It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But Christmastime can also be a little stressful. Especially for your dog.
Here are some tips to keep your dog in a cheerful mood this season.
Leave him at home. If you’re heading out to a big gathering, don’t feel obligated to bring Fido. He might feel more comfortable staying at home than being in a new place surrounded by a bunch of new people. You don't have to feel bad; you're doing him a favour.
Keep him in a safe spot. If you have visitors coming to your house, pop Fido in a back room or behind a baby gate. If he doesn’t like visitors, keep him in a quiet room as far away from the visitors as possible. If he’s ok with visitors, keep him behind a baby gate where he can observe the goings-on without being involved.
Out of the spotlight. If he’s calm as a cucumber behind the gate, you might let him mingle with your guests if you want. But don’t let him be the centre of attention. Like a toddler, that kind of attention is going to make him spiral.
Stay Safe. Most nips and growls towards visitors are the result of well-meaning folks reaching out and getting handsy with Fido. How much do you like Uncle Harry pinching your cheek every Christmas Eve? No thanks. If Fido is in his crate or behind a gate, tell visitors to leave him alone there. Even if Fido approaches them to sniff them, that doesn’t mean they need to touch him. Easy rule of thumb: either keep Fido away, or tell everyone to ignore him. If someone really needs to get handsy with him, then they can call Fido to them to give some pets.
Not from the table. You probably don’t feed your dog from the table, but there’s a solid chance that your Dad or niece is going to slip Fido a piece of turkey or morsel of stuffing. To avoid this, just keep your dog elsewhere during meals to help your guests avoid the temptation of giving in to those brown eyes.
Remember that he’s a dog. Don’t get carried away dressing him up like a a reindeer, buying him gifts, stuffing a stocking for him. These things Do. Not. Matter. to your dog. I get that they might matter to you. But they don’t matter to him. Remember what dogs really need and want, and focus there. Meet his exercise needs, be a leader for him, give him an appropriate amount of choice and control, make big decisions for him, maintain some routine. He doesn’t understand that it’s Christmastime. To him, it’s just a lot of out-of-the-ordinary shenanigans. Don’t add more shenanigans simply because he’s cute, or it’s trendy, or you’d get likes on social media.
Don’t forget him. It’s a busy time. And it’s a cold time. But don’t forget that Fido still needs his exercise and freedom. If you keep him cooped up all day while you’re cleaning the house, and prepping the turkey, and then expect him to be on his best behaviour, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. He needs to get out of the stressful environment and move around outside. And you need the same thing.
Carve out some quiet time. Hang out with your dog, having a quiet interaction of calm pets, scratches, or best yet - doing nothing!
Stay calm. Your dog is aware of your feelings and emotions. If you’re having a rough day, Fido will know. You might see him acting differently than usual. And it’s easy for things to spiral here: you’re feeling stressed, your dog acts out, your fuse is short, you act out, your dog acts out. Instead of going down that hole, breathe, focus on what matters most, and let those little things slide.
I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas! I hope that your dog feels safe and comfortable with everything going on, and that the warmth of the season brings you and your dog closer together!
Here's to you and Your Dog!
Elaine
P.S. If you are looking for help with your dog's behaviour in this season or in any other, please contact me. I'm always happy to help. If you have already had a consult with me and you have questions, shoot them my way. We are all learning and we can do it together!
Thanks for sharing this! I love that the tips are so practical...and doable! Very helpful.