Helping a Small Dog Through New Year Noise and Busy Days in Japan

In short: the New Year holidays can bring visitors, loud sounds, and a changed daily rhythm, and a small dog may find all three tiring. Set up a quiet resting spot before the busy days start, and keep meals, walks, and rest at about the usual times. When visitors come and go, watch the front door and keep your dog’s tags on its collar; the City of Sapporo says the dog license tag and rabies shot tag must be attached to the collar or similar. Keep holiday food out of reach. Japan’s Ministry of the Environment pet food guide lists onions, green onions, Chinese chives, garlic, chocolate, gum and other products with xylitol, chicken bones, and grapes and raisins among the things not to give dogs, and it warns about salty human food and food on skewers. If your dog seems very scared of noise, or you think it ate something it shouldn’t have, talk with your vet.

The days around New Year in Japan can be busy at home: family visits, temple bells or fireworks where they happen, late nights, and food on the table for days. This post walks through simple, practical ways to help a small dog through that time.

Please read this first: this post is a set of general ideas. It is not about my own dog, and it is not expert advice. I am not a veterinarian or a dog trainer, and I can’t judge your dog’s body or behavior. The food information below comes only from the Ministry of the Environment guide listed at the end; for any food that guide does not cover, ask your vet. If your dog seems very scared, or if anything about its body or behavior worries you, please talk with your vet or a dog trainer.

New Year at a glance

What changes	What you can do	Where it comes from
Loud sounds at night	Close windows and curtains, and let your dog rest in its quiet spot	General tips in this post
Visitors	Give your dog a place away from the crowd, and ask guests to let it come to them	General tips in this post
The front door opens often	Put up a gate or close an inner door, and keep tags on the collar	City of Sapporo page on dog registration (tags)
Changed routine	Keep meals, walks, and rest at about the usual times	General tips in this post
Food on the table	Keep it out of reach, and don’t share it	Ministry of the Environment pet food guide
Holiday closures	Check your vet’s holiday hours before the holidays	General tips in this post

Before the busy days: a quiet spot

A small dog may handle a busy house better if it has one calm place to go. Set it up a few days before the holidays, so your dog is used to it.

• Pick a quiet room or corner, away from the front door and the dining table.
• Use what your dog already knows, such as its usual bed, a blanket, or a crate it likes.
• Leave water within reach.
• Let your dog choose. Let it go there on its own, and don’t pull it out to meet people.

Loud sounds: temple bells, fireworks, and late nights

Some temples ring bells on New Year’s Eve, and some places have fireworks, so the sounds depend on where you live. Inside the home, a party, a loud TV, or doors opening late at night can also be new for a dog.

Situation	Ideas you can try
Sounds from outside	Close windows and curtains, and let your dog stay in its quiet spot
Sudden bangs	Stay calm yourself, and let your dog hide or rest where it chooses
A noisy room	Turn the volume down, or let your dog rest in another room
Late nights	Give your dog a chance to rest at its usual bedtime, even if people stay up

A few points to keep in mind:

• Don’t force it. Don’t carry your dog toward the noise to “get used to it.”
• Don’t scold fear. A scared dog needs a calm person, not a scolding.
• Walk at quieter times. If you know of fireworks nearby, walking earlier in the day may be easier, and a snug harness and leash help if your dog startles.

If your dog shakes, hides for a long time, or panics at loud sounds, talk with your vet or a dog trainer. They can look at your dog and suggest what fits it.

Visitors and busy rooms

New Year visits can mean many people, children, and long meals. My post Helping a Small Dog Stay Calm When Guests Visit: A Simple Plan walks through a simple plan for visitors. The main points:

• Give your dog space. Ask guests to let your dog come to them, instead of picking it up.
• Keep an adult watching when children and the dog are together.
• Let your dog leave. Make sure it can always get back to its quiet spot.

Front door safety: keep your dog inside

When visitors arrive and leave, the front door opens again and again, and a small dog can slip out fast.

• Use a gate or an inner door. Keep your dog behind it while the front door is open.
• Put the leash on first if your dog will be near the door when guests arrive.
• Tell your guests. Ask them to close the door behind them and check where the dog is first.
• Check the collar and tags. The City of Sapporo’s page on dog registration says owners of dogs aged 91 days or older must register their dog once and give it a rabies shot every year, and that the dog license tag (鑑札) and the rabies shot tag (狂犬病予防注射済票) must be attached to the dog’s collar or similar.

The same city page’s footer says city offices are generally closed on weekends, holidays, and December 29 to January 3. The city’s Animal Welfare Management Center (あいまる さっぽろ) lists a page on lost dogs and cats it has taken in (迷子犬・猫保護収容情報). If your dog tends to rush the door, Teaching a Small Dog to Wait at the Door: A Step-by-Step Plan walks through a slow plan you can start well before the holidays.

Keep New Year foods away from your dog

Food sits on the table for a long time at New Year, and guests may want to share. Japan’s Ministry of the Environment guide for pet owners on pet food (飼い主のためのペットフード・ガイドライン) says that even human food can harm dogs and cats. It lists these as things not to give:

Food	What the guide says
Onions, green onions, Chinese chives, garlic	A component harmful to dogs and cats destroys red blood cells, and eating a lot may cause blood in the urine, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Cooking does not break it down. It says not to give processed foods that contain onion, or miso soup or sukiyaki broth that onion has soaked into
Chocolate	In dogs, theobromine causes vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and seizures; don’t leave chocolate lying around the room
Gum and other products with xylitol	If a dog eats it, even a small amount causes low blood sugar, vomiting, liver failure, and other problems
Chicken bones	They split lengthwise into sharp pieces that can hurt the throat or digestive tract
Grapes and raisins	They are a cause of kidney failure in dogs and cats

The same guide also says:

• Salty human food. Giving dogs and cats seasoned human meals, side dishes, or ham can lead to too much salt, which it says puts a burden on the heart and kidneys.
• Sugar and fruit. Don’t give too much sugar or fruit, since it can lead to obesity.
• Drinks with caffeine. It lists coffee, green tea, and black tea among things to be careful with.
• Spices. It says dogs and cats have a low tolerance for spices.
• Food on skewers, corn cobs, and fruit with large seeds. A dog may swallow them whole, and it says not to give them as they are.
• Strings. If a dog swallows something like string or stockings and it gets tangled in the intestines, it says this becomes a serious accident.
• Some plants. It names lilies, tulip bulbs, poinsettia stems and leaves, and morning glory seeds as having components toxic to dogs and cats.

The guide does not cover every holiday food. For anything not listed here, such as rice cakes (mochi), ask your vet before giving it. The simplest rule at New Year is to keep the table out of reach and ask guests not to share any food.

If you think your dog has eaten something it shouldn’t have, contact your vet right away.

Keep the routine steady

Late nights, outings, and visitors can push meals and walks around. Keeping things close to normal can help your dog feel settled.

• Meals: feed at about the usual times, and keep the usual amount.
• Walks: keep a short walk at the usual times, even on busy days.
• Rest: give your dog quiet time during the day, not only at night.
• Outings: busy places such as shrines and temples at New Year can be crowded. My post Visiting Shrines and Temples in Japan with a Small Dog suggests visiting on a quieter day or leaving your dog at home for that visit.

Before the holidays: check your vet’s hours

Many businesses change their hours over New Year. Before the holidays start, check:

• Your vet’s holiday hours, and what they suggest if something happens while they are closed.
• Your dog’s food, so you have enough for the holidays.

A short checklist

Before and during New Year	Why
Set up a quiet spot a few days early	Your dog has a calm place to go when the house is busy
Close windows and curtains on loud nights	It can soften sounds from outside
Use a gate or inner door when guests come and go	A small dog can slip out fast
Keep the license tag and rabies shot tag on the collar	The City of Sapporo says they must be attached to the collar or similar
Keep food out of reach and ask guests not to share	The Ministry of the Environment guide lists foods not to give dogs
Keep meals and walks at about the usual times	A steady routine can help your dog feel settled
Check your vet’s holiday hours	Many places change their hours over New Year

Set up a quiet spot early, keep the front door closed and the tags on, keep holiday food out of reach, and hold meals and walks close to the usual times. If noise or food worries you, ask your vet.

FAQ

How can I help my small dog with New Year noise?

Close windows and curtains, and let your dog rest in a quiet spot it knows. Don’t force it toward the noise or scold it for being scared. If your dog shakes, hides for a long time, or panics at loud sounds, talk with your vet or a dog trainer.

What New Year foods should I keep away from my dog?

Japan’s Ministry of the Environment pet food guide lists onions, green onions, Chinese chives, garlic, chocolate, gum and other products with xylitol, chicken bones, and grapes and raisins among the things not to give dogs, and it warns about salty human food, caffeine drinks, spices, and food on skewers. For anything not on its list, such as rice cakes, ask your vet. If you think your dog ate something it shouldn’t have, contact your vet right away.

How do I stop my dog from running out when guests arrive?

Keep your dog behind a gate or an inner door while the front door is open, or put the leash on first. Ask guests to close the door behind them. Keep the license tag and rabies shot tag on the collar, which the City of Sapporo says must be attached to the collar or similar.

Sources checked: Ministry of the Environment, 飼い主のためのペットフード・ガイドライン ～犬・猫の健康を守るために～ (pet food guidelines for owners) (Japanese), City of Sapporo, 犬の登録と狂犬病予防注射 (dog registration and rabies shots) (Japanese). Checked on October 8, 2026. This post is general information, not veterinary advice; please ask your vet about your own dog.