Holiday season is approaching faster than 7 can steal a food from a baby.
As far as our dog is concerned Holiday season is insane time.  More people are in and out of the house,  family’s energy is out of whack.  Not to mention lots of strange boxes & plants are being placed in the house.  In fact very little is familiar.

I view our dog’s need during the holidays in two categories. 1) Safety  and 2) Sanity.

Dog Safety

1 Tree water at the base of live trees can be harmful to your dog if preservative chemicals have been added to prolong the life of the tree. Cover the tree basin with foil or a tree skirt to keep your dog from drinking the water.

2  Anchor the tree with cord or wire to the ceiling directly above the tree’s trunk  to prevent your dog from knocking over your holiday tree. REMEMBER ! Don’t attach it with wire to a wall behind the tree because your dog could get caught in the wire if be darts behind the tree.

3  To keep your dog from accidentally swallowing something that could get lodged in his throat hang your ornaments with ribbons rather than hooks

4 Don’t use toothpicks. Because your can eat the toothpicks if they are dropped on the floor and they can get stuck in his throat or puncture internal organs.

5 Tie up loose electrical cords of the lights used to decorate the tree and keep them concealed by attaching them with wire or cord to the trunk of the tree.

Dog Sanity

1 Try to enjoy the season.  Stay calm. We all get stressed out during the holidays, and our dog picks up on our stress. She looks to you as a leader. If you are calm, she can be calmer.  If you  spend a little quiet time with your dog every day – it will help you, too.
Review your dog’s basic obedience training exercises daily.  Don’t teach your dog something new during this stressful time, but review what she already knows & reinforce yourself as a pack leader.
2 Keep the routine with your dog: Keep your dog’s regular daily routine.  Feed and walk her at the same times as you usually do. Changing her routine can make her stressful, and she may seek attention by misbehaving.
3 Play with your dog before your party. If you tire her out, she’ll be too tired to get into any mischief when guests arrive. If that is not possible, hire a dog walker or take him to doggie daycare.

Find out the location of the nearest emergency vet in your area NOW. Don’t lose precious moments during an emergency.