This is my first NYE in Melbourne. I’m currently caring for a foster dog who is extremely anxious about fireworks. I have medication I will be giving him to help him, but it needs to be given well in advance of any fireworks.
I was wondering what the general pattern is around fireworks here. Do people mostly set them off just on New Year’s Eve, or do some also do fireworks on New Years Day? Is it usually just around midnight, or can it go on for hours before/after?
I know it probably depends on the suburb, but I’m hoping to get a rough idea so I can prepare as best as possible. Any insight would be really appreciated.
People typically don’t set them off on New Year’s Day.
For New Year’s Eve some places have earlier fireworks for the kids at around 0930. The adult ones tend to go for around half an hour or so after midnight.
Also triple check your doors and windows as this is when pets get lost the most in the year due to being frightened of the noise. So maybe keep the dog contained to the garage etc for a few hours.
Thanks so much. Yes sadly he is one of those that panics and will try to escape so I’ll be extra mindful of that.
If you have a clothes dryer with a cool setting (since it’s going to be hot), some tennis balls and sneakers in the dryer, with the dog in the dryer room, has worked well for some people. Something about the thumping, but not too loud, can help them settle
Depending on where you are, people may set them off in parks etc, anytime from dusk really. So yeah, you want meds kicking in before about 7pm, and lasting through til at least 1am
Dusk at 7pm? Have you been outside?
I live in an area where a lot of non official fireworks get set off. For families with young kids, that can be earlier than you might anticipate. Particularly if somewhere in a bit of a dip so loses sun early.
Not to mention it’s easier if an anxious let it medicated too early, just in case, then too late.
But sure, go off on minor details.
Keep the dog Inside and turn up the volume of the TV or Radio , turn the air con on as they are noisy and the washing machine. All the noisy things together will block out the noise for the 9pm fireworks. Hopefully by midnight the drugs would have kicked in
Sunshine here ... they will be quite regular 1, 30, 31st 1st and then lunar new year is 17.2.2026, so expect another week then.
Best to try to desensitise pooch. Try to play ball when they are going off
They seem to go off intermittently throughout the year in West Sunshine lol
So many reasons to celebrate! I know the dogs hate it...
They started about a week before Christmas in St Albans and I assume they'll be on most nights from here til the end of Lunar New Year. On the main nights, will be going from 9pm til about 3am intermittently.
I really haven't heard any yet, im close to hungry jacks on B Rd
In Hoppers/Werribee I've heard them go off intermittently once it starts getting dark. And then shitloads at midnight.
They are just gun shots
We had a rescue dog who was absolutely petrified of fireworks and thunderstorms, he came from medical testing and was kept in an outdoor kennel with a tin roof before he was rescued.
People start letting off crackers early, and larger fireworks are as soon as it is dark. The large displays go for quite awhile so we used to have a huge walk in the afternoon to wear him out, give the tablet around dinner time, and strap on his thundershirt around 7.30pm. Then I would snuggle up next to him and pop a blanket over his head, and turn the TV up. (We live in the inner north.)
It didn't stop the shaking but it helped. If he is crate trained and likes his crate it might be best to go in there, and some dogs bolt for an exit.
Poor things, it really is underestimated by some how bad it is for them.
The poor thing! My foster also was left in the backyard to fend for himself ever since he was a puppy so he's extremely traumatized. I'll be following a similar routine and hope for the best. Thanks for sharing and for adopting!
Oh gorgeous thing. Thank YOU for fostering. Ours was a foster fail and we are hoping to take another soon, we lost him 18 months ago but we had him 7 years - more time out in freedom than he was inside that place.
They deserve only the best.
Oh my heart! They really do! You must miss him so much. But how wonderful to have had 7 wonderful years together and that his last years were in a loving home. 💜 I'm looking forward to when I am in a better financial (and mental) position to adopt!
We're in Caroline Springs and they've been going off every night since Christmas Eve as soon as it gets dark. They generally stop by about the end of the first week of January.
i’m more inner north and they start as soon as the sun sets and go till midnight. It sucks and i think horrible thoughts of those letting them off. If you have any medication for dear puppet prob best to have dose active for 7-8pm right through to midnight.
That’s good to know. Thanks for that!
Would typically suggest mostly just through the night and early hours. As you say, suburb to suburb dependent and dare I say you might get a bit extra out west but typically from 10pm on the 31st onwards. Would imagine they're not that frequent either but stay vigilant!
I spoke to the Lost Dogs Home about what you can do, they told me to try and provide distractions, set up a quiet covered spot and just stay nearby and comfort the dog as need be. Petting and reassuring them helps them feel secure as well
9PM - 1AM for the vast majority of legal and illegal ones
Hey friend!
If your vet has given trazodone or something similar - give it to them around 7:30pm I reckon. That's what I'll be doing with one of mine. Gives it a couple of hours to kick in because some twat will undoubtedly get a giddy on a sugar high and let shit off early.
It can get a bit nuts (around me is at least) because as a few people have said, despite it being illegal, a lot of people still get their hands on shit.
Last year it was sporadically between 10pm and 1am near me.
If it helps, a blanket over the top of our doggo whilst he is chilling next to us generally calms him down a bit.
Best of luck!
Altona has been going off sporadically with, presumably, illegal fireworks since Christmas. Expecting it to ramp up as we get closer to new years eve.
For NYE for my dog we close the house up well before dark, TV on, white noise machine, low volume music on in all rooms with all blinds/curtains closed. Half dose of relaxants a few hours before the 'official' 9pm fireworks and maybe the other half a bit later on to cover midnight depending on how she's doing.
Outer north, ours started a few days before Christmas 👍
I’m rural and we’re in fire danger period so I better not hear of any fireworks out here.
I know that’s not currently super helpful - unless you plan a road trip to the regions on NYE with the fluff.
I'm eastern subs Melbourne.
We have a few idiots here who let them off from about 11:30pm.
Miidnight is the big 'bang' and lasts for about 10-15mins, with a few stragglers for another 30 mins.
Which part of the western suburbs?
Usually official fireworks are at 9ish and midnight but you usually get stragglers doing illegal fireworks in pockets around the west.
Some local Councils have their own fireworks in a park for families at about 9pm , just have to check the Events page for your local Council .
In terms of official fireworks, there is a kids session at 9:30pm, and then the big one at midnight. Both last around 10-15 minutes and are in the CBD/Docklands only.
Very occasionally people set off illegal fireworks, but it’s pretty few and far between. They’re not readily available to buy in Victoria so people don’t bother. If they do have them wouldn’t be a large quantity and won’t last long. I reckon there’d only be a handful of people in each suburb that would be bother.
As suggested by others, having noises to distract and a safe space for your dog to retreat to if they need to is helpful. As are treats and positive affirmation if there is fireworks noise and they aren’t stressing.
Alternatively, if might be worth having a chat to your vet if you could get some Gabapentin or similar to help with your dog’s anxiety.
There are official fireworks at 9pm and then midnight I think. I don't know whether they would bother you in the western suburbs though; it might be more random people letting them off, and you cant anticipate the timing of that. No-one would do it earlier than 9pm though as it will still be light.
To be safe work on 9pm till 2am, when we lived in the outer northern suburbs they would start about 9pm and sporadically go off, then at midnight a huge amount for about 30 minutes and the after that you’d get some at about 1am with the last going off about 2am, good luck with the dog! We had two labs, one used to just hide his kennel the other used to leap at the lounge room window wanting to come inside.
ThunderShirts might help. They are snug-fitting vests for dogs that use gentle, constant pressure to calm anxiety from thunderstorms, fireworks, separation, travel, or new environments, working like swaddling an infant for a calming effect on the nervous system. I am in Footscray and the home variety fireworks start at night fall. Very sporadic though.
Midnight and about 10 minutes after
It's funny how upset people get about their "stressed" dogs courtesy of NYE fireworks.
For 364 days of the year their dogs bark their fucking heads off, pissing everyone off around them. They let their dogs off leash at playgrounds, beaches, outdoor pubs, so they can annoy the fuck out of everyone else while they shrug their shoulders.
But then NYE rolls around and it's "oh my god won't someone think of my poor pupper woofles?!?!?!?!?"
I'm just going to check that you understand that it's only public fireworks, concentrated in the city. I only say this as I'm from England where fireworks are legal for domestic use, they are not in Melbourne.
Fireworks might not be legal, but since when has that stopped anyone? Every year I hear illegal fireworks going off around NYE. It might not be as much as in England, but it definitely happens.
Yeah but definitely no where near the level you would see in England and I've never seen any domestically in the inner northern suburbs.
I literally just heard some going off in glenroy and had to come back here to comment about it 😆
Unfortunately my dog doesn't care if they're legal or not 😭
Op is assumedly from overseas, they may be expecting way more than the one or two illegal ones they'll actually get.
Regardless, management of a fearful dog will remain the same.
You have clearly never managed a fearful dog having to listen to fireworks going off for around an hour across an entire city. It is totally not the same in the slightest.
Alright buddy, didn't realise this was a pissing contest.
That makes a difference, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t unofficial fireworks all over the place.
There is heaps less than England though. There it'll be every 4or so houses for a sustained period of time.
OP can let the dog know it'd be worse in England, should help.
You clearly have zero comparison as to how much worse it is in countries where fireworks are legal. All I'm suggesting is that OP will possibly be expecting it to be way worse than it'll actually be. No need to be rude.
No they are not legal, yet idiots still get their hands on them and blown off sometimes.