Keep your holiday traditions dog-friendly.
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”! Sorry if that song just became an earworm, but at least I have your attention now 😉 This really is a lot of people’s favorite time of year – from the decorations to the food, there are many traditions that we enjoy doing every year. When you have a new dog, however, you need to think about keeping holiday traditions dog-friendly until you have trained them on proper holiday manners.
Decorations: they can be pretty but also pretty hazardous to your dog’s health.
Twinkling lights, tinsel, and garlands come to mind for those of us who love nostalgic Christmas decorations. Yes, they can be beautiful – but they can also pose problems for a curious dog who has never seen them before.
Tinsel, artificial garlands, wrapping paper, and candles are a few examples of holiday decorations that can lead to GI problems, punctures, or a blockage if they are ingested. Even if your dog is not a “chewer”, a wagging tail can knock over a lighted candle if at the right height.
Try to keep appropriate toys available for them to choose instead. Monitor your dog around decorations if they are new, and redirect them to the toy if they start to show interest in the decoration. Always praise them for choosing the toy instead of the decoration!
Holiday foods: yummy to our tummies but not your doggie’s!
What is better than holiday food? Those unique smells that come around once or twice a year can be a HUGE temptation for your pup. Even though we love to spoil our dogs a bit more around the holidays, please remember not all people food is OK for dogs to ingest. They can become really sick with the wrong food – and no one wants to take a trip to the emergency vet during Christmas!
When cooking, keep food back away from the edge of the counter, and don’t leave food unattended on lower tables (like a coffee/end table). Monitor your dog around guests with food when they are lounging and redirect to an appropriate toy if they start get too close. You can also keep them busy with an appropriate chew or peanut butter-filled Kong toy so they have something special, too.
Use the “Place” command to keep your dog away from tables while everyone is eating. Those tempting smells will be hard to resist if something happens to fall on the floor! You can also use the “Place” command when guests are coming in, too!
Holiday plants: nice to look at but not to eat.
There are actually several plants that only come around this time of year that can be toxic to your pet if ingested:
- Poinsettias – mildly toxic, but will cause nausea and vomiting.
- Mistletoe and Holly – mildly to severely toxic. Call your vet or poison control for specific advice.
- Lilies – the bulbs can be extremely toxic. Amaryllis, which is popular this time of year, is included in the lily family.
For a list of other poisonous plants for the rest of the year, the HSPCA has put together a thorough list: Plants Toxic to Dogs.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree…
Yes, even your Christmas tree can pose a “threat” to your dog. Safe to say, don’t let your dog lift it’s leg on the tree or jump on it (because a falling tree would be bad). Watch your dog around ornaments and lights: chewing on the light string can cause a shock you may not be prepared for and ingested ornaments or hooks can cause GI distress.
One thing most people don’t think or know about is to keep your dog from drinking the water out of the tree stand. Your tree can leak sap into the water while it sits, and that can be toxic. And depending on where you got your tree from, fertilizers, pesticides, or preservatives can be present as well. How much your dog ingests determines how sick your dog can get.
Related: 5 Tips to Help You Prepare for Christmas With a Dog
Need help teaching your dog to leave those holiday decorations alone? We’re here for you!
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