The holiday season with our pets can be a tricky thing to navigate! We have to participate in all of the usual holiday hustle and bustle, while also looking out for our beloved pets well being. Life gets hectic around this time of year, and being prepared for what may come up is the first step to handling the chaos.
Things we have to consider:
travel
our pets ability to handle crowds
holiday food
holiday décor and outfits
loud and unusual noise
new scents
Travel
Travel around this time of year is inevitable. Whether it be you traveling somewhere or someone traveling in to see you, this affects your pet. There is a chance your pet might even join you on a trip this year! Whatever the case may be, there are steps you can begin doing now in order to prepare.
If you are planning to travel this year and leave your pet behind, begin making plans for your pet sitter now. Pet sitters tend to book up during the holiday season, so you should begin reserving your spots as soon as possible. If your pet has never met or stayed with your pet sitter (or boarding facility), begin making introductions ahead of time. The first time your pet meets their sitter or goes to where they will be staying should not be when they are being dropped off for a week. Slow introductions to the person or environment will reduce stress on your pet. Start with a simple 5 to 10 minute introduction, then the next time try leaving them for 30 minutes to an hour, slowly bump up the amount of time left to help with the adjustment of an extended stay. If possible, one or two nights staying overnight before an extended stay would be best.
If someone is coming to stay with you this holiday season, try to anticipate any changes in routine that may be coming.
Examples of preparing for guest can look like the following:
If your guest is typically asleep or awake at different times than you, try to mimic these time changes that are coming beforehand.
If your guest watches or listens to things that are different from your normal intake, begin playing them ahead of time.
Create a safe place for your pet to retreat to. Get them comfortable with this space beforehand. This is a great opportunity to work on the "place" cue. Make sure to express to your guest the importance of staying away from that designated spot. The safe area should be as quiet as possible, away from the hustle and bustle.
Prepare your guest ahead of time. A quick phone call to go over your pets routine, boundaries, and favorite things can go a long way! Bonus points for putting the phone on speaker so your pet can hear them and begin to know their voice.
Get creative! You know your dog and your guest best, so if there is anyone that can prepare for this fun occasion it is you!
If you are traveling with your pet, there are important steps you can take to make your journey as safe as possible! Make sure your pet is cleared by your veterinarian for travel. Ask your vet about anti nausea medication to have on hand just in case! Pack a dog first aid kit for emergencies. Always transport your pet in safe crates or seatbelts!!! Be mindful about where you stop for potty breaks. Check for parks along your route to see about stopping for a good walk on the way (weather permitting of course). Bring your pet a favorite toy and blanket that smells like home to have on the trip. If you are traveling by plane, do more research on the best ways to make your trip enjoyable. I personally have not traveled via plane with my pets, so I won't go into details about how to do it!
Holiday Crowds
Holiday crowds can be overwhelming for pets. People are dressed differently, more excitable than usual, the smells and scents are unique, the music is different, the house typically has gone through some major changes, and there is a buzz in the air that is unique to these times!
To best prepare your pet, create a safe space where they can retreat. Make sure the area is secluded and as quiet as possible. Fill it with things that make your dog comfortable, and practice getting them used to going there beforehand. You can put up signs to politely ask your guest to stay out of that area. I already have one made for you! Email me at contact@purposefulpawstraining.com and ask for the 'Holiday Safe Space Freebie' for your copy! I also have a bonus freebie with polite signs to ask your guest not to feed your pets holiday yummies. You can portion out some training sized treats in a bowl to redirect your guest as options to give so long as your pet and your guest are on the same page about how to give and receive treats!
If you don't think your pet can handle a holiday party, it is okay to bring them somewhere that they feel comfortable staying for the day or night. Make sure to read the travel portion to learn how to prepare your pet for a pet sitter. The most important thing is your pets wellbeing!
Holiday Food
As tempting as it may be to fix your pet a plate, it is highly advised against. There is a reason vets see a rise in ingested food related incidents around this time of year. If you do not want your pet to miss out on the festive foods, prepare ahead of time. PLAIN turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, peas, and carrots are great options to have on hand for your dog. Be on the lookout for a dog treat recipe coming your way from me soon in another blog post! As always, please check with your vet ahead of time before adding anything into your pets diet.
Do not be afraid to ask any guest to refrain from feeding your pet table scrapes! Most people will understand, and if they have a hard time with it, you can remove your pet from the room while there is food around (be sure to provide your pet with an alternative enrichment activity so they do not feel like they are missing out on the fun!) If your dog does not have a strong concept of "leave it", practice "place" or kennel while you are cooking.
And as always, never give your dog bones, chocolate, nuts, or grapes! The list of what not to give your dog goes on, but for the sake of the length of this blog I won't continue to list specifics. I'll say it again, please check with your vet.
Holiday Décor
SINCE WHEN ARE TREES ALLOWED INSIDE? AND THIS TREE IS DECORATED IN TOYS!! LET THE CHAOS BEGIN!
Our pets (especially our puppies and kittens) are naturally either very weary or very drawn to holiday decorations. Trees and limbs inside can be totally overwhelming. Not to mention the crinkly crunchy wrapping paper, 'Oh What Fun' indeed! If your pet leans in the weary direction, imagine how scary it must be to have the outdoors suddenly intrude into the indoor space. This can cause confusion and in some cases even indoor pottying.
How do we keep our pets from wrecking havoc on our precious holiday décor?
The answer isn't always a simple one.
For our dogs, we may have to implement doggie gates to keep the area secluded when you are not present to monitor. Try to keep breakable ornaments higher up on the tree and out of reach. When you are able to monitor, this is an ideal time to practice "leave it" and redirect behavior with an enrichment activity. I go into a lot of detail about these two things in all of my programs, and I would love to help you get to this point with your dog!
For our cats, holiday decorations are either very scary or very exciting. If your cat is nervous about the change in scenery, be sure to keep his/her favorite spot as untouched as possible. If your cat does not already have a favorite area, now would be the ideal time to create one. Think elevated, enclosed, and soft.
If your cat is excited about the new seeming obstacle course, focus on redirecting their energy. Cats love elevated surfaces, so try to designate a spot that is acceptable for them to perch on. To prevent your cat from jumping where it shouldn't, try to move "launch zones" out of reach. "Launch zones" are anything your cat may use to jump onto something they shouldn't. This may require getting creative with furniture placement. If you have a curious cat, a fake tree may be the best way to go. Wrap aluminum foil around the base to prevent your cat from using it as a scratching post, and hang citrus fruit slices on the lower branches to deter them from climbing up.
As far as wrapped presents go, it is better to be safe than sorry! If you think your pet is interested in the unopened presents, the best way to prevent a catastrophe is to store them in a off limits room or closet. Prevention and management will go a long ways in keeping the peace in your household. When in doubt, take it out!
Holiday Outfits
We all love a classic ugly Christmas sweater theme during the holidays. Well all except maybe our pets...
Our pets are not able to tell you when something is scratchy or uncomfortable to them. If you need to put a coat on your pet because of the cold, keep comfort above fashion for them. Take your time getting them used to wearing their coats before throwing it on them for an extended period of time. Start with short intervals and lots of praise and treats. Bells and antlers may be cute to us, but can be scary and intimidating to our pets.
It is important to note that coats on dogs prevent proper communication. Since dogs communicate primarily with body language, coats prevent them from giving and receiving proper social cues. Avoid meeting new dogs and people while your dog is wearing a coat. Take their clothes off indoors to allow them to "speak" properly.
Loud and Unusual Noise
Bells, Christmas carolers, fireworks, holiday music, well meaning but excited guest, and so much more is happening! And it is not what most of our pets are used to. Talk about anxiety inducing...
So how can we make it easier on our pets?
You guessed it! Safe spaces again. Give your pet a nook to retreat to. A buffer zone.
Stay calm for your pet. You can comfort them, but be careful not to cross the line into fretting over them. Too much cooing and soothing will make them think there is something to be worried about. Reward your pet when they are calm and settled. Try to find the balance of solace without unintendedly causing more distress.
But wait, there is more! We can prepare our pets with relaxing music designed just for them. ICalmDog is my personal favorite, but YouTube has a variety of options. The key to this being effective is to start playing this music now, before the overwhelming experience. Start playing your pet calming music while you are playing with them, cooking/eating, or just hanging out together peacefully. Build up positive memories now, so that the calming music will be associated with a good time.
I want to focus in on the last holiday of the season, New Years. While New Years is an exciting time, it is accompanied by explosions, the house shaking almost falling down, bright flashing fireballs falling from the sky, and general late night mayhem. Otherwise known as fireworks.
Now we know we can't stop the festivities just because our pets don't understand what is going on, but we can make sure we are prepared for the worst case scenario. Every year on January 1st, FaceBook floods with missing pet post, animal shelters fill, flyers get put up all over town, and people are devastated because their typically well behaved pet ran away during all the confusion. Even if you are very careful with your pets during this time, make sure they are wearing their collars WITH tags. Collars and tags do fall off though... so the best way to ensure your pets return is to have them microchipped.
Be proactive and diligent while taking your pet out to potty. Even if they have never run off, its the smart move to keep them on a leash anyways. If people are coming in and out of your house, keep your pet in a kennel or behind a closed door/gate to ensure they do not slip out. And remember, NEVER allow your dogs around fireworks. Even the best behaved dog could be triggered to grab a one, and the results are devastating.
Holiday Scents
Many peoples favorite part of the holidays, are the scents that accompany them! Dogs smell the new scents 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger than we do! This can be a great opportunity for scent work.
Try hiding a treat under a cup along with other cups that have no treat to see if your dog can find it. Left over wrapping paper can be used as snuffle material. Just be careful not to encourage bad habits for wrapped presents next year by taking the paper outside or in a designated area away from the tree before playing with it. If you think it still may be to tempting for your dog to dive into the wrapping paper early next year, then maybe skip this enrichment activity.
Some holiday scents are toxic to pets. Always look up candle, diffuser, and room spray ingredients to make sure they are safe for your fur babies too. And don't forget, cats particularly hate citrus fruits!
In need of my professional services to help navigate this holiday season?
I am happy to help! Give me a call or message me today to schedule a training consultation with me.
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