HOW – the best way to get your dog through New Year's Eve

Many dogs are so anxious about the New Year that the last day of the year becomes a torment for both dog and owner.
A really good idea is to sound train the dog well in advance, but despite training, you may still need a number of preventive measures to ensure that the dog gets through the evening as well as possible.

Read also: When the dog is terrified of the New Year

There is a lot of advice, here we have tried to collect 10 good tips for dog owners that can be used on New Year's Eve itself:

• Remember to exercise and activate your dog during the day well before dark. The dog should be tired and well-stimulated.
  Retrieval exercises, nose work and dog play can be combined with a good walk in the park to your advantage.
• Make sure to exercise your dog thoroughly early in the day. A nice long walk in the woods or on the beach will help your dog relax later in the evening.
• Make sure to keep your dog indoors when it gets dark – many start firing long before midnight.
• Make sure that the dog receives anti-anxiety and sedative medication well in advance, before it shows signs of restlessness or anxiety. Only use medication prescribed by a veterinarian for your own dog – Never use medication prescribed for humans.
  Today, a combination of anxiolytic and sedative medication is often given to reduce the dog's anxiety and make it tired at the same time.
• Please do not punish or scold your dog if it shows any discomfort around fireworks. Instead, try to distract it with some fun play, exercise, or something else the dog enjoys (e.g. a good meat bone that it can spend time licking and chewing on) – but avoid giving it too much food if the dog is on medication.
• If the dog is insecure and hiding, for example under the sofa, leave it there. Do not try to pull it out from its hiding place.
• Draw the curtains so that the dog does not see the bright flashes of light - the dog may associate the flashes of light with the unpleasant sound, and this can make him more insecure. Leave music or the television on to drown out the sounds from outside.
• Do not leave the dog alone – especially not at midnight, and not even if it is medicated.
  Make sure your dog has company and is occupied with something interesting, such as a big, juicy bone, searching for treats, or a new toy. Fun activities can help distract your dog from the noise outside.
• Keep in mind that the behavior of people under the influence of alcohol seems “mysterious” to many dogs, and that it can increase the dog's anxiety.
• NEVER try to show your dog “that fireworks are not dangerous” by taking him to the fireworks. The dog won’t understand anyway, and the experience can do more harm than good.

The next day – January 1st:
Please note that rockets etc. are still being fired in several places – REMEMBER to keep your dog on a leash!
Be aware that the streets are often littered with broken glass and rocket debris, avoid dogs sniffing and stepping on this.