How to Keep Your Dog Calm on New Year’s Eve (Fireworks & Stress Relief Guide)

For many dogs, New Year’s Eve is the hardest night of the year: sudden booms, flashes, and a long stretch of noise they can’t make sense of.

Below is a calm, practical guide with strategies that genuinely make a difference. Especially for dogs who struggle every year.

1. Start Sooner Than You Think

Most people start prepping their dog on December 31st. By then, it’s too late to change their stress response.

A simple 5–10 minute routine for a few days can already help:

• Play low-volume firework sounds while your dog eats something they love
  
  

• Slowly increase volume by tiny increments only if they stay relaxed
  
  

• Keep sessions short and end on a positive note
  
  

This builds familiarity, not fear. Even three days of practice helps a noise-sensitive dog feel more grounded.

2. Choose the Right Room for Them

Many guides say “create a safe space,” but the important part is where.

Look for a room that naturally blocks sound:

• Usually an interior room (bathroom, hallway, utility room)
  
  

• Rooms with carpets, sofas, towels, or soft furnishings
  
  

• Rooms away from shared walls with neighbors likely to set off fireworks
  
  

Do a quick test: close the door, play a loud noise on your phone in the hall outside the room, and see how much is reduced inside. The best room is the one with the lowest echo.

3. Reduce Sudden Booms Rather Than Trying to “Cancel” Them

Softening the sharpness of each boom helps a lot.

What works surprisingly well:

• A low, steady bass sound (ambient playlists, rain sounds, brown noise)

• If they are in the laundry room, tennis balls in the dryer work wonders!

• A fan or air purifier placed near the door

• A TV or podcast with warm voices (sports or nature documentaries work great)

Dogs don’t get calmer from silence; they get calmer from predictability.

4. Give Their Body Something to Do With the Anxiety

An anxious dog often needs an outlet, not just comfort.

Useful activities:

• Licking mats (reduce adrenaline by encouraging repetitive movement)

• Long-lasting chews (keeps their jaw moving, which promotes calm)

• Sniffing games like kibble scatter or towel rolls (sniffing lowers heart rate)

These shift their brain into “problem-solving mode,” which is incompatible with panic.

5. Use Calming Aids Strategically, Not Randomly

Many calming supplements or tools work, but timing matters.

For example:

• Calming chews should be given ahead of time. Usually 30 - 60 minutes before fireworks start

• Pheromone diffusers need several days to build an effect
  
  

Test everything before New Year’s Eve so your dog isn’t introduced to something new in the middle of stress.

6. Plan Walks With the Worst-Case Scenario in Mind

Instead of “walk earlier,” think this way:
“What if a firework goes off right next to us during the walk?”

Prepare for that:

• Use a secure harness with two connection points or a secondary safety clip

• Avoid retractable leashes (too much slack during a spook reaction)

• Bring high-value treats in case they freeze or try to run

Many dogs slip collars on NYE because they twist their neck rapidly during a panic moment. Secure gear prevents this.

7. Manage Your Home’s “Escape Routes” Before Fireworks Begin

Dogs in panic can behave unpredictably, even if they’ve never attempted to escape before.

Checklist:

• Lock windows, even small ones
  
  

• Check that balcony doors fully latch
  
  

• If you have a garden, secure side gates
  
  

• Make sure everyone in the house knows not to open the front door without checking first. If you go outside to watch or light fireworks, close the door behind you
  
  

This sounds trivial until you’ve seen a normally calm dog bolt when a firework explodes overhead.

8. Your Behavior Matters, but Not in the Way People Assume

You don’t need to ignore your dog, and you don’t need to “act normal.”
What helps most is consistency.

Try to:

• Move slowly and deliberately
  
  

• Speak in your normal voice (not a special “it’s okay” voice)
  
  

• Stay in the room if your dog is comforted by your presence
  
  

• Avoid crowding them if they prefer hiding
  
  

Dogs don’t need a performance, they need predictable humans.

9. Let Them Choose Their Coping Strategy

Some dogs want to hide. Some want to sit next to you. Some want to curl up in their bed.
Let them decide.

You can offer:

• A bed in a corner

• A blanket-draped crate (only if they already love the crate)

• A safe spot under the table or desk

Never force them into a place “because it’s calmer there.” Forcing increases stress.

10. For Dogs With a History of Severe Panic

If your dog has previously:

• Tried to escape

• Injured themselves

• Refused to eat for hours

• Hyperventilated

• Lost control of bladder/bowels

…it’s time to speak to your vet before December 31st.
There are tailored options that can prevent the situation from escalating and keep them safe.

It’s always good to plan ahead for a dog whose nervous system needs extra support.

Final Notes

Most dogs get through New Year’s Eve much more comfortably when you combine:

• A well-chosen room
  
  

• Predictable background noise
  
  

• The right calming tools
  
  

• A familiar routine
  
  

• A clear, calm human presence
  
  

Dogs, like children, read your emotions and react to them. If you are stressed because your dog might get stressed, your dog will likely get stressed. If you are calm and remove enough stressors so your dog’s body can settle, everyone can have a wonderful start of the new year.

Happy Holidays! 

Elle from team Pelsbarn