Best enrichment for anxious dogs on Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night, on 5 November, is noisy across much of the UK, and the bangs often start days earlier. If your dog already hates fireworks, a new toy will not switch that off. Enrichment gives them a familiar job in a quiet room. It is one small part of the evening, not a treatment, and it is not veterinary advice.

If your dog pants hard, drools, tries to escape, or cannot rest at all when they hear bangs, contact your vet before the season. They are the right person to talk to about noise. This page stays on the practical side: food games, a calm room, and what to skip.

Set the room up before dusk

Do this on a normal afternoon, not when the first rocket goes off.

• Close the curtains and put a lamp on, so flashes are less obvious.
• Offer their own bed in a room they already like. A covered crate is fine if they choose it on ordinary days. Do not shut them in somewhere new.
• Put the radio or a familiar playlist on at a modest volume. You are adding ordinary household sound, not trying to drown out the street.
• Take a lead walk earlier than usual, while it is still quiet, if your dog still wants to go out.
• Keep the lead and a few treats by the door in case the garden is the only option later. Skip a long outdoor session once displays have started.

Cats usually do better with hiding places they already use: a carrier left open, a box in a quiet room, a shelf in a wardrobe. Do not drag them out for a cuddle every time there is a bang.

Use food games they already understand

A brand-new puzzle on a frightening night can feel like homework. Use something they have done before, and keep it easy.

Lick mats. Smear a thin layer of their usual wet food and, if they know the routine, freeze it in the afternoon. Licking is repetitive and slow. Stay in the room. If they walk away, leave the mat down and do not coax them. Well-known silicone mats are in our lick mats section, including the LickiMat Soother.

Snuffle mats. Hide part of their normal kibble in a mat they have used before. Sniffing keeps many dogs busy. It is a poor fit for a dog who rips fabric when they are wound up. Offer a lick mat or a sturdy rubber toy instead. Mats are listed under snuffle mats.

Puzzle feeders and dispensers. Only if they can already open that puzzle on a quiet Sunday. Drop the difficulty: fewer pieces, easier sliders, a bigger smear of food. A KONG Classic stuffed lightly with their usual food is useful when they already like it. See puzzle feeders and treat dispensers.

Cats. A familiar food puzzle in a quiet room is enough. This is a bad night to introduce a feeder they have never seen. The Catit Senses Digger is a steadier choice once they already use it.

What to skip

• Do not tell them off for panting, pacing or hiding. They are not misbehaving.
• Do not hold them up to the window to “get them used to it”.
• Do not debut a complicated puzzle, a new nylon chew, or a DIY craft with loose bits while you are also watching the street.
• Do not expect the game to make them relaxed. Some dogs will eat. Some will not want food at all. Both are ordinary.

A simple timeline

1. Afternoon. Freeze a lick mat with their normal food. Lay out one game you know they can do, and put the others away.
2. Early evening. A short walk if they are happy to go, then the quiet room.
3. When the noise starts. Offer that one game. Sit with them. Keep your voice ordinary.
4. If they refuse the food. Stop. Let them hide. Try again later only if they come looking.
5. Next morning. A sniff around the garden or the park if they want it. Pick up debris before they do.

If you only buy one thing

Buy the format they already enjoy, not the busiest-looking toy. A silicone lick mat is easy to wash. A snuffle mat suits dogs who hunt for kibble and leave fabric alone. Check the current price on the retailer. We deliberately do not publish a price, because it changes.

Household versions of the same ideas are in DIY enrichment on a budget. If you are choosing between the two bought formats, read lick mat vs snuffle mat.

Enrichment will not make fireworks fun. It can make the evening slightly more ordinary: a job, a quiet room, and you nearby.