'Game changer' £19 gadget hailed for keeping dogs calm during Bonfire Night

Every year Bonfire Night is a night people can enjoy watching the fireworks and standing around a bonfire, and although we enjoy it, it's the one night our furry four-legged friends despise the most. Fireworks can cause huge distress for dogs, triggering severe anxiety from the loud bangs, and dog owners will do everything they can to make the evening as relaxed as possible for their pets.

As people petition to ban fireworks whilst the national event still carries on, pet owners have hailed a new gadget that keeps their pooch calm during the fireworks. The £19 plug-in device helps to minimise and eliminate anxiety in dogs and is available to buy online from Amazon. It's been given more than 11,000 five-star reviews, with people loving how calm their dogs are.

The handy little device contains a "synthetic copy of the dog appeasing pheromone" according to the product description, which is what a mother "naturally releases to calm and reassure her litter" and this pheromone has the same effect on adult dogs too.

To humans, it is scentless and is advised to be plugged in before Bonfire Night to ensure you make the most of the calming effects.

It also comes with a 30-day refill, meaning you will be stocked up and ready for Bonfire Night and the events to follow after.

One delighted dog owner shared: "I cannot believe how good this is. Our three-year-old Cockapoo has real problems with new visitors to the house. The barking is alarmingly loud, it makes me jump and I'm used to her.

"It is very unsettling for all involved... I plugged this in and not joking within a few hours some visitors arrived and she didn't even bat an eyelid. My husband was doing some maintenance around the house and unplugged it. Forgot to put it back in. She changed back to a barky nutcase."

Another customer penned: "Just helps take the edge off when she is being a bit 'extra'. Won't solve behavioural problems but just helps calm a little."

For another method of calming your dog when there's fireworks, Sean McCormack, Head Vet at Tails.com, suggests desensitizing them by playing recordings of fireworks during the lead-up to the big day.

You can also create a 'firework den' for nights when there's likely to be a lot of noise, such as Bonfire Night or New Year's Eve.

This is a cosy, quiet, and enclosed space where your dog can retreat and feel safe. You can include mental stimulation and other distractions to ensure your pooch is comfortable and not focusing too much on the noise.