Holidays are the best! While enjoying friends, family and delicious food, take a few moments to ensure a happy and healthy time for all, including your four legged best friend.
A few things to consider to ensure that everyone is happy and safe:
A house full of animated guests: Unless your dog is a natural party animal, keep in mind that noise, strangers and commotion can make many dogs nervous. Pay attention for signs of discomfort such as hiding, lip licking, flattened ears, slinking and a tucked tail. If your dog displays these signals, remove him/her to a quieter part of the house. To relieve your dog of this tension is an act of kindness as well the safe thing for your guests.
Food and kids: If your dog has ever shown signals of resource guarding (aggression over food) by growling or snapping over a piece of food on the floor, remove him from the room while there is eating going on. A dog bite is one of the quickest ways to kill that festive atmosphere and possibly set you up for some unexpected financial obligations. Dogs that resource guard will often display aggression to a child quicker than to an adult.
Kids and dogs: Three year old children are the #1 bite victims by dogs. The bite is usually to the face. Dogs that have not been socialized to small children should be monitored closely. Young children move in unpredictable ways that dogs can find scary. Small children often try to bestow affection on a dog by hugging and kissing them. Many dogs feel cornered or trapped by this type of interaction and feel the need to use aggression to make the child stop. As a rule, NEVER leave any dog unattended with small children.
Food hazards: Every year many dogs become ill, need to be hospitalized or die for ingesting food or items not meant for them. Cooked meat bones are brittle and can cause choking or an obstruction/ puncture to your dog’s intestines. Do not leave food laying out after everyone has eaten. Properly dispose of all food wrappers to prevent your dog from ingesting them. Safely secure the trash in a place where your dog cannot access it. Many human foods can be poisonous to dogs such as grapes, raisins, artificial sweeteners and chocolate. Discourage your guests from feeding your dog “snacks” from the buffet table.
The holidays are a time for fun and reflection and there is nothing better than brining our pets into these celebrations. A little mindfulness can go a long way to ensuring that happy memories avail!
