Best calming chews to help your dog stay relaxed during fireworks season

If you’ve ever owned a dog that hates fireworks, you’ll know how miserable Bonfire Night can be. What’s meant to be a fun evening for humans turns into hours of anxiety for pets — and their owners.

These days it’s not even limited to one night. With fireworks available in supermarkets and back gardens across the country, the season seems to stretch for weeks.

My cockapoo Rupert is usually bombproof. He’s confident, happy, and completely unfazed by the chaos of daily life. But the moment he hears that first distant bang, he’s instantly on edge.

Once the local display gets going, he’s a wreck — trembling, panting, and glued to my side like Velcro. By the end of the night, it’s as stressful for us as it is for him.

We’ve tried every trick in the book over the years, from calming music to hiding spots under blankets. This time, I decided to see if specially formulated calming treats could actually make a difference.

Any pet owner in this position will know that all you want to do is find a way to make it better for them. There are lots of ways to make things a bit easier, but the method I've been working on this year is calming treats.

There are plenty of these on the market, but I've been so impressed with the range of supplements from Zesty Paws, that they were my go-to brand for a supplement that might help with the bonfire season.

Zesty Paws makes a range of supplements that help with everything from digestion to hip and joint support, but it’s the calming chews I was interested in, hoping I would find them as successful as I found the probiotic chews I've been feeding them.

Zesty Paws recommends you start feeding your dog the calming chews for a few weeks in the run-up to bonfire night, and you use them as part of a series of strategies to help them get over the worst of the frights.

The chews are soft and squishy, and my two dogs absolutely love them. They're laced with Green Tea Extract, L-theanine, Ashwagandha Extract, L-Tryptophan, and a postbiotic blend that balances the gut microbiota and can help nurture mental wellness.

I'm not clever enough to understand what most of these ingredients are, but vets recommend them, they've passed a series of tests, and, fundamentally, they seem to work really well.

To put them to the test, I've been playing fireworks sounds on the television to desensitise Rupert a bit over the last week or so, and he always reacts to them. As always, they put him on edge. Because he knows they're on the television, he's rarely reduced to a quivering wreck, but I've been able to calm him down so much easier after he's had his chews.

So there has been a noticeable difference. My other dog, Honey, is always very chilled in the evenings, but she's bright as a button in the mornings. She doesn't react to fireworks, thank goodness, but she will happily bark at anyone and anything that passes the house if she's in the wrong mood. And the chews have helped with that, too. She's now much happier chilling out in her bed, rather than having a go at the neighbour's dog because it's dared to walk past her driveway.

Importantly, calming chews, as good as they are, are not going to be the only defence you should turn to if you want to make your dog as happy as possible when the fireworks are raging. It's always got to be part of a layered approach.

But when I sit back and see that Rupert is even slightly happier as a result of his sweet treats, it makes us all feel a bit less stressed. And anything we can do to make him feel better, is worth every penny in my eyes.

My top tips for helping a frightened pet get through firework season

Create a calm space

Ensure your dog can seek shelter somewhere if they want to. This can be their usual safe space, or it might be somewhere dark and quiet. Wherever they want to go, try to make sure it's comfortable and try not to leave them alone.

Mask the noise

Start my closing windows, curtains, and doors to reduce the sound that makes it into the house. Pop on some music or turn up the TV or, better still, host a party. Rupert's best distractions are a house full of his friends, so think about anything you can do to take their minds off things.

Stay calm and act normal

Pets pick up on our energy, so try not to fuss or show anxiety when the bangs start. Keeping your tone relaxed and routines normal reassures them that all is well.

Try calming aids

It's always worth trying some calming treats alongside your other proven methods. I've been really impressed with the Zesty Paws Calming Chews, but another product we've had success with is Calm-eze tablets. If in doubt, consult your vet.

Walk dogs before it gets dark, make sure cats are indoors early, and check small pets outside have secure, covered enclosures to help dull the noise.