From joy to fear: Why New Year's Eve is stressful for greyhounds

New Year's Eve, with its colorful fireworks and charged joy, often brings a smile to our faces. But while we admire the sky, our four-legged companions, especially greyhounds, often experience anxiety and stress that aren't easy to ignore. In the coming sections, we'll discuss the causes of the stress greyhounds experience on New Year's Eve and possible measures to alleviate it. At the end of the blog, I'll share a personal but highly effective tip that can make New Year's Eve significantly more relaxing for your greyhound. So stay tuned until the end to learn how you can make the New Year's celebrations enjoyable for your greyhound, too.

Why is New Year’s Eve stressful for greyhounds?

New Year's Eve can be a particularly stressful time for dogs. The festivities we enjoy can be very unsettling for our four-legged friends. There are several factors that contribute to the stress dogs experience during this time of year:

Noise and light effects

• Loud noises: The loud noises of fireworks and firecrackers can be very frightening for greyhounds. Their hearing is much more sensitive than that of humans, and the loud bangs can cause fear and stress.
• Bright flashes of light: The bright lights and flashes associated with fireworks can also be frightening for dogs. The sudden changes in light can be disorienting and cause additional stress.

Changes in the environment

• Unfamiliar people: New Year's Eve celebrations often bring with them a flood of unfamiliar faces, which can be unsettling for dogs.
• Changed routines: The holidays can also lead to changes in daily routines, which can cause additional stress for animals that are creatures of habit.

Owners' responsibility

• Inadequate preparation: Some owners may not be well prepared to prepare and support their greyhounds for the challenges of New Year's Eve. This lack of preparation can lead to increased stress and anxiety in your greyhound.
• Off-leash: If greyhounds are not properly secured during the evening hours, they may panic and run away, which can create dangerous situations.

Preparing for New Year's Eve

Security measures

Preparing for New Year's Eve celebrations is crucial to ensuring your greyhound is safe and as stress-free as possible. Here are some safety precautions to consider:

• Leash requirement: Since fireworks sales usually start on December 28th or 29th, you should only walk your greyhound on a leash from this date onwards to prevent him from running away in a panic.
• Proper equipment: For New Year's Eve, you should be a little more prepared than usual. For this reason, a proper greyhound harness combined with a collar is essential for leading your dog with double the safety. Especially nervous greyhounds should wear a special safety harness for greyhounds. You can find all of these products here.
• Identification: Make sure your dog is properly identified with a collar/harness and a tag with your current contact information. Also, check that the microchip information is up to date, if your greyhound has a microchip.
• Safe environment: Create a safe, quiet environment in your home for your dog to stay during the festivities. Close windows and doors to minimize noise and prevent your dog from escaping.
• Training: Start training your dog in advance to get used to the sounds of fireworks. There are special training programs and apps that can help prepare your dog for the sounds of fireworks. It's important that you act as usual to symbolize normality.
• Calming aids: There are various products and aids that can help calm dogs and reduce stress. I'll share a personal tip on this later.

By following these safety measures, you can take a big step toward ensuring a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve for you and your greyhound.

Tips for New Year's Eve with your dog

New Year's Eve can be a challenging time for dogs in general, but with the right preparation and measures, you can help minimize stress for your four-legged friend. Here are some tips for enjoying New Year's Eve stress-free:

Creating a safe environment

• Quiet room: Set up a quiet room in your home where your greyhound can retreat. A room that is largely shielded from the noise of the fireworks can be very helpful.
• Soothing music: Play soothing music or sounds to mask the sounds of the fireworks and create a calming environment.
• Familiar objects: Make sure your dog has access to his favorite toys and beds to calm him and provide a sense of normalcy.

Firecracker-free New Year's Eve

• Find locations: If possible, consider spending New Year's Eve somewhere that doesn't have fireworks. There are some firework-free locations that are ideal for a quiet New Year's Eve celebration with your greyhound.
• Create a firecracker-free zone at home: If you can't travel, consider how you can create a firecracker-free zone at home, perhaps by inviting friends over for a quiet celebration without fireworks.

Calming aids and products

• Calming products: There are various products such as natural calming agents, e.g. CBD oil, that can help reduce your greyhound's stress.
• Veterinary advice: If you have any particular concerns, you may also want to consult your veterinarian, especially if your greyhound is very anxious or has a history of anxious reactions to loud noises.

Additional tips

• Early preparation: Start preparing for New Year's Eve early by slowly getting your dog used to the sounds of fireworks and taking the safety measures mentioned above.
• Positive reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement to reward your dog when he stays calm and offer distractions such as toys or treats.

Conclusion & personal tip

New Year's Eve is a festive occasion that many people eagerly anticipate. However, for our beloved four-legged friends, this time of year can be a source of stress and anxiety. Therefore, it is our duty as responsible dog owners to take the necessary precautions to ensure our greyhounds, too, can enjoy the turn of the year as pleasantly as possible.

Preparing for New Year's Eve should involve much more than just buying fireworks. It's about creating a safe and comfortable environment for our four-legged friends to minimize the noise and chaos that come with the festivities. By planning early and implementing calming strategies, we can help our dogs better cope with the festivities.

Based on personal experience, an effective way to prepare your dog for New Year's Eve celebrations is to exercise them during the day with long walks in nature and sniffing activities. A well-exercised dog is less prone to stress and anxiety in the evening. I've also found that administering a recommended amount of CBD drops for dogs in the evening can be very helpful. CBD oil is known for its calming properties, and when combined with physical exercise, it can be an effective way to calm your dog. The results were amazing, and it was a joy to see how relaxed the dog was despite the loud noises. But keep in mind that if you neglect physical exercise and mental challenge during the day, the CBD drops could only calm the body while the mind remains very active. Only by combining both approaches can your dog start the new year relaxed.

In summary, a combination of physical exercise, mental stimulation, and the use of calming aids like CBD oil can be an effective strategy to help our greyhounds cope with the challenges of New Year's Eve. Every dog ​​is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Therefore, it's important to try different strategies and find out what works best for your greyhound. Through empathy, understanding, and loving care, we can ensure our dogs feel comfortable and can enjoy the New Year's Eve festivities with us.