New Year's Eve with a dog: how to avoid a nervous breakdown
30.12.2024
Translation: machine translated
The party of the year for us, the end of the world for dogs: here's how you can calm your dog on New Year's Eve.
Every year at the turn of the year, my dog reliably turns into a trembling bundle of nerves. And rightly so: for four-legged friends, the evening when people bang loudly and bright lights light up the sky is a real challenge. They are very sensitive to noise and odours and therefore perceive the festivities very differently to us. As my scaredy cat is celebrating her 13th New Year's Eve this year, we have tried out dozens of tricks. Here are my best tips.
Trick 1: Gluttony instead of firecrackers
A full bowl of food can work wonders. As with humans, food makes animals tired and more likely to sleep. So let your dog eat much more than usual on New Year's Eve with a clear conscience and, if he gains weight quickly, put him on a diet on another day. It is best to give him a treat of some kind several times a day, as this distracts him, fills him up and makes him tired. Chewy treats that your dog enjoys for a long time and that tire him out after a while work very well.
Trick 2: Like owner, like dog
The best thing to do on New Year's Eve is to be calm. Pretend you don't even notice the bangs. As soon as you get nervous, your dog will too, because he can sense it. But if you show him that everything is OK, he will be much more likely to relax.
Trick 3: A place of retreat
Create a retreat for your four-legged friend that is as quiet and dark as possible. For us, for example, this is often the bathroom on the upper floor. It is fitted with darkened windows. My tip: a place where your dog can also retreat to on other days when there's too much going on is usually the right one.
If you live in the centre of a party mile? See if you can spend New Year's Eve with friends in a quiet neighbourhood. Or take him to the airport. It's super quiet in the check-in hall there on this day.
Trick 4: Reggae Dog
A study by the University of Glasgow and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has investigated what music dogs like to listen to. The researchers found that music has a calming effect on dogs. "Dogs spend more time lying down and have a calmer heart rate when music is playing," the summary reads. The reggae genre had the lowest stress level and pulse rate in the four-legged friends. You can find special playlists on YouTube, for example, which you can play for your anxious dog.
Trick 5: Sprays and co.
One thing first: this trick doesn't work with my anxious dog, at least I don't feel like it does. But there are special pheromone sprays and collars that other dog owners swear by. It's best to seek advice from your vet.
Trick 6: The walk before the storm
This trick is actually similar to my first one: the more tired the dog is, the easier it will fall asleep later. So plan a long walk or a bike ride. You may have to get up earlier for this: My dog won't go outside on New Year's Eve, even under threat of various punishments. So try to get out before the first firecrackers fly through the air.
One last tip: please never leave your dog alone on a stressful night. If you don't know what to do, it's best to find out in advance which vet practice is open in your area in case of emergency.
Does your dog turn into a doomsday pro on New Year's Eve? And what are your best tricks? Let us know in the comments!
Header image: P.S. Stasya/Shutterstock
A true local journalist with a secret soft spot for German pop music. Mum of two boys, a dog and about 400 toy cars in all shapes and colours. I always enjoy travelling, reading and go to concerts, too.