
Question 1 of 3How many dogs are estimated to react anxiously to fireworks?
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