For me, Christmas means togetherness, yummy food, and joyful celebrations with family and friends. This includes our 4-legged companions, but there are some hidden dangers I would like to look at them with you in this article.
There is the hustle and bustle the festivities and celebrations bring with them. Dogs pick up on our excitement and are curious by nature. Trees appear in the house with shiny lights and decorations, deliveries to the house, and guests come to the house. The atmosphere in the home changes with new sounds, smells and sights for our dogs. We get excited, and so do our dogs, and for some dogs, that can be overwhelming and stressful.
Christmas, or any festivities, are not the time for training.
Don’t expect to be able to train your dog in the moment, but management is the best strategy to set your dog and yourself up for success.
Keep your dog on a lead to manage their enthusiasm for greeting visitors.
Keep certain rooms locked or block areas off to stop your dog from exploring unsupervised.
Plan ahead, be honest with yourself about your dog’s weaknesses, and put management in place for tricky situations.
Set up a dog safe zone for busy times when you can’t supervise your dog, or it gets all too much for your dog, and it is time for a break. Advocate for your dog and explain to your guests that it is time for Fido to rest.
Activity toys for your dog
Prepare your enrichment activities in advance. Use food from your dog’s daily allowance.
Stuffed Kongs and similar toys prep them in advance and keep them fresh in the fridge for a couple of days, or you can freeze them. I
Put a box together with your ingredients for lick mats and the like, and set up a prep area. All you have to do is smear the good stuff on the toy and give it to your dog. And you can give your restless guest a job to do.
Prepare or delegate preparation to family members of activity toys, i.e. snuffle mat, snuffle ball or DIY enrichment toy project, the night before or before you are busy with entertaining friends and family. Store away safely for the time when you need to give your 4-legged companion something fun to do.
I’m also prepping treats and chews hidden in toilet roll tubes stuffed inside a box and plan on giving those out while we sit down to eat. Since I plan on using dried food and treats, I can prep those well ahead of time.
Routine
Dogs love routine, and the changes in their daily schedule with Christmas can cause confusion and unsettle your dog. Keep as much of your usual routine as you can so they can anchor themselves in the familiar. Include time for dog walking in your daily plan. Give your dog plenty of sniffing time which supports to balance their emotions from the unusualness of the festive activities in the home.
Limit table scraps
When you have a dozen dinner guests, and everyone from Aunt Ethel to Uncle Fred is offering table scraps, it may be too much for your dog to handle. Even big pets are too often treated for everything from minor tummy upset to pancreatitis on Christmas Day.
Watch what you leave out for Santa.
When leaving a snack for Father Christmas, remember chocolate can make your puppy very sick. Dogs can choke on chicken or turkey bones, which may also cause gastrointestinal obstruction.
Candles in the wind
Candles may look nice, but playful puppies or happy wagging dog tails can easily knock them over. Aromatic candles may smell good and seem benign, but they may upset your dog’s nose scent detectors.
Avoid prickly Christmas trees.
When choosing a tree, consider one with pet-friendly needles such as white pine or Douglas fir. They’re not as likely to stick to their paws.
Tidy with tree needles
Puppies can munch on errant needles, and that may cause choking or stomach upset..
No chemicals under the tree
Don’t add chemical preservatives to prolong the life of your tree if dogs have access to that solution. While these solutions don’t appear to cause severe reactions, dogs can get an upset tummy.
House guests
Some dogs are social butterflies, others not so much. For some dogs, the commotion caused by little children is simply not the peace and quiet they’re accustomed to. Those dogs might be happier in a safe zone (secluded in a room), with the door shut and Christmas Carols playing in the background. Also, with that front door frequently opening and closing – remind your guests to be aware and keep an eye on the whereabouts of your dog when going in and out.
Holiday plants may not be so festive.
In truth, poinsettias are generally not the poisonous killer they’re made out to be, although too much may potentially cause stomach upset. Fresh holly and mistletoe are toxic, particularly their berries. Please follow the link for a list of hazardous plants:
Tinsel and ribbon in the tummy
Many dogs love to play with tinsel and ribbons; if they ingest enough of this glittery stuff, it can create a serious gastrointestinal obstruction and may be life-threatening.
What are trees for?
Secure the tree so that if a cat takes a flying leap – the tree won’t topple over. Also, tidy away the cables so nobody gets caught up in the wires on the floor.
Ornaments
Broken ornaments are hazardous to people and dogs, and some may have sentimental value. Also, tinsel hanging from a tree is equivalent to an invitation for your puppy to jump and grab.
Pets deserve presents, too.
As the family gathers to open presents, include all members of the family - even those with paws. This doesn’t mean you need to spend extra money – simply take a dog’s toy away a few days before Christmas – and now open on the big day; your dog won’t mind the “re-gifting” as long as you make a fuss. Of course, the best thing you can do for your dog is to wrap the present in scented wrapping paper. The wrapping will be far more exciting than the gift.
Kind, considerate, patient with heaps of useful tips. Silke in a nutshell