Whilst Bonfire Night is an exciting time for us humans, for a lot of dogs, the flashing lights and loud bangs are simply terrifying. Thankfully there are things you can do to help make the Bonfire weekend as stress free as possible for your dog.
Signs to look out for that your dog is feeling stressed or frightened.
There are many signs to look out for that your dog might be feeling anxious or afraid:
- Hiding or attempting to hide or escape
- Pacing around
- Circling or acting restless
- Rolling over
- Grooming excessively, panting
- Yawning and licking lips excessively
- Drooling or vocalising
- Ears pulled back, tail between legs
- Curling up into a ball, making themselves look as small as possible
Keeping your pet relaxed and safe
Now you know the signs to look out for, here are a few things you can do to help make the weekend as stress free as possible for your dog and what you can do to keep them safe:
- Take your dog for a big walk during the daytime before it’s dark and any fireworks are set off to tire them out, so they’ll hopefully be less restless during the evening. Fireworks are allowed to go off until Midnight on Bonfire Night so try to wait until all fireworks have stopped before taking your dog out for any toilet trips.
- Create a safe place for your dog to hide from the fireworks. Try creating a cosy den with your dog’s blanket over their crate or over a table and place their favourite toys inside. Feed them in this little hideaway and offer them treats while they’re in their safe place. If their safe space is their crate, don’t shut the door and trap them inside as this can make them more anxious.
- Drown out the sounds of fireworks with noise from the TV/radio or with white noise playlists. Once again, Classic FM will be playing calming classical music on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th November to help calm their nerves.
- Try to block out as much light from the fireworks by closing all the doors and windows, and drawing the curtains shut. Leaving lights on indoors can also minimise the appearance of firework flashes
- Never trap your dog in one room. They may injure themselves trying to escape if they become very stressed.
- If your dog sees that fireworks don’t bother you, it might reassure them that there is nothing to worry about. Try encouraging them to play with a toy with you as a distraction.
- Give your dog some long lasting chews and or puzzle toys like a stuffed Kong can also help to distract them and keep their mind busy whilst the fireworks are going off.
- Make sure your home and garden is escape proof by properly shutting all doors and windows and checking that there are no holes or gaps around garden fences. Make sure your dog is wearing their Pawfit tracker and you have a virtual safety zone fence set up around your home and garden in the Pawfit app so that you’ll be notified fast if your dog does manage to escape. It’s also important to make sure your pet’s microchip details are up to date.
- Anxiety wraps like this Thunder Shirt can help by applying gentle and constant pressure to your dog’s body and make them feel calmer. It has a similar soothing affect to swaddling a baby.
- If your dog is extremely stressed by fireworks, it may be worth speaking to your vet to see if they can prescribe something to help keep your dog calm and relaxed over the weekend. They may recommend pheromone plug-in or something more medical.
If you are worried about your pet over the Bonfire weekend, we strongly recommend speaking to your vet for expert advice.
