Health & Fitness
Help Fido Keep the Holiday Spirit!
Safety Tips on Keeping Fido happy and stress free during the holiday season.
As the holidays approach, life changes from an already hurried pace to “out of control” chaos. Unfortunately, our pets are often caught in the middle of it all. Before the company comes to town, before the house is decorated with new holiday trimmings and before all of the delicious and dangerous desserts are made ….take some time to ensure that your pets will have as happy and safe a holiday as the rest of the household.
Below are a few “Holiday Tips” for dog owners:
1.Big parties and loud music may be fun for humans, but most dogs don’t enjoy that much activity. Make plans to provide a safe place for Fido. Put him in his crate or in a room away from the action with a stuffed Kong or favorite chew toy….at least during the most hectic times (guests arriving and leaving as well as dinner preparation and serving.)
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2. Double check that all food (desserts, turkey legs, etc.)remain well out of your pet’s reach. It is very easy to become distracted when it comes to safety. Dogs are opportunistic hunters…if the opportunity arises, they will take it! So remember to put food out of Fido’s reach (This includes making sure the trash is secure).
3. Loud laughter, kids running/yelling, etc. can all add up to additional stress for your pet. Play music or leave a TV or radio playing in the dog’s room to help mask the sounds of the activity going on elsewhere.
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4. If children are around it is best to assign one adult to be in charge of the dog, to watch for signs of stress and protect from unwanted attention from children.
5. Do not allow children (or anyone for that matter) to hug the dog. Dogs don’t like hugs and kisses. Even if the dog tolerates this under normal circumstances, he may not tolerate this from strangers or in a high stress situation with lots of noise and people.
6. Supervise at all times.
7. Watch for signs of stress in your pet. Dogs show signs of stress in many ways. Some common signs include: excessive yawning or licking his chops, whale eye – the white part of his eye is showing in a half moon shape, excessive panting or pacing.
Other signs that your dog is not comfortable include: Avoidance (The dog turns his head away, walks away or tries to hide under furniture), freezing in place: the dog freezes and becomes very still, and of course, if the dog growls or raises the fur along his back.
If the dog shows any of these signs, then it is time to intervene. Remember, dogs can stress out just like humans, but they give wonderful communication signals to let us know they need some space. It is our job as their owners to respect that and to make any necessary changes to ensure safety.
With some supervision and preplanning, you can help ensure that everyone, including Fido, has a wonderful holiday season!