Dogs Safety During The Holiday Season

Holiday season is approaching faster than my dog 7 can steal a food from a baby.

As far as your dog is concerned Holiday season is insane time.  More people are in and out of the house,  family’s energy is out of whack.  Not to mention lots of strange boxes & plants are being placed in the house.  In fact as far as our dogs are concerned all the human energy is insanely abnormal.

Your dog will enjoy the holiday season right along with you if you consider 2 areas. Dog Safety and dog sanity.

Safety

If you’re going to have a live tree in a home with dogs. Remember the tree water at the base of live trees can be harmful. Often preservative chemicals are added to prolong the life of the tree. Keep your dog from drinking the water. You can cover the tree basin with foil or a tree skirt.  You can also use this as a Dog Training Opportunity. To practice your “Off” and “Boundaries” exercises.

To prevent your dog from knocking over your holiday tree(s), anchor your tree with cord or wire to the ceiling directly above the tree’s trunk.  Not a good idea to attach it with wire to a wall behind the tree. Your dog could get caught in the wire if he is behind the tree.

Always hang your ornaments with ribbons rather than hooks. This will keep your dog from accidentally swallowing something that could get lodged in his throat.

If you’re going to have a party try not to use toothpicks for hors d’oeuvres. The smell of food on a toothpick will attract dogs. If your dog swallows a tooth pick, it can get stuck in his throat or puncture internal organs.

Electrical cords are the enemy of puppies. Always, always, always secure the electrical cords. If a new dog enters into your house, or if you are at someone else’s house with your dog, have eyes on your dog for about 5 minutes. See where your dog is exploring. If it’s near electrical cords, then good time to practice your “Leave It.”

Next is

1 Enjoy the season

Stay calm. We all get stressed out during the holidays, and our dog picks up on our stress. She looks to you as the leader. If you are calm, she is calm.  If you also try to spend a little quiet time with her every day – it will help too.

One thing you can do is to freshen up on your dog’s basic obedience exercises.  Don’t teach her something new during this stressful time, but practice what she already knows & reinforce yourself as a leader and someone she can trust.

2 Keep the routine with your dog

Keep your dog’s regular daily routine. Feed and walk her at the same times as you usually do. Changing her routine can make her stressful, and she can seek attention by misbehaving. According to your dog, any attention, even if you are screaming at her, is better than no attention.

3 Play with your dog before your party.

If you tire her out, she’ll be too tired to get into any mischief when guests arrive. If that is not possible, hire a dog walker or take him to doggie daycare.

Find out the location of the nearest emergency vet in your area NOW. Don’t lose precious moments during an emergency.

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