The garden is the last place she should be
A display in your own garden changes the usual advice in one crucial way: the explosions are directly above her territory, with flashes, falling debris and guests moving between house and lawn. Even a dog who tolerates neighbourhood displays at a distance may panic at that proximity. So the plan starts with a firm line: she watches none of it. Her place for the evening is indoors, settled before the first firework is unpacked, in the room furthest from the garden, and that room becomes her safe base for the whole event.
Prepare her base room before the guests arrive
Choose the room with the fewest windows facing the garden, draw its curtains against the flashes, and set up her bed in its most sheltered corner — many dogs prefer a den, a bed partly under a table with a blanket draped to create a roof. Add water, a safe chew and familiar toys, and put familiar sound on at a steady volume: the television she hears on ordinary evenings masks irregular bangs better than silence. Scatter favourite treats around the room as guests arrive, so the base room starts the evening associated with good things.
Time the evening around her, not the display
Walk her properly in the afternoon while it is still daylight and quiet, and give her a final garden toilet trip well before the display is set up, on a lead if there is any chance of a test firework or an early bang from a neighbouring garden. Feed her evening meal a little earlier than usual; a moderately full stomach supports sleepiness, and a dog desperate for the toilet at the height of the display is a dog who will be begging at the door you most need kept shut. Once settled in the base room, she stays in until the display and clear-up are completely finished, including the stray late firework that catches so many households out.
Guard the doors like she is determined to use them
The biggest danger at a home display is not the noise itself but escape: frightened dogs squeeze through front doors opened for guests, side gates left ajar for carrying chairs, and fences they have never tested before. Walk the boundary in daylight — loose panels, gaps under gates, compost heaps that make launch pads — and fix what you find. Brief every guest, including children: house doors stay shut, the dog's room is entered by one or two named people only, and nobody takes her out for a cuddle viewing 'just for a minute.' Keep her collar on indoors for the evening, so that if the worst happens she is wearing her identification.
Stay with her, and comfort without drama
Assign one person she trusts to remain in the base room through the display — rotating in shifts is fine, but never leave her alone at peak noise. Comfort her normally if she seeks it: a steady hand, quiet company, a game if she will play. The old fear that comforting a frightened dog rewards fear is unfounded; she cannot be rewarded into being more frightened. If she hides, let her hide, and simply be present nearby. If her distress is extreme — relentless pacing, drooling, attempts to claw through doors — speak to your vet after the event about planning for future displays, since a dog at that level needs professional support, not just a better den.
Have the backup ready before you need it
Even careful households can be beaten by one door left open at the wrong second, so prepare the recovery plan in daylight: a recent clear photo of her on your phone, her description, and a plan for who searches, who stays home in case she returns, and who alerts neighbours. Keep that recovery route ready through KinsLe: the Lost Pet Alert System sits inside her profile without charge, appears as a map listing, and enables whoever spots her amid the dark streets to contact you by direct message.