Making The Holidays Smoother For Our Dogs
The holidays are chaotic for everyone, and our pets feel the stress as well. What can we do to help ease some of the stress off of our dogs and keep them safe during the holidays?
Here are some tactics I personally recommend to help alleviate stress and to create a more safe environment.
#1 Dog Training
My first recommendation is always going to be training. Odds are if you are anxious about how your dog is going to handle the holidays, they would probably benefit from training. Whether it be for reasons such as jumping on guests, snatching food, running out the door, or even aggressive behaviors, training is going to be one of the best options for you and your pup.
But if you do not have the finances for training at this time, there are still other ways you can prepare your dog.
#2 Kenneling
One of the best things you can do for your dog during the holidays is to not involve them in the chaos. Remember that even the most friendly dogs may bite if they are scared or being annoyed by new people. Children are often the first ones to run up to a strange dog and bother them.
Finding a secluded spot as far away from the active part of the house as possible to kennel your dog while everyone is over for the holidays is often a good choice. Put your dog's kennel in a place where there is little to no traffic, such as a bedroom. Cover their kennel and play ambient music in the background to help drown out voices and other noises.
If your dog has never been kenneled before or struggles with anxiety in the kennel already, it may be beneficial to practice a routine beforehand so your dog knows exactly what to expect.
#3 Place Training
Whether it be for keeping them from running out the door, eating things they’re not supposed to, or jumping on people coming in the door; place may be a good behavior to work on with your dog.
Place gives your dog a safe place to remain while all the activity happens throughout the house. Just keep in mind that people can still bother your dog while they are on place and that place is not fool proof. Even with extensive training, dogs may step off of place if there is a high value reason for them to do so. If your have a dog still working on building place or a dog who is going to be anxious or unsure of everything happening in the house kenneling may be a better option for you.
#4 Enrichment
While your dog is kenneled or on place, it can be beneficial to give them something to do to keep them distracted during this time. Filling a kong or topple with their favorite wet food and freezing it beforehand is a good option. You could also use completely edible options such as a trachea packed full of frozen food if your dog is back for destroying or eating things they shouldn’t.
If your dog is a resource guarder, do not give them anything high value in situations where children, other people, or other animals may be able to walk over and bother them.
#5 Exercise
When you know people are coming over or if you will be gone for awhile, exercise your dog beforehand. Take some extra time to do some training that day or take them for a long hike early in the morning. Keep them awake and active until 30 minutes to an hour before people start arriving or you leave. If your dog needs more help getting into a settle mindset, work on some settling exercises before kenneling them.
When they are ready, move them to their kennel, get the ambient music going, and give them something to chew on or eat. A more tired dog is more likely to want to rest in their kennel compared to a dog who has pent up energy.
#6 Leave Them Alone
Unless you have a dog who you absolutely need to check on in the kennel for health or behavioral reasons, leave them alone and let them settle. Don’t feel the need to check in on them every few minutes.
#7 Medication
Although medication is an option to help sedate your dog, I oftentimes recommend it as a last resort option. Always speak to your vet before making this decision.
Always keep in mind that your dog may act differently than you predicted in certain situations. All dogs have the ability to bite if pushed far enough. Even if your dog does not bite, why would we risk putting them in a stressful situation if there is no way of them benefitting from it? Kenneling is often the smartest and safest option for everyone. In these types of situations, set your dog up for as much success as possible!
Everyone have a safe and happy holiday season!
