New Year’s Eve, 2025. Where will you be? I know there are so many wonderful plans being made. Are you one that can’t wait to get out on the town, visit friends, head to a party (or two!), have some great food, or are you one that prefers to stay home. Nice and quiet, maybe keeping your dog calm from the fireworks? I just read a few good tips to help with that…

I was reading a conversation between dog owners and things they would try to keep their dogs calm during fireworks. Some dogs have an awful time and it’s hard to watch as a pet owner. A few tips I just read.

🎾 Try placing several tennis balls/dryer balls into a dryer (she used about 5 and also had a knotted towel and anything else that might make noise). Turn the dryer on (air dry setting, no heat) and her dog was instantly calmed. Ideally, start this just before the fireworks if you can. White Noise.

🍿 The other idea was once fireworks started she started to pop popcorn. The thinking is for the dog to associate the noise, with a treat (popcorn). Some said that worked great. I think the dryer balls (if you’re in a close vicinity to the dryer) is a great option. The popcorn is worth a try for sure.

We had two Jack Russel Terriers. One scared to death from the sound of fireworks. Would run and hide, try to dig underneath anything. The other would bark back at fireworks (or thunder) and give the most disgusted look. Made me laugh every time.

I made an effort to act happy (body language, smiling, happy voice) when there is fireworks or thunder. I think many times your dog may pick up on your body language, so give that a whirl.

👹 TONIGHT is the day that so many people’s dogs are lost. They’re scared from the fireworks and they panic and just want to run. Make triple sure they can’t get out of the house. If they need to go out, maybe put them on a leash take them for a short walk to do their business and then get then back to the safety and comfort of their own home, with music playing, drying balls making noise and maybe some popcorn popping. #maytheforcebewithus

Enjoy your New Year’s Eve, image above is from several weeks ago – a place I would like us to be right now – The Swag, in front of our fireplace. Cozy and warm, surrounded by good people and good food. What else could you possibly need?

Until next time… ✨ Take a moment to be grateful for at least one thing today – TODAY will be a good day, you’ve got this!