When the Holidays Get Noisy: How to Create a Sense of Security for Your Dog
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Time to read 9 min
It’s Christmas Eve… The whole house smells like delicious food, everyone you love is gathered under one roof, you're laughing, playing gift games, dancing around the Christmas tree, the children are running around playing, presents are being unwrapped, and the Christmas spirit is in full swing! … But is your dog also feeling the “Christmas spirit”?
The Christmas days are wonderful, busy, hectic, and filled with love—just as they should be. BUT this time of year is not as “enjoyable” for our dogs as it is for us. Dogs thrive on structure, routines, and predictability in their daily lives, and the Christmas days are anything but that. The hustle and bustle, the noise level, and the general excitement can feel overwhelming for our dogs, who don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Research has shown that dogs who have a more routine-based daily life are less stressed and thus less prone to developing behavioral problems. It's not unlikely that our dogs' stress levels are elevated during the holidays. However, that doesn’t mean our dogs can’t handle higher stress; we just need to help them regulate their nervous system so that the stress level quickly subsides. In other words, we need to get our dogs into the “Christmas spirit.”
There are many things we, as owners, can do to make Christmas as cozy and stress-free as possible for our dogs. Below, I’ll share various ideas to make your Christmas more dog-friendly.
Table of Content
Routines
● As mentioned, routines create a sense of security, so it’s always a good idea to try to maintain the routines that are possible on the day. That could involve getting up, feeding “breakfast,” and going for a morning walk as usual. Try to keep the usual feeding times and any other routines that can fit into the holiday schedule.
Walks
● Before all the festivities begin, it’s a good idea to go for a good walk with your dog so it gets some physical stimulation. Many call this “burning off energy,” but for me, it’s not about the dog running in circles, fetching 800 thrown balls, or running alongside a bike on the way home... Quite the opposite. The quality of the walk is what matters. Let the dog move at its own pace, use its nose, dig some holes, and spend time “reading the newspaper.”
Remember, we’re trying to keep the dog’s stress levels low – throwing balls increases stress!
● Take advantage of short walks throughout the day to give your dog a break from the home chaos and reset its nervous system. Again, don’t think of this as “burning off energy,” but just “reading the newspaper” at its own pace.
Enrichment / Activity
● For me, mental stimulation is more important. Mental engagement tires dogs out more than a run next to a bike. We know this ourselves – you're not necessarily ready for a nap after a brisk morning jog, but if you've been solving algebra problems for an hour, your brain is ready for a nap!
● Mental stimulation can be many things, but basically something that makes the dog think. It could be training various exercises, nose work, activity games, licking mats, and much more. Be creative. Only your imagination sets the limit.
● Use mental stimulation before guests arrive (to stimulate the dog), during the event (to keep stress low), and after the guests leave (to end the day calmly).
It’s a good idea to prepare various enrichment items in advance to engage your dog during the event. A licking mat or other food-seeking enrichment can be very helpful. Licking or food foraging has been shown to reduce stress, increase natural behavior, and reduce restlessness.
Safe Spaces
● Always make sure your dog has a calm place where it can retreat from the commotion. This should be the dog’s safe space—a place where it can be alone without being disturbed by guests, children, or noise.
● You can create several safe spots. I prefer one space completely removed from the gathering—quiet and with no foot traffic—and one closer to the group but slightly off to the side, so the dog can observe but still rest. In both areas, the rule is: if the dog is in its safe space, no one may touch it. If it wants to interact, it will come over. A familiar-smelling blanket is a good addition.
● Train these safe spaces before the actual day, so the dog feels comfortable using them.
Dog rules
● Many underestimate the value of briefing guests about the rules for your dog on the day. Examples: leave the dog alone in its safe space, don’t feed it without asking, let the dog come to you, don’t bother it when it’s training or eating, don’t take things from the dog (the owner will handle that), etc.
● These rules are especially important with children. Especially not disturbing the dog while it eats and not taking things from it. If the dog takes something from the kids, the owner will handle it.
Keep an eye on the dog
● Always keep a close eye on your dog. It's your responsibility to prevent uncomfortable situations.
● During the holidays, decorations, gift wrap, ribbons, candles, and more are everywhere. Make sure your dog doesn’t eat something it shouldn’t or come into contact with anything dangerous.
Schedule Breaks
● Some dogs struggle to withdraw themselves when overwhelmed, so you may need to give your dog a break. For example, get one of the enrichment items you've prepared, like a frozen licking mat. Guide your dog to a quiet safe space and give it the mat. This gives the dog an undisturbed break.
● Dogs are different. Some love when guests visit and want to be where the action is. Others, not so much. Both types need us to respect their individual needs.
Supplements
● If your dog is generally nervous and struggles with lots of guests, supplements can help. Several products on the market offer a calming effect without being medication.
● For very nervous dogs that don’t like strangers or crowds, reconsider hosting Christmas at your house. Alternatively, arrange for the dog to stay at a calm, familiar place.
With all this in mind, some snacks and enrichment ready, your guests briefed, and a close eye on your dog, you can help your dog get into the Christmas spirit too.
New Year
When Christmas is over, most people start looking forward to a big New Year’s Eve celebration. This night is also full of activity, but the biggest factor for dogs is fireworks!
Many (not all) dogs I meet with noise sensitivity or phobia developed it after a bad experience with New Year’s fireworks. That’s why preparation is so important.
What Is Noise Phobia?
Noise phobia is essentially a strong fear reaction to specific sounds. Physiologically, it activates the sympathetic nervous system (the body’s stress system), putting the body in a “fight or flight” state.
Let’s briefly (and simply) look at what happens in a dog’s body during noise phobia:
- Brain detects a threat → Sound travels to the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system) and activates the sympathetic nervous system.
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Stress hormones are released → Two systems are activated:
a. Sympathetic nervous system releases adrenaline and noradrenaline → quick physical response (faster heartbeat, more blood to muscles, higher blood sugar).
b. HPA axis (Hypothalamus → Pituitary → Adrenal glands) releases cortisol, the stress hormone, keeping the body alert longer. - Body goes into alert mode → The dog is no longer using the thinking part of the brain but the primitive survival mode: breathing speeds up, muscles tense (may cause shaking), pupils dilate, it scans for escape routes, paws may sweat, it may get diarrhea and lose appetite.
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Behavioral response:
- Flee = run and hide
- Freeze = stand still, tense, big eyes, cling to owner
- Fight = bark, growl, other alarm behaviors
- After-effect → Adrenaline fades fast, but cortisol can remain high for hours. This can leave dogs tired or anxious long after the event.
Understanding this process helps us support our dogs better. You can think of the dog’s brain in two parts: the front thinking brain (learning, understanding) and the back survival brain. Only one can be active at a time. If the survival brain is triggered, the thinking brain shuts off.
That’s why it’s crucial to keep the dog in the thinking brain in potentially stressful situations. It’s not always possible, and we can’t avoid all unpleasant experiences, but we can try.
Here are some tips to help your dog through New Year's:
Walks
● Go for a good walk early in the day when fireworks are least likely. Keep your dog on a leash—any dog can panic and run. Consider a flexi-leash or long line to give freedom. Stick to short potty walks later in the evening. Focus more on mental stimulation.
● Fireworks may go off days before New Year, so always be prepared and keep the leash on.
Treat Explosion
● When out walking and you hear a bang, shower your dog with treats immediately. Have treats handy. The goal is to distract and keep the dog in the thinking brain.
Mental Stimulation
● On New Year’s Eve, also keep stress low through mental stimulation, training, games, and foraging. Have something delicious ready at midnight that your dog can enjoy while the fireworks go off.
Safe base
● Safe spots are important here too. More so, make sure the dog has a secure base with blackout curtains to block light flashes and a radio to mask sound.
This space should feel like a quiet retreat. If the dog needs to hide, let it. Never force it to join the “party.” Just check in with treats or cuddles.
Noise Training Before New Year
● Start noise training well before New Year. This can involve making noise part of play (e.g., knocking over cans) and rewarding the dog. Gradually increase noise. The goal is to associate noise with positivity.
● You can also play firework sounds at low volume and slowly increase. Always stay below the dog’s stress threshold. Pair the sounds with treats and enrichment. Over time, fireworks can trigger drool instead of stress.
Supplements
● Supplements can also support a calm nervous system. Most dogs would benefit from this around New Year. It’s better to be proactive.
Medication
● Nervous or noise-phobic dogs may benefit from prescription meds. Always consult your vet.
Neighbors
● If you have a nervous dog, you can also talk to your neighbours and ask if it would be a big help if they avoid setting off fireworks right outside your house. Most people are very understanding and accommodating when you reach out.
Never alone on New Year’s Eve
● Never leave your dog alone on New Year’s Eve. If you can’t be with your dog, arrange for someone else in a quiet environment. If your dog is very scared, consider spending New Year in a quieter place, like a cabin.
What to Avoid
● Never scold your dog for being scared—pulling away, barking, not responding to commands, etc. Remember it might be in a stress reaction and not capable of doing what you ask.
● Don’t force the dog to join the party if it doesn’t want to. Don’t over-comfort either. Acknowledge its presence and try to distract with cuddles, games, or treats.
All this may seem overwhelming—or unnecessary if your dog hasn’t shown fear during the holidays. But I believe it’s better to be safe. Preventing behavior problems is far easier than solving them later.
Even if we do everything we can, we can’t control everything. All we can do is create the best conditions for our dogs to feel safe in what can be a hectic—but also magical—time.
Thank you for reading. I wish you and your four-legged friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Sources:
Franzini de Souza, C. C., Dias, D. P. M., de Souza, R. N., & de Medeiros, M. A. (2018). Use of behavioural and physiological responses for scoring sound sensitivity in dogs. PLoS ONE, 13(8)
Hunt, R. L., Whiteside, H. & Prankel, S. (2022). Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Dog Behaviour: Pilot Study. Animals, 12(2), 141
Ibrahim, S. A., Goma, A. A. & Alsenosy, A.-W. A. (2020). Springing Bottles Enrichment Toy Effect on Behaviors and Cortisol Level of Kennelled Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 66(2), 20–29.
LeDoux, J. E. (1996). Neurobiology of fear responses: the role of the amygdala. Journal of Neuroscience, 16(10), 3473–3482
Luna-Cortés, G. (2022). Companion Dog Routine Inventory: Scale Validation and the Effect of Routine on the Human–Dog Relationship. Anthrozoös, 35(4), 527–544.
The Author: Amanda Spraggon
Master of Science (MSc) in Animal Science from the University of Copenhagen, specialized in Canine Behaviour, and certified dog and clicker trainer.
