We love Autumn, the change or season, the colours, the cosy nights in and of course the chunky jumpers! But if you're a pooch this lovely time of year has a dark side! It can be frightening and confusing and some dogs find it really hard to cope with.

Puggy and Pops are both afraid of the firework sounds, but they react in very different ways. Puggy gets very stressed and highly strung, he paces and barks and find it extremely hard to settle. Pops, on the other hand tends to hide. She will panic and and start shaking and crying, desperately trying to find a safe space until its all over.

Of course all the usual tips a tricks apply! Keep to a normal routine, double check your dogs microchip chip details, walk them before nightfall, try to keep them indoors as much as possible etc…. But here’s some bits and bobs we found at Pet Pavilion, that have really helped to calm our dogs down and ease their anxieties, helping us feel prepared for the impending doom of firework season.

Pet Safe CBD Oil

Brand new to the UK, and currently available at Pet Pavilion stores London wide, we introduce to you, Dr.Shu’s CBD for Pets.

This is one of the first CBD products, specially formulated and tested for Pets to go on sale in the UK, so get your paws on it asap!

So pets could safely benefit form the many therapeutic properties of canabis, Dr. Shu uses his medical expertise and vast experience as a vet to formulate products that are both safe and extremely effective in animals. CBD is proven to have help calm the effects of environmental stresses in pets, so firework night won’t seem like armageddon anymore!

Pops is an anxious dog by nature, with numerous health problems following a major spinal surgery 2 years ago. CBD oil had helped Pops immensely, not only for her anxieties, but also for her stiff joints and back ache following major spinal surgery a few years back. Puggy is anxious when the banging starts, so using a tiny amount of CBD oil really has helped him settle down and achieve a state of calmness,

CBD oil is proved to help reduce stress, aid sleep, and relive hyperactivity. It also has amazing results to help ease joint pain, increase mobility, improve digestion and supports a normal Brian function.

Dr Shu’s CBD oil is independently lab tested, premium quality, cruelty free and 100% natural. It really doesn’t get any better than this! Simply follow the instructions on the pack to ensure your dog is given the correct quantity and allow them to experience all the benefits of canabis oil, without the ‘high'

Safe space!

This ones a no brainer! Make a safe haven for your pooch!

Shut the curtains, get the tv on nice and loud and make a safe, snuggly space for your pooch to hide away from all the drama!

Pet Pavilion have a huge range of fluffy beds, snuggle sacks and blankets to help make your dog feel calmer and protected for when the noises become too much!

Puggy likes to curl up with us humans on the sofa, in a big fluffy blanket, while Pops prefers to have a fort built for her, either in a cave bed or under the coffee table, draped with blankets and kept warm with a hot water bottle. What ever works best for your pooch, pet Pavilion will have it covered! There are heaps of gorgeous beds and blankets at various price points to help your doggo relax and get some much needed comfort during this very tense time of year.

Scary time snackies

Sometimes with both Puggy and Pops, distraction is the best method! I have found that giving them long lasting chewy treats, that really take some work seem to help! Both dogs are so focussed on the chewy that they don’t absorb anything else going on around them! Their favourite long-term chews are Pet Pavilions Yak Milk chew sticks, and they really love their dried pigs ears too! Just make sure there is plenty of drinking water for your pooch and if they are like our, they will be kept busy for hours!

Brain training Toys

The brain training toys are also an awesome distraction for dogs on firework night. They are using their brains and focusing on getting treats from the puzzle toys, instead of focussing on their anxieties during firework night.

Pops and Puggy both LOVE their brain puzzle toys from Pet Pavilion. There is a massive selection to choose from in store, but their favourites are the hollow treat dispensing ball and the adjustable toy trunk.

For added calmness, we filled the brain training toys with Pet pavilion hand baked Bed time biscuits which are perfect to help to relax dogs as they contain natures calming remedy of valerian root and chamomile. They also contain liver for tastiness and our dogs absolutely love them! We also used a few of the true hemp treats, which are also available at Pet Pavilion stores and online. These treats have a soothing effect on the dogs as well as being good for their general health, they are rich in omega 3, hemp seed and hemp leaf, as well as containing other naturally calming, tasty herbs!

Puggy tends to bash his puzzle toy around the house, which leads to one very sleepy pug. Whilst Pops will ignore on her treat dispensing toy for hours, by the time they are both done, they both melt into a very calm, long snooze, without any care given to outside noises!

FIREWORKS by Homeopet

I havn’t used these drops for bonfire night before, but I have used them for Pops when she has panic attacks or separation anxiety and they are brilliant. I chose to mention these drops as I know some pooches who experience similar symptoms when they are stressed and afraid on bonfire night.

Pops is a rescue and was badly abused before, so every now and then some demons from her past come back to haunt her and she gets herself in a pickle. Its very hard to watch, as pops will reverse sneeze, gasp for air, she will begin panting, crying, drooling, pacing etc…

These drops can be tricky to administer, specially to an anxious pet, so if possible, I would recommend doing the deed before your pet is stressed!

The quickest and most effective way to use Fireworks drops, is to drop the recommended amount into their mouth, around the gums and under their tongue. Easier said than done, I know, so if your pet is too lively, then they also work if hidden in food or diluted in water.

The drops work VERY quickly on Pops, and i've been a fan of these for a long time. Each bottle lasts a long time so the value for money is pretty good! We recently used them when Puggy had surgery. He was anxious and stressed with the pain and boredom of not going for walks, but a few of these drops seems to relive his tensions and help him to relax and heal quicker.

Another top top for these drops is to dilute them into a spray bottle and spritz your home and the dogs beds with it. They will help to calm the dog quicker without the use of any medication or sedation.

These are all our favourite goodies from the range of calming wonders at Pet Pavilion, but there is plenty more to choose from in store and online.

OTHER TOP TIPS FOR THE BIG NIGHT

Use pheromones, such as wall plug ins, or sprays for your home to help your dog achieve a sense of calm, start using these a few weeks before firework night, so the pheromones have a chance to build up and work their calming magic. Just ask at any pet pavilion, as these are widely stocked here also!

Before the big night, help to desensitise your pooch by playing firework sound effects at a low level to your dog, to get them to memorise and process the sounds. Slowly increase the volume over a few days/weeks to help them adapt slowly without shock on the big night. Familiarity will help to make things less frightening.

When trying any of the goodies we recommended, always check the packaging before administering any calming medication or treats to your dog to ensure the right dosage.

All items availble at: www.petpavilion.co.uk