Unleashing Holiday Joy with Your Pup!”
The holiday season is upon us, and while it’s a time of joy and festivities, it can also bring a unique set of challenges for us and our dogs. We all have expectations of how our holidays should be. Sometimes our pets do not live up to these expectations.
I’ve celebrated numerous Christmases with lively pups and dogs in need of additional training in my home.
Last Christmas it was Desiree, a 10-month-old Rottweiler and Labrador mix.
If you look at my tree last year there were barely any ornaments on it.
I put any breakable ornaments at the top of the tree, and the ornaments that were precious to me and breakable were not on the tree.
Sure enough with Desiree running around and bounding through the house, she ran into the tree. A few of my ornaments went flying and crashed on the floor.
As I tried to maneuver Desiree away. She decided it was time to play her favorite game which is grab something and play keep away. You can imagine my horror when that something was half a glass bulb.
Thankfully I had all already been working on a drop it with her. After some convincing, she decided to drop it. She was fine no damage. It must be that Labrador’s soft mouth. You can see where this and other incidents, especially during the holidays could go very wrong.
As a dedicated dog trainer, my job is to help you both navigate the holidays with ease. So here are some things to consider to be putting into practice ahead of the holidays.
1. ‘Sit’ and Stay Calm Amidst the Chaos: The holidays often come with a flurry of activities, decorations, and guests. We as pet parents need to reinforce basic commands like ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ to help their dogs remain calm and well-behaved during the hustle and bustle.
We sometimes just expect our dogs to act in a certain manner yet amidst their enthusiasm, they may forget, or we haven’t sufficiently practiced with them to be consistently reliable.
2. Gift-Worthy Manners: Encourage the gift of good behavior! Reinforcing positive behaviors with treats and praise can go a long way during the season of giving.
3. Paw-some Holiday Traditions: Take time to create memorable traditions with your pets. Whether it’s a special holiday walk, a festive photoshoot, or a dog-friendly treat-making session, these activities help us to enjoy the bond we have with our dogs and not just focus on the negatives.
4. Festive Feasting, Canine Style: Reminder to be careful about maintaining a balanced diet for dogs during holiday feasts and steering clear of items that may be harmful to them. Keeping temptations out of reach and your dog having a reliable “leave it” command can go a long way to keeping them safe during the holidays.
5. Doggy Etiquette for Gatherings: With holiday gatherings in full swing, dogs need to be well-socialized. I am happy to share insights on introducing dogs to new people, and ensuring they are comfortable and stress-free in various social settings. If they are not provide them a stress-free zone. Whether that is in another room or a completely separate environment for example at a pet sitter’s house.
6. Stress-Free Travel Tips: For families hitting the road during the holidays think about ways to make travel enjoyable for your dog. Do crate training or place training with your dog, providing them with a familiar space can alleviate travel-related stress.
Also, do not wait until that long trip to make sure your dogs are comfortable with car rides.
7. Doggy Needs: Be sure to bring a beloved toy or introduce a new one to keep your dog occupied and content. Also, pack anything else necessary to keep them comfortable.
Dogs bring so much Joy to our lives. I think even more so during the holidays.
“It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” – John Grogan Marley’s Owner