Dog-proof your holidays
Holidays may mean a change in routine, new visitors to the home, people staying for extended periods, higher numbers of visitors in the home, and gatherings with large spreads of food like the one in the picture above being scoped by the puppy.
As a dog trainer, it is common for me to get alot of inquiries post-holiday season.
“Fluffy was barking nonstop when guests arrived, and we couldn’t figure out why”
“Pancake was jumping all over the visitors, it was so stressful”
“Wolfie bit a family member at our party, we’re distraught and can’t let it happen again”
Management is key
By anticipating potential challenges and setting up a management plan, you and your dog can have a more joyous and less stressful experience. These tips aren’t limited for use to holidays- they can help with year-round dinner parties, gatherings, or changes in a household.
Be humane + positive
Use humane training methods. Skip any plans to punish behavior using fear, pain or intimidation. Ultimately, the goal is to prevent unwanted behavior from happening in the first place. Make it easy for your dog to do desired behavior. Use management to make it impossible or very unlikely to do unsafe and/or unwanted behavior. Prevent your dog from being exposed to stressors. This can improve your dog’s welfare AND improve your experience as a dog guardian (less stress for all).
Change, guests, food oh my!
Each dog is unique, and you may already understand your own dog’s specific behavioral needs and triggers for problem behavior.
I want to highlight 3 common triggers for stress, fear, over-arousal or aggression:
1) Change in routine (can cause stress + trigger stacking.)
2) Guests in home/new people/more people than usual (potential trigger for fear, aggression, or over-arousal even if a dog is excited about people.)
3) Food-centered gatherings (opportunities for counter-surfing, consumption of unsafe foods, can raise over-all arousal, and for some dogs resource guarding may be a risk.)
Be Proactive
Using management can take a number of forms. Some examples of frequently used management strategies are:
For a dog that is fearful of visitors:
Provide your dog with a safe, quiet, low-stimulation spot in your home away from guests. That may look like a room with closed doors, baby gates up, or a crate for a dog who is happy and relaxed in their crate. Provide your dog with enrichment activities (stuffed puzzle toys, lick mats, chewies) and visits from their guardians but post a sign and let guests know that the dog’s area is a no-go zone for guests.
For any dog at a gathering with lots of food out:
Prevent access to the room where a spread of food is out on a table or counters. Baby gates to the kitchen/dining room can be great here! You may also want to keep your dog out of areas where guests are eating. This could look like having your dog in a separate room, behind a baby gate, or even on-leash with a guardian. Provide your dog with exercise/enrichment before hand, and a puzzle toy or chewy to work on while people are enjoying food. It’s normal for a dog to scavenge, so having feasts out (and especially food on plates that are on furniture or the floor, which tends to happen at parties) risks dogs eating/stealing/guarding food.
Give your dog the gift of making it easy to do the right thing and not even possible to do the wrong thing by using management. You and your dog both deserve a low-stress holiday experience.
Does your dog need a New Year’s Resolution?
I provide personalized support for each unique dog household. Reach out to learn more about consultations and ongoing training.
Seeking customized support for dog training?