New Year’s Eve means stress for many dogs.

Loud bangs, hissing and weird burnt smells are new and unpredictable, especially for young dogs. That’s why it’s so important to prepare your dog, as early as possible for this time of year.

We show you the 3 best tips on how to have a relaxed New Year’s Eve with your dog:

1 Preventive noise training

To prevent your dog from developing a fear of noises in the first place, you should prepare him preventively for loud situations, such as New Year’s Eve, construction site noise or crafts in the house. It is important that your dog is allowed to approach the sources of stimulation independently and also to move away from them again.

Several studies have already shown that dogs who learned to deal with different noises as puppies very rarely suffered from noise anxiety in adulthood. Even in dogs that are already adults, this training can lead to an alleviation of anxiety.

To preventively familiarize your dog with different sounds, you can:.

• Play your dog a playlist of New Year’s Eve fireworks (softly at first, then gradually louder) while giving him an activity he likes to do, such as solving a food puzzle or doing tricks.
• Play the sounds playlist when your dog is playing with another confident and non-anxious dog.
• Fill a box with rattling and rustling objects (that can’t hurt your dog) and hide various treats in it for your dog to find.

2 conditioned relaxation

Conditioned relaxation is a real everyday helper that not only helps you in stressful situations with your dog, but can also provide peace and relaxation in everyday life.

In conditioned relaxation, your dog learns to relax in response to a word and a touch from you. To do this, it is important that you first train in a relaxed atmosphere, such as when your dog is resting. Your dog will also benefit from the fact that you also radiate calmness during this exercise, because mood transfer is an important aspect of the human-dog bond.

Train conditioned relaxation this way:.

• Put your dog in „sit“ and sit on a chair behind him.
• Place both hands on your dog’s chest and slowly stroke down from there to his paws. As you do this, repeat the word signal „Cool.“
• Do this exercise 5 minutes a day for a week. You can find detailed video instructions in our app.

3 Preparation and distraction

After your dog is prepared for New Year’s Eve, it’s time to prepare your home to provide as much protection as possible for your dog:

• Don’t leave your dog alone on New Year’s Eve or during thunderstorms.
• Consult with your veterinarian if your dog has already panicked on New Year’s Eve.
• If possible, draw the curtains or lower the blinds to soften the visual and auditory stimuli.
• Turn on a radio or your television to create another familiar sound source.
• Nebulize lavender oil (if you used essential oils during conditioned relaxation).
• Double secure your dog on the walk via harness and collar, or get a special panic harness if your dog is sensitive to sounds.
• Walk in areas where there is little banging and avoid taking your dog out just before midnight on New Year’s Eve.

You want to prepare your dog optimally for New Year’s Eve? Then Lade start your New Year’s Eve training now and let our app guide you step by step to your goal.

We wish you a relaxed New Year’s Eve with your dog 🐶

Your Pupy Team