The holiday season has officially arrived. For most people, this means parties, shopping, decorating and maybe a little bit of chaos. The hecticness can be rough on you, your family, and your pet. The holidays bring a mix of excitement and stress; your dogs can pick up on that energy just like children can. Here are some management tips to help you and your pets survive the season.
Be realistic about your dog’s boundaries and skill sets. This includes being mindful about your pet’s ability to handle decorations, party food, holiday guests, and festivities. While training can help pets through the season, sometimes it’s better to pick your battles. This may mean modifying the dog’s environment or eliminating potential stressors and temptations whenever possible.
For example, here at Four on the Floor Dog Training, I have modified where I put Christmas decorations. This is because my youngest bull terrier is prone to leaving paths of destruction in her wake and finds Christmas decorations incredibly fun to destroy. Since it’s not feasible to watch her every move, particularly when she is outside, I have moved all outdoor decor to the outside of my fence, where I know she can not eat or destroy things. Inside the house, the Christmas tree now has a metal exercise pen around it to keep it safe. I also decided we didn’t need to hang Christmas stockings from the fireplace after she decided she had to pull them all down repeatedly.
Party food during holiday festivities can be a major temptation for pets, and it’s crucial to be realistic about their ability to handle being around it. For example, if I host any type of party where there is going to be food on tables, I know that my dogs will most likely try to steal as much as they can when I am not paying attention to them. Under normal circumstances, they may have excellent manners around food and the table. However, if you are occupied with hosting a party, most counter-surfers I know will seize the moment and help themselves to appetizers as if they were a guest at the party. Christmastime parties are usually filled with rich foods and desserts. So if there is any chance at all that your dog will help themselves to a human food that is actually dangerous for them to eat, set them up in their own room or crate with something that they can chew on, like a marrow bone or bully stick. I tell the story every year of clients whose Labrador retriever ate an entire bag of Hershey Kisses, resulting in a trip to the emergency room on Christmas Eve to await multicolored tinfoil vomit.
Finally, if you have a nervous or scared dog, hosting a party is not the time for them to meet and greet people. Parties are high-energy affairs. If your dog is nervous or afraid of people under normal circumstances, then attending the party is asking too much of them. Keep them somewhere comfortable and safe, and also take steps to make sure no one disturbs them.
If you really want your dog to be included in the party but are worried about them jumping, stealing, or bolting from the front door, try putting them on a leash and bringing them out into the mix when you have the time to reward them for good behavior. I would suggest doing so after all of your guests have arrived and everyone has settled down a bit.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email them to me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
