Keeping Your Dog Safe This Holiday Season
The holidays are a time of joy, love, food, and gifts. But not everything is so merry for mutts. Dogs don’t know what December means; they only know that mom and dad seem more stressed, the home seems more hectic, and – oh my goodness – do humans have great taste in food!
So, how do we keep our furry friends safe during this season of Yule? Try the following tips:
- Rein in the food: Ham, sweet potatoes, pie, fudge, green bean casserole – the holidays are delicious for people. Now, imagine if the acuteness of our sense of smell was multiplied by about 10,000. In other words, the holiday menu is sure to leave your pooch sitting in a pool of its own drool. While throwing them a table scrap every now and then probably won’t hurt, make
sure you don’t overdo it. And make sure they don’t get their thieving paws on anything that could hurt them, like chicken bones or fruit cakes (which can be bad for a canine’s kidneys).
- Blow out the candles: When it comes to pets, cats are more often labeled as arsonists – the leap upon a table has surely knocked down many candles. But dogs can also inadvertently start fires (especially large dogs with whipping tails). It’s likely safe to have them in your home, but never leave your dog (or cat) in a room with anything that’s lit.
- Recognize their stress: Some dogs are people-pooches and happily greet anyone who walks through the door. Others (particularly if they’re older) like things quiet and shy away from stimulation. Keep this in mind if you’re hosting a party or your in-laws. Watch for signs of stress and cater to your canine where you can. Providing a safe place where they can retreat – such as a quiet room or a kennel – is always a good idea.
- Secure your Christmas tree: If you set up a Christmas tree, make sure you secure it against the wall (or something comparable). While dogs don’t knock trees down to the degree cats do (felines seem to approach this as a personal challenge), dogs might run into them and bring them to the ground. Not only can this hurt your pooch, but it can damage the tree and all the ornaments on it. The glass ones that have been in your family for years? Yep, they’ll be the first to go.
- Prepare for pee: If you opt for a real tree instead of an artificial one, be warned: your dog may use it as a bathroom. This is done out of habit – dogs are trained to pee on trees outside so they assume they can pee on the inside as well. There’s really no arguing with that kind of logic.
Most dogs love the holidays because it means mom and dad are home more often. Ultimately, that may be the key thing to remember. Don’t forget your fur baby this season – you might shower them with toys and bones and new tennis balls, but the thing they want most is to be included.
JJ Keeler lives in Colorado with a house full of pets. She owns three dogs, two cats, and a hamster she bought as a bribe to get her daughter to ride the school bus. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado and has worked as a professional writer for fifteen years. Her clothes are perpetually covered in pet hair.
