10 Products That Will Relieve Your Dog’s Fireworks Anxiety

Fight sound with sound with this soothing music speaker by Pet Acoustics. Using relaxing, frequency-modified music; this speaker is a powerful defense against outside noises. Preloaded with 90 minutes of music, you can also connect this speaker to your phone via Bluetooth.

Package all that Zen into one tasty treat. We’ve long loved these hemp bites by Zesty Paws, and this is a perfect holiday to pull them out. They contain melatonin, which can help keep your pup snoozing away happily as fireworks stretch into the night.

Adaptil’s pheromone diffusers have become a go-to remedy for pet parents with anxious dogs. Many praise the product for its quick-acting ability, as one reviewer detailed on Amazon: “After about 30 minutes of diffusing this, my dog was definitely more relaxed. He went from barking his head off at anyone who entered the room to walking over to sniff them, then settling down on the couch.” 

Per certified dog trainer Lindsay Hamrick, these diffusers are effective because they replicate the pheromones that a mother dog secretes from her sebaceous glands while nursing. “Do they hide under your bed when those Fourth of July fireworks go off? Spray Adaptil near that area to help support them,” she adds. —Sean Zucker

A blanket that comes with its own heartbeat might seem creepy to you — but not to your pup! Designed to simulate the presence of their mother, this blanket signals to your dog that they are safe from all that racket outside.

A serum, like this option from Bach, is a great addition to your pup’s Fourth of July anxiety-mitigation plan. Add the recommended amount for their weight to their meal or snack to get them feeling stress-free with this homeopathic solution long before the pretty colors light up the sky.

“I have a very nervous pooch who suffers with anxiety really bad,” one Amazon reviewer wrote. “He shakes in winter because of the rain and thunderstorms. He shakes continuously if I have workers come to the house and if there are people working outside mowing lawns, etc. Since having purchased Rescue Remedy, I find that he is more subdued and happy to lay in his bed after I have given him some.”

There’s a reason it was our 2023 Best in Show winner for Best Calming Serum.

Properly worn earmuffs are the gold standard of noise reduction when it comes to fireworks. Available in small through XL and with the ability to reduce noise up to 86 percent, this pair by derYEP is a great choice for pets of all sizes. Keep in mind that your dog will most likely need some training to tolerate wearing these, so if possible, try to work with them ahead of time. For your sanity and your dog’s, we don’t recommend starting this training at 7 p.m. on July 4th.

Snuffle mats are ubiquitous as the go-to enrichment toy, but did you know this type of toy can really help them zone out the rest of their stressors, including lots of guests, loud noises, and the fact that you won’t feed them every hot dog from the grill. Try this PB&J instead, little guy! We especially like this mat one by Injoya that combines snuffling with licking — two behaviors proven to relax our pups.

The ThunderShirt is one of the OG anxiety tools — and for good reason. This drug-free, anti-anxiety vest works to calm your pet using natural swaddling pressure, kind of like a hug. And with over 30,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, it’s safe to say its track record speaks for itself.

This peanut butter by Super Snouts can be added to your pup’s favorite lick mat or feeding toy for a seriously calming and delicious distraction.

This is a great way to give your pup a treat (and keep them occupied!) when they’re at maximum anxiety. You can prepare ahead by putting some CBD peanut butter on the mat, freezing it, and letting your baby go to town on this frozen delicacy. That last show-stopping, ridiculously loud firework of the night? Eh, your dog is busy; they don’t even know her.