Over the coming weeks, many pet owners will be dreading the loud bangs and unexpected door knocks of Halloween and Bonfire Night. According to Dogs Trust, almost half of dog owners say their dogs’ wellbeing is affected by fireworks, but there are some ways you can make it a smoother experience.
Among the tips given by pet experts are things like creating a calming space for your pet, like a crate or a den, or using calming pet products like treats, supplements and diffusers. And pet camera company Furbo has suggested that desensitisation , a big walk before dark, and compressive shirts could also help frightened dogs this Autumn.
They said: “Fireworks can be fun and exciting for hoomans, but not so much for our furbabies. The loud bangs, smokey smell, and bright flashes of light can cause anxiety along with barking, howling, and crying. Some pups may even try to escape their homes.”
But if you’re planning to go out on Bonfire Night and leave your pets home alone, it could be a good idea to invest in a pet camera to keep an eye on them. The Furbo - which we named our Mirror Choice top camera in a comparison test - provides barking, howling and crying alerts where you can check in on your pooch and distract them by using the treat tossing function.
If you have an Alexa device, you can also use Alexa skills integration to create a routine that instantly plays calming music or turns on the TV if your Furbo detects barking , which is another well-known tactic for soothing stressed pets.
The camera also features two-way audio, but TikTok-viral dog trainer Adam Spivey, of Southend Dog Training, recommends avoiding this feature unless absolutely necessary. He told The Mirror: “Dog cameras, like the ones made by Furbo or Arlo, can be a useful way to monitor your pet’s behaviour. For difficult situations like Bonfire Night, during which dogs can get stressed and often need to be left home alone if you’re going out to watch the fireworks, having a camera on at home can give you peace of mind that your pet is safe. It can also help you to see if any treatments, like calming tablets or distraction toys, are working or not.
“However, I wouldn’t recommend giving commands through the speakers, as this can confuse your pet. Your physical presence and body language are important, so only use the speech function if your dog is in genuine danger. Otherwise, leave them to settle on their own: sometimes your own anxiety can imprint on your dog, so interfering might make things worse rather than better.”
Adam shared a video to the Southend Dog Training TikTok account, which has more than 2.1million followers, and added: "Make sure your dog has a safe space they can go to, crate training can be super beneficial. When fireworks go off in my house my little terrier has a habit of pacing back and forth, if I stick her in a crate with a nice juicy bone, she settles down."
He also recommends taking the dog out for a long walk before the fireworks go off to tire them out, as well as remaining calm as an owner so as not to project anxiety, as previously mentioned when discussing using the camera to talk to our pets. Thunderjackets are also a tool he suggests, but said the problem most people have is that 'they don't do them up tight enough'.
As Adam suggests, calming tablets and distraction toys can also prevent pets from fixating on the fireworks outside. Furbo added: “An appropriate and safe chew toy may include a stuffed Kong toy with wet dog food, or frozen “cake” with chicken stock, water, and peanut butter! You may also play their favourite show on TV, music for dogs, or white noise to help distract them from outside noises.”
Among the calming tablets and treats that could prove beneficial over the coming weeks are the Pure Pet Food’s Calming Daily Bites, which contain relaxing chamomile and natural amino acid, L-Tryptophan, proven to reduce stress and anxiety that could be incurred from loud bangs and flashes. Forthglade also have their own calming rewards while Pooch and Mutt’s variety is also popular with pet owners. Southend Dog Training also has their own Calm Care range.
Alternatively, anti-anxiety beds are a thing, too - and this one on Amazon has been reduced to £25.33 , and some may prefer to use a diffuser, like the ADAPTIL Calm Home Diffuser with 30 Day Refill was originally £32.76, but has been slashed by 45 per cent to £17.98. Some pet owners may only want to use one of these methods, while others may combine anti-anxiety beds with a diffuser, or a distracting toy. Whichever you choose, a pet camera like Furbo will be helpful in offering peace of mind so you can see what they’re up to if you’ve headed out to watch a display. You can buy one for yourself here and find out why it came top in our testing here.