After years of traveling without my dogs for the holidays, my first Christmas with them meant so much to me. After all, the holidays are about spending time with loved ones, and my dogs were two of the most important members of my family. I know many dog people feel the same, and it wouldn’t feel right to leave their dogs out of holiday celebrations.
But as a dog trainer who always had an uptick in business around the holidays, I also know that bringing dogs to holiday celebrations can get stressful or scary. Parties are heightened environments where dogs often get pushed past their breaking points or cause serious mayhem.
So, I wanted to share a few tips to help you manage and make sure your dog-friendly holiday celebrations are fun for everyone. To set you and your dog up for success, I suggest coming up with a specific plan ahead of time, so you don’t have to make judgement calls in the moment. If you are hosting the party, you’ll obviously have the most control. But even if you are going to a party where it’s not appropriate for you to ask for structure around dogs, you can still do a lot to manage your own dog to avoid common pitfalls. Just focus on what you can control.
Keep food out of dog reach.
Food is a big source of trouble at parties, whether the dogs are stealing it, begging for it, fighting other dogs over it, or guarding it from humans. It’s best to keep dogs and food completely separate. Ideally, you would contain food (including displaying it, eating it and disposing of it) to one area and use gates or doors to keep dogs away from that space. But that’s often not possible, so the next best thing is to display all food in one room on a high counter, encourage guests to dispose of their leftovers, plates, and utensils immediately into dog-proof trash bins, and to make sure each dog’s guardian has a plan to keep them out of trouble, whether that’s leashes, gates, or close supervision.
A few other key points about food:
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Never leave your dog unsupervised around food. There are SO many stories of dogs eating entire cakes, hams, etc. because no one thought they would or could go for it, but the food was just too tempting.
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Keep any toxic foods, like chocolate, grapes, and macadamia nuts securely out of dog reach.
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Keep dogs away from kids who have food, they are easy targets. You may want to set rules around where kids are allowed to eat and use leashes, gates, and adult supervision as needed
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Don’t let multiple dogs beg one person for food at a time. This often leads to a fight.
Remove toys and beds.
Many dogs guard their toys and beds from other dogs, so moving these beloved objects to a different room can reduce potential conflict, if other dogs or kids are coming. Dogs often treat little kids similarly to how they treat dogs when it comes to resource guarding.
Minimize pinch points.
Part of why parties can be hard for dogs is that the extra people mean tighter spaces. Dogs can feel trapped or like their personal space is being invaded. So try to organize your furniture and the logistics of the party to reduce pinch points. A few key spots to consider:
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The entryway - As groups of people come and go, there can be lots of hubbub in narrow entryways. You may want to use a baby gate to keep dogs away from the entryway or encourage guests to step into a nearby room to take off coats and unpack bags.
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Hallways and stairways - These areas are already narrow, so adding a few chatting people can make them very snug. Remove any hallway furniture and encourage guests to move into open spaces.
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Under tables - Dogs fights over food often happen under a table. Use leashes or gates to prevent more than one dog from going under the table at a time.
Don’t let kids chase dogs.
Interactions between kids and dogs should be mutually consensual. The kid offers petting or play, and the dog can join in or not. Throughout the interaction, both the kid and the dog have lots of opportunities to say they are done.
Kids should not be allowed to chase (or persistently follow) dogs ever, but especially at a party where the heightened environment makes bites more likely. Most bites to kids are by familiar dogs, because even dogs who generally cope well with kids can be pushed into biting if the situation feels stressful enough, and most kids can’t read dogs well enough to know when to back off.
Here is a simplified version of our rules for dogs and kids:
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No unsupervised interactions
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No chasing
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Stay out of each other’s faces
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Give the dog lots of chances to end the interaction
Help dogs manage their interactions.
In addition to the issues with food, toys, and beds listed above, here are a few potential challenges to think about:
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Age mismatches - Adult dogs will most likely need breaks from puppies and younger dogs who can’t take a hint when they want space.
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Competition over attention - Watch for one dog giving the other’s stink eyes and trying to keep all of the human attention and affection for themselves.
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Fear of other dogs - Some dogs who love other dogs on walks or at parks feel nervous around them in confined spaces, which makes a lot of sense. So watch for signs of fear or aggression (which is often fear expressed in a louder way).
What to do if you need to step in:
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Use the rotation system suggested below to keep dogs separated from each other as needed.
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Call your dog away from potentially fraught situations before they get too far and then give them a few really good treats for coming over. This has the added benefit of teaching your dog to walk away from stressful situations and find you.
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Use baby gates or leashes to separate dogs for all or part of the party.
This can be delicate if the other dog’s people don’t see that there is an issue. In that situation try to make it about your dog, calling them away and guiding them to another room rather than trying to force the person to understand. You may even have to get your dog out of the party. Even though it’s unfair, it could be what is best for your dog if the other dog’s people won’t step in.
Give your dog (and yourself) breaks.
If you know that certain parts of the party will be too challenging for your dog for whatever reason or that managing them will take away from your fun, you could work out a plan to let your dog participate in some of the party but not all of it. If there are multiple dogs, you can also do a rotation system where they take turns at the party to keep them from getting into trouble with each other.
There are lots of parties where it’s not realistic or appropriate for you to ask for special accommodations for your dog. Having a plan for what to do with your dog if/when challenges come up is extra important in these situations.
Where to put your dog:
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If the party is at your house, set up a cozy spot in a room away from the hustle and bustle. Set up a cozy bed, white noise, soothing classical music, window coverings, a water bowl, and a few food puzzles.
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If the weather is mild and you can park in a safe spot, you could briefly leave your dog in your car with a cozy bed and a food puzzle.
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If you live within 15 minutes or so, drive your dog home. You could do this as an Irish goodbye, and people might not even notice you’re gone!
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Ask your hosts to set up a room for your dog.
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Hire a dog walker to take your dog on a fun field trip.
Think about your individual dog’s needs.
Before you decide to include your dog in a certain celebration, let go of feelings about what dogs should be able to handle or should enjoy, and try to think about your specific dog’s needs and quirks. Just because some dogs enjoy certain things or thrive in those situations doesn’t mean that all dogs will. And there is nothing wrong or morally inferior about a dog who can’t handle all situations as if they are bombproof! In fact, most dog trainers I know are picky about what events they bring their dogs to.
And make sure you take your own peace of mind and enjoyment into account. If your dog could manage at a party as long as you supervised heavily, would that ruin your ability to enjoy yourself or spend quality time with relatives you don’t see often?
Conclusion
There are lots of things that you can do to make your holiday celebrations safe and fun for your dog. There is also nothing wrong with deciding that it’s in your dog’s best interest to skip some or all of a celebration. Trust your gut and err on the side of caution.
Happy holidays!