Separation anxiety gets covered in most handovers now. Noise phobia — the specific, sometimes severe fear response to fireworks, thunder, or other loud sounds — usually doesn't, even though it's extremely common and can look frightening to a sitter who's never seen it before. An estimated 49% of dogs show a significant fear response to firework noise, which makes this closer to "worth planning for" than "unlikely to come up."
The short answer
If your dog has any history of reacting to loud noises, tell your sitter in advance what it looks like, what helps, and — if relevant — what medication is involved and when to give it. A sitter who knows what's coming can manage it calmly. A sitter who doesn't may not realise what they're looking at, or panic right alongside your dog.
What noise phobia actually looks like
Signs range from mild to severe, and it's worth describing your dog's specific version rather than a general list:
- Trembling, panting, pacing, or excessive drooling
- Hiding, seeking out a person, or trying to stay glued to your sitter
- Vocalising, whining, or barking
- Digging at doors, walls, or floors, or attempting to escape a room or crate
- In more severe cases, injuring themselves trying to get away from the source of the fear
Some dogs also show anticipatory anxiety — reacting to darkening skies, wind changes, or the "smell of rain" before a storm even starts, which can look confusing to someone who doesn't know that's a pattern for your dog specifically.
What actually helps
- A safe space, set up in advance. An interior room without windows, ideally where your dog already goes when unsettled — a crate covered with a blanket often works well if your dog already uses one
- Background noise. A fan, white noise, or the TV at a normal volume can help mask the sound of what's outside
- Staying calm and present. Comfort during a genuine fear response is appropriate — sitting with your dog, speaking calmly, and offering physical contact if they want it doesn't reinforce the fear, despite an old myth that it does
- Avoiding a big walk right as it starts. If a storm or fireworks are expected, exercise and toilet breaks earlier in the day reduce the chance of being caught outside when it begins
- Never scolding or punishing the reaction. It's a genuine panic response, not disobedience, and punishment reliably makes it worse
Medication
If your dog is on anxiety medication for noise events specifically, this needs to be spelled out clearly for a sitter, not left to guesswork:
- The exact medication, dose, and how far in advance of the expected noise it needs to be given — timing matters, since most anxiety medication needs to be on board before the event starts, not after your dog is already distressed
- Whether it's a standing prescription or something to be used only around known trigger events (fireworks season, a forecast storm)
- What a normal response to the medication looks like, so a sitter isn't alarmed by expected drowsiness or isn't concerned it "isn't working" when it's functioning as intended
What's manageable versus what's worth a call
Generally manageable, with the steps above:
- Panting, pacing, or seeking your sitter out during the event
- Settling within a reasonable time after the noise stops
Worth a call to you or the vet:
- Injuring themselves trying to escape a room, crate, or the house
- A reaction that doesn't improve at all once the noise has stopped
- Any sign of the fear escalating rather than settling over repeated events
Why this belongs in the handover
Fireworks and storms are predictable enough — New Year's Eve, a forecast storm, a local event — that "we might not be here for one" isn't a safe assumption for any multi-day stay. A sitter who knows this is coming can prepare the safe space in advance rather than improvising mid-panic.
Quirks & All keeps this kind of behavioural detail on your dog's profile alongside medication and routine information, so whoever's staying with your dog has the full picture before the first storm rolls in, not during it.