Christmas is a happy time for humans to get together and be merry (or argue depending on your family) But it can be a stressful and confusing time for our dogs.
Routines change, more people visit, or they are alone more often than normal, most dogs like routine and can get anxious when there are changes. On top of this they now have to cope with a tree in the house they can’t pee on, it has shiny balls all over it and nobody throws them! sometimes there are even edible things hanging there too that can’t be eaten, interesting presents they can’t chew, twinkling lights with wires that bite.
Did you know some fir trees produce oils which are mildly toxic and if ingested could cause your dog to vomit or excessively drool.
We all know there are loads of Christmas foods which are poisonous or toxic to your dog, including grapes, sultanas chocolate and raisins,
mince pies, Christmas puddings, dried fruit nuts, chocolate, even something that sound like they could be safe often aren’t. Turkey scraps could contain tiny bones which are dangerous.
This doesn’t mean we should lock ourselves away and not celebrate, it’s just something all dog owners need to be aware of so we can make sure Christmas is a happy time for our dogs too.
Dog bites over the Christmas periods are higher than any other time of the year, in the majority of cases this involves young children. Not all dogs like tiny humans, they are loud and erratic. At Christmas they can be more excited than normal, maybe they have friends over, or even relatives the dogs have never even met!
All of this on top of probably getting less physical exercise than usual as we are all busy desperately trying to prep a meal and trimmings for the whole of the Moscow state circus !
Most well-socialised family dogs can cope with the temporary craziness of Christmas – and some actually enjoy it, however for a surprisingly large number it’s stressful and worrying. A dog that is under-exercised, over stimulated, under-supervised and over-threshold is an accident just waiting to happen.
So how can we prevent the dog from biting?
Make sure they get enough exercise, (it might actually help your stress levels to escape in the fresh air for an hour. Aunt Mable won’t notice the dust behind the chair!
Supervise all interactions between children and dogs. If you can’t, then create a safe space for your dog to get away
Try and keep your dog’s routine the same as always.
Watch out for any signs your dog might be getting stressed.
Licking their lips, or parts of their bodies
Not settling
Following you around
peeing in the house
Chewing
Pacing or shaking
Whining or barking. …
Yawning, drooling,
Panting.
If you recognise the early signs then help your dog,
Give them a quiet area away from everyone. Maybe try Lick mats or a kong, with some tasty treats.
Have yourselves a merry Christmas and relax and enjoy the time with your friends and family knowing that your dogs are safe and happy too.
Pacing or shaking
Whining or barking. …
Yawning, drooling,
Panting.
If you recognise the early signs then help your dog,
Give them a quiet area away from everyone. Maybe try Lick mats or a kong, with some tasty treats.
Have yourselves a merry Christmas and relax and enjoy the time with your friends and family knowing that your dogs are safe and happy too.
UK SCENT SPORT 