By Heidi Clayton
Keeping one’s sanity during the holiday season can be challenging. Finding the time to squeeze in decorating, shopping, wrapping gifts, and attending parties into an already hectic schedule can be exhausting.
Dogs do not understand why their normal routines get uprooted and can feed off your holiday planning stress level. Every holiday season I get reports from clients that their dogs were naughty, scared, or simply crazy during holiday visits or parties.
Here are my tips on how to manage a dog or puppy during holiday gatherings.
Christmas is not the time to bring home a puppy or dog. Busy holiday schedules do not give you ample time to acclimate a dog to your home, and the expectation that the dog or puppy can handle all of the chaos of being a Christmas gift is unrealistic. Wait until after the holiday season when your schedule has returned to normal.
So many people struggle with what to do with their dog when having a holiday party. Being proactive and managing your dog’s access to the party and guests with the use of their crates or their own room is key.
If you are not 150 percent certain about how your dog will handle the energy of excited children, or if there is one person attending that is uncomfortable around dogs, keep your dog safely crated or away giving them a bone or treat to entertain them.
If you do not know how the children attending the party will handle being around a dog and you cannot be in the moment to manage those interactions, exercise caution and keep your dog away.
Children can bring an energy to a room that can lead to overstimulation in a dog. Avoid the possibility of someone being nipped or bitten in the excitement all together and only let your dog or puppy out when you or a family member can keep an eye on interactions.
People coming to the door can be exciting for dogs under normal circumstances; 30 people coming over for a party can be flat out overwhelming.
If you are busy entertaining and worry about your dog darting out of the door when it is being opened constantly, the best place for your dog is safely away in their crate or in a room whose door will not be inadvertently opened.
I like to let the excitement of multiple entrances die down before I let my dogs out to mingle. This eliminates the possibility of bolting and jumping on guests. Not everyone appreciates getting pummeled by your dog at the front door when wearing their holiday finest.
Hosting a party is exhausting. Think of how drained you are at the end of the evening and remember if your dog has been a part of the festivities, they are probably also tired. This is when you need to be the most pro-active in giving your dog or a puppy a quiet place to go to sleep.
Puppies in particular can become very nippy when overly tired and it is your job to keep them from nipping a guest. As for adult dogs, if they are trying to find a place to rest amongst the party, give them a break and put them away for some well-deserved sleep.
Heidi Clayton started Four on the Floor Dog Training as a result of her own struggle to find a positive and reward-based dog trainer in South Jersey. She breeds, trains, and shows her own bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloor.dog.
