With the holiday season in full swing, you may be hosting guests in your home more often than usual this month. Whether you are hosting a cocktail party, a cookie exchange, or a big Christmas dinner, nothing can stress you out more than a misbehaving dog. The holidays may be exciting for us, but dogs can find all the change in routine and new faces a bit stressful. To keep your celebrations merry and bright, work with your dog on a few of our tips to prepare him for the holiday stress ahead.

Safety First
Your pet’s safety can get a little tricky in the holiday season. Poinsettias, while beautiful, are poisonous to dogs. Trainer Judy reminds owners to “keep an eye out for falling leaves, and put your flower up where your dog cannot get to it.” Further, while it might be a treat to give table food to your pooch during your festivities, be wary. Keep a special eye out on your turkey bones; these bones split easily and can also cause gastrointestinal distress for dogs, which no one wants to deal with during a busy party.

Preserve your schedule as much as possible
Dogs love routine, and your daily schedule keeps your pooch feeling secure and confident. When he knows what is coming next, he feels safe and can act accordingly. However, when a routine gets too disheveled, your dog may react with bad behavior. When planning for your event or houseguests, try as hard as you can to keep your dog’s schedule in tact. Feed him at the same time, walk him at the same time, and play with him at the same time. We aren’t saying that your dog can’t handle a bit of disruption, but the more you can keep his schedule on point, you are setting him up for success.

Protect his space

Your dog needs his own space to retreat to, especially in active situations. If your dog loves his crate, make sure that you have the door open and that it is available for him to sneak into when the holidays get to be a little too much for his liking. Resist the temptation to tuck his crate (or his favorite bed) out of the way so that guests don’t see; your dog will behave better, and will feel safer, if he knows that his crate is there when he needs it.

Speaking of space, be sure to protect yours too. Use baby gates to create visual boundaries for your dog so he knows where he can, and cannot, go. Gates can keep your dog safe, not to mention relieve you of any stress when you glance around your busy home and cannot see your dog.

Add a walk or obedience session
Burn off a little extra nervous energy – in your dog and in yourself – by scheduling in time for an extra walk the day of your party. Also, remember that practicing obedience commands can help to burn energy as well. A well exercised (physically and mentally) dog is much more adaptable and ready for a big event.

Practice his commands
If you haven’t been the best about practicing commands and obedience with your dog, start adding it to your daily routine. It is better to have a dog who is confident in his commands before the house fills up with guests and you are yelling “place!” at him. Start working on his patience and increase his time in his “down stay” and “place” so that when your party begins, he will be able to hold his commands when it counts. If you are needing to give your dog a chance to brush up on his skills, call us to set up a few days of our Day Academy so that we can work with him.

Insist on good behavior from your humans
While it is imperative that your dog behaves during holiday events, it is also important that you insist on good manners from your human guests. Be sure that your guests respect your dog’s space, especially well meaning (but somewhat eager) children who may cause lots of extra stress to your dog. Your guests may not know your preferences or expectations, so tell them if you are working on something (“let’s only pet Fido when he has all 4 paws on the floor”) or what your dog is used to (“Fido loves staying in his place! Let’s stay off his place and give him plenty of room.”).

Relax
Finally, be sure to relax a bit. Cooking for a house full of guests or dealing with the family dynamics that sometimes creep into your holiday parties can be stressful. Your dog will surely pick up on your mood and will react if you are feeling frazzled. Pour yourself a glass of eggnog and roll with the punches – as long as you’ve set up your dog for success, your party will surely go off without a hitch. Good luck!