Mozart for puppies? Keep your pets safe and sound this fireworks season by playing them Classic FM  

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As soon as I walked through the garden gate, I knew something was wrong. My front door was closed, but my eight-year-old rescue dog Red was poking his head through a hole in it. The letterbox was lying in the path.

My heart racing, I put the key in the lock, but it was jammed. Eventually, I forced it open and gasped in horror. Smears of blood covered the paintwork while the hallway was piled high with thousands of tiny white polystyrene balls that had blocked the door.

Red had ripped through the uPVC door, cutting his mouth badly. The filling — those tiny polystyrene balls — had come cascading out.

Lorraine Fisher's dog Red ripped through her uPVC after hearing the sound of fireworks on Bonfire Night

What had caused him to do this? Suddenly it struck me: it was in the days leading up to Bonfire Night — a time I have come to dread. Red is frightened of fireworks — he jumps whenever he hears a banger, panting nervously.

But until that day early last November I had no idea just how terrified he was. He’s far from alone. The RSPCA estimates 45 per cent of dogs have some degree of ‘firework phobia’.

The problem is no longer confined to November 5 — the din can start as early as October.

But what can owners do if their dog hates fireworks?

Sean Wensley, president of the British Veterinary Association, says: ‘Walk your dog in daylight so there’s less chance of a firework going off, close the curtains and make sure there’s background noise like a TV or radio.

‘Create a den in a quiet part of your home before Bonfire Night and fill it with blankets so the dog feels safe there. Give them a treat every time they go in.

‘Owners should ignore any fireworks so the dog understands there’s nothing to be scared of. And never punish your pet for bad behaviour while terrified as it makes them more stressed.’

Mr Wensley also recommends using plug-in pheromone dispensers such as Adaptil, from vets and pet stores, near the bedding to help calm pets.

These fill the room with the scent that a female dog releases while feeding puppies — a relaxing and reassuring smell for dogs.

‘If the anxiety is still so severe they can’t cope with fireworks even with these measures, talk to your vet,’ he says.

‘There could be an underlying medical reason affecting their sensitivity to noise — hormonal conditions such as thyroid problems or liver disease.’

Once any medical problem is ruled out, anti-anxiety medication is available from vets, but only as ‘a last resort’, he says.

Experts say walking your dog in daylight so there’s less chance of a firework going off can protect your pets. Lorraine is pictured walking Red, who was adopted from Thailand 

The RSPCA and Dogs Trust recommend trying to ‘desensitise’ your dog to fireworks sounds to stop them getting worked up.

Do this by playing them the sounds of a firework display very quietly at first, then gradually turn it up. It should only ever be loud enough to make the dog prick up its ears, not scare them. Such soundtracks can be found on the internet — the RSPCA and Dogs Trust websites have links to one called Sounds Scary.

Dog behaviourist Adem Fehmi recommends using an iPad or smartphone and playing videos of fireworks displays found on YouTube to your dog — from far away at first then getting nearer as they get more confident. He also says tuning your radio into a classical music station, such as Classic Fm, has been found to calm dogs with soothing sounds.

A tired dog finds it harder to get worked up by fireworks, so make sure they have a good long walk and keep their den small as it will stop them pacing, which only increases their tension.

Many dog owners are calling for changes including taking the ‘bang’ out of fireworks and banning their sale unless they are part of an organised display.

Alison King, from Horley, Surrey, is one. Every time her five-year-old Alaskan Malamute Kai hears a firework, he has a seizure.

In September he had seven on the trot and needed to be given a sedative after the family stayed near someone having a birthday party with fireworks.

Last week, as the fireworks season got into full swing, the whizzes and bangs made Kai have nine fits on one night and five on another. He has to go for an MRI scan as the vet fears the fits have caused brain damage.

Lorraine's front door was damaged and smears of blood covered the paintwork. The hallway was piled high with thousands of tiny white polystyrene balls that had blocked the door after red had ripped through it 

Alison, a 51-year-old partner in her family business, says: ‘The moment he hears a firework, he runs and hides in our bedroom. It’s heartbreaking.’

Leah Semerdjieva’s three-year-old Yorkshire terrier Mr Mooch was so terrified last year that he ran off on Fireworks Night and disappeared for hours.

‘When he hears a firework, he’s so terrified that he forgets where he is, runs away and doesn’t hear you. Recently we left Mr Mooch for three or four hours and when we got home, it was carnage.

‘He’d destroyed the cushions and a duvet. There were feathers everywhere. Neighbours told me there had been fireworks nearby.’

Francesca Bianchi’s springer spaniel Ruben, three, is so terrified he’s sick with fright.

‘If I leave him alone he gets so distressed he’ll scratch and try to eat the doors to get out,’ says the 41-year-old project manager from St Albans, Hertfordshire. ‘Even if I’m there, the moment he hears a firework, he tries to hide behind the sofa. It’s awful to see.’

Part of the problem is that the fireworks season lasts so long.

‘For the month around Fireworks Night, I can’t go out on my own because I can’t leave Ruben. I get anxious seeing him suffer and it makes me so angry. I do think the council should do something about it.’

As for Red, even after following the experts’ suggestions he’s just as terrified of fireworks. The one saving grace is that this year, the fireworks have just begun — last year we had endured over a fortnight by now. So he only has a few days of hell, not three weeks.

The question is: if it’s so easy to take the ‘bang’ out of fireworks, why should we have to endure anything at all?