It usually starts with one.

Not a spectacular organised display. Not November 5th. Just one enormous BANG somewhere behind the houses while you're watching television.

You jump.

The dog disappears.

Five minutes later you're lying on the floor trying to persuade a trembling spaniel to come out from behind the sofa.

Welcome to fireworks season.

For some dogs, fireworks are little more than background noise. For others, the bangs, flashes and vibrations can turn an ordinary evening into something genuinely frightening.

And that's why October is the time to think about it not when the sky is already exploding outside.

That evening walk may need to happen earlier

One of the easiest changes is also one of the most important.

As fireworks become more likely, take your dog's main walk before dark where possible.

A dog that normally trots happily around the neighbourhood can behave very differently when a firework suddenly goes off nearby.

A frightened dog may pull, bolt or try to escape.

Once fireworks have started, keeping your dog indoors is generally the safer option.

If they need to go into the garden, check gates and fences and consider keeping them on a lead.

It's also a good moment to check something many of us assume is already sorted: are the details attached to your dog's microchip actually up to date?

Moving house three years ago and meaning to change them doesn't count.

Your dog gets to choose where the bunker is

You can buy the nicest dog bed in Cambridgeshire.

Your dog may still decide that the safest place on Earth is behind the downstairs toilet.

Let them.

Before fireworks begin, give your dog access to somewhere quiet where they already feel comfortable.

That could be their usual bed, underneath a table, behind furniture or in a room away from the front of the house.

Close windows and curtains to soften the noise and flashes.

Television, music or another familiar background sound can help mask sudden bangs.

The important bit is familiarity.

Fireworks night probably isn't the evening to introduce an exciting new crate, move the dog's bed to another room and wonder why nobody is enjoying themselves.

If they want you, be there

There's an old idea that comforting a frightened dog somehow rewards the fear.

Dogs Trust and other animal-welfare organisations advise owners to allow dogs to hide if they want to and reassure them if they seek comfort.

So if your dog wants to curl up beside you, that's fine.

If they want to disappear somewhere quiet, that's fine too.

What isn't likely to help is shouting because they're barking, dragging them out of hiding or forcing them to confront whatever is frightening them.

A dog pacing the room, panting, shaking or trying to hide isn't being difficult.

They're frightened.

Don't wait until November 5th

Bonfire Night is the obvious date in the diary, but fireworks don't conveniently restrict themselves to one evening.

They can begin during October and continue around Halloween, Bonfire Night, Diwali, private celebrations and eventually New Year's Eve.

That makes the next few weeks the time to notice how your dog responds.

Raimonda from Smarter Paws Dog Training works with owners on dog behaviour and training, and this is exactly the sort of problem where preparation matters more than trying to fix everything once the dog is already frightened.

If your dog has reacted badly to fireworks before, don't wait for the first big display to start thinking about it.

For severe or persistent fear, speak to your vet in advance.

They can discuss whether additional behavioural or medical support may be appropriate for your dog.

Sound desensitisation can also help some dogs, but it needs to be introduced gradually and carefully.

Playing loud recordings of fireworks while an already frightened dog is hiding behind the sofa is not desensitisation.

It's just another terrible evening.

Five things worth doing before the fireworks start

You don't need to turn the house into a canine nuclear bunker.

Before the season gets properly underway:

• move the main walk earlier where possible;
• check the garden, gates and fences;
• make sure microchip/contact details are current;
• identify the place your dog naturally chooses when frightened;
• if previous fireworks have caused serious distress, speak to your vet before the busiest nights arrive.
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Then when the first unexpected October bang happens, you're not starting from scratch.

And neither is your dog.

Worried About How Your Dog Will Cope?

Smarter Paws is offering free access to the Smarter Paws Hub, its digital dog-training platform, where owners can get more help with training and everyday behaviour.

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Ask Raimonda

Does your dog shake, bark, hide, pace around the house, refuse to go outside - or do something completely different - when fireworks start?

Tell us what happens in the comments.

We'll put some of the questions Cambridgeshire dog owners send us to Raimonda from Smarter Paws Dog Training and use them to shape a follow-up.