Here's what I do for Betsy, and now most of the other hounds:
- Melatonin, one 3 mg tablet at 4, three more with dinner at 5:30 or so; sometimes I give even more
- evening walk at regular time (~7 for her group)
- ThunderShirt immediately after walk
- a/c on, windows closed (standard here anyway)
- TVs in kitchen and living room turned on _loud_ at dusk (~9pm), usually something they hear anyway (HGTV, Food)
- for some, crates
The others get less Melatonin, and only with dinner, but Betsy needs more of it and earlier.
I've tried other things in the past, including cotton balls in the ears, covered crate, and so on. But the above prevents the total meltdown that Betsy used to endure.
This is our holiday weekend. I think we might get some fireworks tonight, but Sunday (probably the worst) and Monday (the official holiday) will be intense.