All Is Calm: Tips for a Dog-Friendly Holiday Season
Help your dog to chill out this holiday season with some simple steps to ensure their fun and safety. photo: AdobeStock
While all the holiday hustle and bustle, glitz and glamor, and bells and whistles might be very exciting for us humans, the season may be stressful and overwhelming to our pups. Is your dog cowering in fear at the motorized, illuminated Santa on your neighbor’s lawn? Enthusiastically trying to eat all your ornaments off the tree? Jumping all over the table trying to eat every festive treat in sight? If so, here are some tips to help you, your pup, and your family get through the holiday season.
If your pup is afraid to go outside and be swallowed whole by the inflated Rudolph across the street (or is frantically trying to play with it), start inside your home, on your porch, or in your driveway, giving your dog treats, praise, and calm encouragement just for being outside with the crazy decorations. You don’t need to get any closer to any of these unless your dog initiates it. In fact, allowing your pup to navigate the distance is the best way to establish that he is safe and okay amid this new Vegas-like light show.
You’ll also want to dog-proof your home to prevent access to the seasonal temptations of tinsel, hanging stockings, shining presents, and such. The blinking lights, shimmering wrappings, and overall novelty of these amazing new “toys” will tempt many dogs to try to play with, destroy, or consume them. Putting a baby gate around the tree or blocking access to the holiday menorah can save everyone a lot of strife and drama.
If your family longs to have your pup share in the holiday glory, the dog must always be supervised around any decorations or seasonal treats. Tethering your dog to a heavy piece of furniture is an excellent way to allow him to be a part of the family fun without risking damage or injury to anything including himself.
It’s also important to remember that most of our dogs’ senses are acutely more intense than our own and it’s not necessary or even desirable to expose them to the flashing bright lights or boisterous glee we often share during these festive times. Even holiday music may be a little too much for sensitive ears so try lowering the volume to give them a break and plan for a quiet place where they can rest and recover away from the hubbub. Wouldn’t we all love a nice enclosed, calm sanctuary where we can get away for a nap?
And what about those enthusiastic or not so enthusiastic visitors and relatives? The overly excited children who want to hug your dog with crushing intensity or the elderly folks who might not enjoy a giant furball jumping and drooling all over them? Or even those Scrooges who simply don’t enjoy sharing time and space with a dog, period (bah humbug)? Again, start by creating literal boundaries for dogs and humans with baby gates or dedicated quiet spaces. But remember this is also a golden opportunity to teach both humans and canines about polite, safe, and appropriate greetings and interactions, including when it’s a good time to take a break.
The red light/green light game is a perfect learning tool for this and fun for everyone, especially children. Start by tethering your dog to a large piece of furniture as described above. Then have the human(s) take one step toward the dog but only when the dog is not jumping. As soon as the dog lunges or jumps, have the humans stop and take a step backwards, turning away from the pup. Most kids already know the red light/green light game and will have extra fun with this version, especially if some of the adults join in. And both humans and dogs will learn when and how it’s okay to physically interact with each other.
In fact, it’s very important to honor and respect a dog’s physical boundaries and limitations in the exact same way that we respect our fellow humans’ personal space. That means everyone should be taught how to do “consent checks” with any and all dogs in any and all situations. Dogs already perform these checks with each other, with other species, and with us.
If you want to gather your visitors around your laptop, there’s an excellent, short video that will be fun for all called Pet Consent Checks: Does he want to be petted? Or you can skip the video and just review the basic rules for humans.
Let the dog approach you; do not force yourself on the dog.
Let the dog ask to be touched. To do this, place your hand idly open and let the dog nuzzle it in some way to tell you it wants to be petted.
Stop every 2-3 seconds to see if the dog returns to you and wants more.
Stop your interaction as soon as the dog seems to no longer want to be touched.
Remember, a calm, loving environment is the most precious gift you can give your dog at any time of the year. With some advance planning and a few basic rules in place, you’ll be all set for a safe and happy holiday for everyone.