Stress Free Christmas
Doreen Potter 
Some tips to help your nervous dog or puppy enjoy a family Christmas
WHY IS CHRISTMAS SO STRESSFUL ?
Rush, rush rushhhhhhhhh
Last minute shopping
Cards
Presents
Christmas tree
Decorations
And
Everything else that goes with the preparation for Christmas.
Question Have you helped your dog prepare for Christmas?
Maybe you have an anxious dog that finds change difficult to cope with.
Have you thought about how he or she will cope with visitors? Maybe children are visiting.
The excitement of Christmas can be quite overwhelming for some dogs or puppies.
How can you help your dog have a great Christmas too?
Start now to show him where his safe place is. This could be a crate away from the busy hub. Or even another room.
Set ground rules. Ask your visitors not to go near the dog while he is in his safe place, and watch out for children. Safe place is OUT OF BOUNDS
Remember when the Christmas Spirit is flowing, people tend to forget the rules.
Prepare licky mats, filled kongs and have long lasting chews ready for the day.
Try not to disrupt your dog's routine too much.
Watch out for those people that just think passing your dog a tasty treat from the table will do no harm. Some foods are really poisonous for dog's.
Listen to what your dog is saying, if he doesn’t look happy, put him in his safe place with one of your prepared yummy food items.
Management is really important, don’t expect your dog or puppy to just fit into the festivities. It may be too much for them.
Loud bangs, crackers, party poppers etc may really upset your dog, so make sure they are away from the noise. Possibly have some brown or white noise playing in your dog's safe place.
When new people arrive, let your dog make the choice to say hello or not.
Don’t allow people to stroke or crowd your dog. Watch his body language, if he is happy and his body is nice and relaxed and he wants to go and say hello, let him. Make sure he has the choice to leave when he wants.
We all remember having to give that Auntie a kiss………….
Most importantly………. Have a wonderful Christmas, your dog or puppy is part of your family. Let's all enjoy this special time.
Categories: : Anxious/nervous dogs, Dog Behaviour, Dog Training