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Minimising Stress For Your Dog During Christmas Celebrations

December 1, 2022

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! While pets are part of our family and we want to involve them as much as possible, a busy house full of guests, strange smells, decorations and food can all be harmful and stressful for your pup.

We have put together these few tips to make sure you and your pet have a happy Christmas!

1. Exercise your pets before guests arrive so they will be tired out and hopefully they will nap through all the visitors. This will also help to reduce their stress when visitors do arrive
2. Create a safe space for your pets if they need a break, especially if there are boisterous children or a lot of noise that your dog isn’t used to.
3. Don’t leave food unattended when your dogs are around. Christmas foods are some of the most dangerous for pets, alcohol, avocado, chocolates, Christmas puddings, grapes, hams, lollies, onions, macadamia nuts and cooked bones are to be avoided
4. Keep your Christmas decorations out of reach as baubles and glass ornaments can look like fun things to play with. Candy canes and other edible decorations can also pose a risk.
5. Wrapping paper, ribbons and plastics should be cleaned immediately as they can cause choking hazards
6. Pup friendly Christmas treats can be made yourself or purchased commercially. You should always avoid rawhide as they are often filled with chemicals and can become lodged in your pup’s intestines