Four legged Christmas

My favorite time during the holiday season is Christmas Eve. I curl up on the couch with all

three of my dogs, watch Christmas movies and enjoy the quiet before the hustle and bustle of Christmas day. The calm atmosphere of Christmas eve is something I try and keep consistent for my dogs throughout the rest of the holiday as well.

They, like most dogs, are not used to having people coming and going constantly throughout the day or having tons of different wrapping paper and chocolate to get into. To keep them safe, happy, and well-behaved I use a couple of different tools. The first one is their crates. If we have toddlers, kids, and adults throughout the house, my dogs do not need to be at large as well. Their crates allow them to decompress, chill, and have somewhere safe they can go to not be bothered. It is fun to get a couple of pictures with them after they get their presents (because we are those people!) but then they get a treat and some quiet time in their crates. For most dogs this is where they want to be when their house is busy, dogs thrive on routine so it is up to us to maintain that for them.

The other tool we utilize is our marks. The mark allows our dogs to be in the same room as us but keeps them safe from ingesting all types of Christmas hazards. It also is super helpful to keep them safe as the guests come and go. We make sure we put them on their marks before the door opens so that they do not run out of the house without us noticing and to avoid chaos around the entranceway as people come in. Holidays have one of the highest statistics when it comes to missing pets, and we do not want our dogs to be one of those statistics!

As we enter the beginning of December now is a great time to brush up on your dog's training before the Christmas chaos begins. Practice your recalls, allow them to spend more time in their crates, and get some reps in on that mark!

What are some things you do during the holiday season to keep your dog safe and happy?