Not all dogs cope well with people visiting their home. Even friendly dogs can struggle to settle when there are novel or exciting peoplearound and this can mean they jump up, bark or cause a nuisance. Even something as simple as the doorbell ringing more often for Christmas deliveries and guests arriving; this can all create more excitement or stress for our dogs and this can build up in their system over time.

For puppies this will be their first Christmas and there will be lots of things they have not experienced before.

Remember: your puppy/dog has no idea what Christmas is. They don’t inherently understand that it is a positive thing and they do not understand there are things that can cause them harm neither do they understand that they are safe in these differing situations we put them in; we need to help and manage our dogs in these situations so they can cope and can not get themselves into trouble.

Signs of stress How do you know if your dog is stressed?

🐾 Some dogs will become subdued and take themselves away to somewhere they feel safe and relaxed; if your dog does this then please leave them to do so, forcing them to come out to join in is the opposite to what they need in those moments, don’t take it personally! If you have a dog that takes themselves off then ensure they have everything they need there; bed, water and familiar items. Do not allow children to follow or disturb them.

🐾 Other dogs may become defensive when everything gets too much for them. They may bark or even become snappy. It’s important to ensure safety and make sure there are physical barriers between your dog and your guests; especially if there are children or vulnerable people around. Mishaps happen so quickly, even in dogs that have not behaved this way before.

🐾 Some dogs will do the opposite of this; jumping around like a crazy thing, jumping up, zooming around and barking. Although it probably looks like these types of dogs are having fun, they’re still not really coping with what’s going on around them and need some help to calm down so they don’t do themselves or someone else an injury.

Dogs like this are difficult to manage. It can help to have them attached to a lead so that you can gently encourage the behaviour you want and prevent them from jumping around too much. Baby gates or puppy pens can also be helpful as they can be put safely behind a barrier. However; somedogs will find it frustrating to be attached to a lead inside the home and it could even cause them to feel trapped, so this needs to practised prior to Christmas; use the training tip in this month's newsletter to teach your dog to be calm in their bed, that way it’s a normal thing for them to do come Christmas.

Some puppies and dogs cannot cope with being separated from you, so barriers may not be suitable. There’s still time to teach them how to cope being separated by a barrier and this involves keeping close, just the other side of the barrier and giving them something positive to do (such as a licking mat or stuffed kong). With practise you can start moving slightly away before going back to them. But if your puppy or dog finds this distressing please consult a qualified professional or consider other ways to manage them this Christmas.

Who is looking out for the puppy/dog?

If you have a lot going on, your dog might be forgotten or it could go unnoticed if they are struggling. It’s useful to delegate certain members of the family (adults) to be responsible for your dog at certain times of the day, this ensures they are still taken out for a walk, still taken out for toilet breaks, are supervised at all times, getting enough quiet time and also enough individual attention. Try to keep your dog’s routine as consistent as possible; if their basic needs are not met there are more likely to be issues. This is especially important if you have a puppy that is still learning how to behave at home, and learning how to toilet outside. Less supervision and less garden trips means more toilet accidents indoors which will just add to your stress.‍

Guests‍

It’s common for there to be disagreements between family members about how the dog behaves, or for there to be differing opinions on training methods….we have probably all been there! At the end of the day this is your dog, your decision and it’s not going to be helpful for you or your dog to get into discussions or arguments about it over Christmas. Ensure that your dog is safely managed when you have guests over,# and politely decline their advice if they are suggesting things that are not going to be the best for your dog.  If you don’t want guests giving your dog tidbits then ensureeveryone knows the rules when they arrive, put signs up if you need to! If people can’t be trusted to not sneak food to your dog under the table, ensure your dog is elsewhere during your Christmas Dinner! You can’t force everyone to follow your instructions, so just prevent it from happening. If your dog is relaxed around guests then it may be suitable to leave your dog to free roam, but if you notice they need some space or downtime; you can always help them to settle down in a different area of the house. If your dog finds it difficult to be calm around guests you may find it useful to provide them with a calming activity such a stuffed kong or long lasting chew but if you have multiple dogs, or visiting dogs this may not be suitable or they will need to be in separate spaces to ensure there are no issues with guarding which may lead to fights. When it comes to any dog, there can never be too much supervision when it comes to children. Neither children or dogs tend to make good decisions; especially when they are excited and accidents can easily happen, even innocent ones. If you have children visiting, ensure they are never left unsupervised with your dog, supervision ensures that children can’t invade your dog’s personal space, approach them when they are eating or when they are resting; which are all common reasons for dogs to react defensively.

Presents

Dogs and especially puppies can be interested when we are opening presents. It’s not something that happens often and they tend to enjoy ripping things apart so it can be tempting for them to join in. However, Christmas presents may contain something that is unsafe for your dog and maybe wrapped in ribbons which if ingested can cause serious internal problems. If you’d like your puppy or dog to be involved in the action; why not wrap a safe present for them to open? Or you can provide safe destruction items such as brown packaging paper, cardboard tubes and egg boxes with treats hidden inside. This can help keep puppies and dogs amused for ages but do ensure they are supervised and are not swallowing the paper, this may not be the right activity for all dogs. If you have a dog that eats the paper it would be best to offer them an alternative activity to keep them occupied while you open your presents.

Preparation

 Don’t leave it till the day!

 If you plan to use physical barriers such as baby gates, puppy pens and x-pens; get these set up AT LEAST a couple of weeks in advance so your puppy/dog can get accustomed to it and you can practise short periods of separation they can cope with. X-pens are a great way to separate a room and very useful in open plan homes, if you have young children visiting this is a great way of physically separating them from your dog without feeling like you’ve shut your dog away.

If you need to teach your dog a specific skill, such as how to settle on a blanket or in their crate; begin teaching this now! Even if your dog was happy use a crate as a puppy this doesn’t mean they will be okay with it now. Many puppies are happy to be in a crate overnight but not during the day; so practise these things now so they cope when you need them to.

If you plan for your dog to spend some time in a different room, practise having them go there now. Put on some background noise, provide them with a comfy area to relax and spend time with them there, you can even feed their meals there to form a positive association, then practise leaving them there for short periods of time. No matter how much we want our dogs to be part of the action this is going to be too difficult for some dogs, and it’s kinder for them to be relaxed and settling elsewhere at busy times.

Having secure tubs containing small training treats is so useful, if you have a tub in each room you are ready at all times if your dog needs quickly distracting, moving away from a situation or if they’ve got hold of something you need to swap.

If you have a dog that is sensitive around unfamiliar people then it’s best to give your guests the information needed well in advance, trying to instruct people about how to interact with your dog ‘in the moment’ is often ineffective! Have a chat to them before the occasion, and communicate exactly what you’d like them to do. If your dog is nervous then it may bebetter to meet guests outside the house or go for a quick walk together first.

If your dog is anxious and on medicationfor this; ensure you have enough medication now. Running out over Christmas could leave your dog struggling, especially as the vets may be closed, very busy or may not haveyour dog’s medication in stock.

Have your dog’s enrichment prepared in advance!

There are lots of different options and whether you are providing destruction boxes, stuffed kong or licking mats; you can have these prepared well in advance. This means you are ready to use them for when things get busy.

If you have a dog that enjoys ripping things apart (and does not swallow the paper!) then you can begin saving up egg boxes, brown paper packaging and empty cardboard tubes. Once you’ve got a selection you can hide treats inside and get creative with combinations! Store them in a big box and hide them away until you need them, then you are ready to just take out what you need.

If you’re using hollow toys such as kongs, K9 connectablesor toppls; you can buy a few more so that you have a selection and stuff them in advance before storing them in the freezer. You can do the same with licking mats. This is a great way to have them ready in advance, you don’t have to give them to your dog frozen; you can allow them to defrost partially or entirely first. Many people ask what are the best foods to use in these hollow toys? This does depend on your dog and their digestive system as some are more sensitive than others. You can keep it healthy by using your dog’s normal food (kibble can be soaked and mashed), you can buy good quality wet dog food which can be mashed up, you can also use vegetable puree, yoghurt, your dog’s regular treats, human foods such as chicken and cheese. Just ensure you check the food is safe for your dog.

Blog written by Claire Mcknespiey of Educating Paws.