Navigating the Holiday Season With Your Puppy
Do you have a young puppy (or maybe an overzealous adolescent dog)? Wondering how in the world you’re going to get through the holidays with your puppy AND keep your sanity? I’ve got some puppy hacks that are not only going to keep your puppy safe, they’ll keep you from losing your mind as well.
Puppy Proof Your Home…More
I know you think your home is puppy proofed, but is it really? Has your puppy gotten into anything they shouldn’t have recently? Chewed on any of your things? Have you found stuff out of place when you KNOW you put it away (like maybe a shoe in your dog’s bed, or a remote control in their crate)? I’d wager a bet that you can answer yes to at least one of those questions, and if that’s the case, you need to puppy proof more than you already have.
Puppies will be, well…puppies, and the holiday season only exacerbates the challenge of keeping them (and your possessions) safe, so it helps to be prepared ahead of time. If you celebrate Christmas, decide how you will keep your puppy from accessing your Christmas tree before setting it up. If your puppy can get to your tree, they WILL try to chew on the branches, eat the fallen pine needles, pull low hanging ornaments off of it and possibly even pee on it (after all, isn’t peeing on greenery what you’ve been teaching them to do? If I was a puppy, I’d be confused too!). Don’t expect them to just know better. Plan ahead by putting your tree in a room that your puppy is blocked off from, or by placing a play pen around your tree so your puppy can’t get to it.
Keep decorations, gifts, stockings, candles and small items like candy wrappers, batteries, scissors and tape out of your puppy’s reach. Avoid things like mistletoe and holly as they can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs and be aware of some of the other popular holiday items that are toxic to our dogs.
Be Mindful of Holiday Overwhelm
The holidays can be overwhelming, and that doesn’t just go for humans. Dogs, too, tend to experience heightened stress by all the hustle and bustle that occurs during this time of the year. Their daily routine tends to get disrupted, there may be more people coming and going, their humans may be spending more time away from home, and they can definitely pick up on any tension in the household.
Just like people, this heightened stress can leave your dog more on edge and less tolerant of things they normally cope well with. It may help to give your dog a safe space like a crate (if your dog is crate trained) or a dog bed in a quiet room away from the commotion, especially if you are hosting company. Activities like chewing on a favorite bone or licking a lickimat can help your dog to decompress (chewing and licking are soothing for dogs), and you may find that your otherwise friendly dog may prefer to be left alone rather than joining in on the festivities. Always give them the option to opt out of petting and interacting with people to help your dog feel more comfortable and safe.
Plan Ahead For Holiday Travel
If you plan to travel this holiday season, don’t wait until the last minute to make arrangements for your dog. Many boarding facilities and doggie daycares fill up and you’ll want to allow your puppy time to adjust and visit for short periods of time before leaving him/her overnight. You’ll also want to give yourself enough time to do your due diligence to find a reputable facility. Not all daycares/boarding facilities or pet sitters are created equal. If you’re considering boarding, set up a tour of the facility and get all your questions answered (things like- where will my dog sleep? Do you have overnight staff members? Do you have insurance? Is your staff first aid/CPR certified? What will you do in the event of an emergency? What is your dog to staff ratio? Do you separate dogs by size and/or play style?). If you are planning to hire a dog sitter, do a meet and greet ahead of time and ask yourself: How does the sitter interact with my dog? Does my dog seem comfortable with him/her? You’ll also want to ask similar questions such as, “what kind of prior animal experience do you have?” “Do you have testimonials?” “Are you first aid/CPR certified?” “What will you do in the event of an emergency?”
Don’t Forget About New Years
Just like Christmas, New Years Eve can also be pretty stressful for our 4-legged companions. If fireworks are popular in your area and your dog is noise sensitive, have a plan for how to help them cope. Many veterinarians are happy to prescribe medication to ease the anxiety. Even if your dog is an indoor dog, be sure they are wearing their collar with tags that have up to date contact information in case they escape and run away in a panic (it happens more than you might think!). If fireworks are not a concern, things like noise poppers, streamers and confetti may spook your dog. Again, a safe place for your dog to hide away if he/she is feeling overwhelmed is a good idea to help get your pup through the craziness as successfully as possible.
Navigating the holidays with a puppy (or young dog) can be tough but by making some small tweaks, it doesn’t have to be a source of stress (this time of year is stressful enough already)! Oh, and don’t forget to take lots of cute puppy pictures because they grow up way too fast!
With wags and aloha,
Cori- CPDT-KA, FDM, FFCP, BA
