If you are worried about using medication to treat your dogs firework phobia, you could try using a firework phobia soundtrack instead. Guide Dogs UK has just launched The National Fireworks Archive which is a training tool to help you through this process.

You can find this how-to guide video on the Guide Dogs UK website, external.

These playlists have shown to be really effective, but this desensitization can take between 6-9 months, so it's something to be aware of now but maybe something to start in the New Year once fireworks season has ended and use it to help your dog for next year's firework season.

The idea behind these soundtracks is that you can start them on the lowest volume where your dog doesn't prick its ears up, or they don't sort of show any signs of fear or anxiety at all. Then you're going to keep repeating that, and try to link it to something positive, so either training or treats.

Over time, you can start to try and increase that volume and, again, and the idea is that you keep building that up and up and up to build your dog's tolerance of these loud noises.

Sometimes it might be better to do these things alongside the help of your vet or a clinical animal behaviourist, just to make sure that the training is working and you're not just worsening the anxiety.