Need any ideas on keeping a puppy safe during its First Christmas? We are here to help you. The Christmas tree is erect, the stockings and ornaments are hung, now the countdown to Christmas can begin.
The holidays are an exciting time of the year both for humans and for our canine buddies. Asides the fact that we will have more people in our homes and around us, there will be more food, more presents, more excitement, and more of everything.
But indeed, the holiday comes with a variety of opportunities for your puppy to get in trouble if things go wrong! We are thankful that a little preparation Mary be all you need to keep your puppy out of trouble this holiday.
In this article, we have shared tips on the best way to welcome guests, deal with treats, and give presents. These tips will help ensure that your puppy’s first Christmas is filled with happy memories.
Puppy’s First Christmas: Meeting visitors
Visitors. It doesn’t matter whether your puppy has learned to love them or still hates them; the fact remains that they can cause extra anxiety about keeping your canine baby on its best behavior during the festivities.
How to help your new friendly puppy greet visitors
- Tell your guests to know before the big day that your door will be left unlocked, and they will need to wait until they hear you say, “Come in!” before they enter.
- Put your puppy on a leash before the arrival of family and friends.
- Tuck the end of the leash under their collar or harness so that it’s not dragging on the floor
- When your doorbell rings, carefully untuck the leash and hold on
- Do not stand close to the door, and make sure to maintain a view of it, while your visitors enter
- Begin to approach the entrance
- If your puppy starts to pull too much towards them or bounces around, back up a few steps, wait until it is relaxed, then start again
- Repeat the steps until your puppy learns to arrive calmly at the feet of your visitors.
Once your puppy has greeted your guest, and they get a chance to settle in, tuck the puppy’s leash again and let them play free.
How to help an anxious puppy cope with visitors.
If you notice your puppy is always nervous around new people, interacting immediately upon your guest walking through the door is not going to be the best idea this Christmas.
In fact, your shy little pup may bark and lunge at a visitor because they feel threatened. The only way to help an anxious dog feel comfortable when you have guests is to make sure they feel safe.
Keeping an anxious puppy on a leash when you have visitors may actually make things worse. Instead, all you need to do is help your nervous pup get more comfortable when there are guests:
- Set up a beautiful cozy, dog-safe area in another room within your house
- Add some white noise or classical music to help them relax
- Provide a soft toy or chewie for your pup to play with
Some pups will do better if kept in a place where they can see people arriving at your home at a safe distance. You can check your home and decide which place is a better fit.
Once all your visitors have arrived, and your dog can stay calm, you can allow them to join you if you trust them to mix up. Never force a nervous pup to join the party!
Instruct your guests to initially remain seated at least for the first few minutes and avoid making eye contact with the pup or even reaching out.
When your dog has attempted to check out your visitors, you can have them give treats to your puppy.
Keeping a puppy safe during its First Christmas: Treat Safety is one of the best ways to avoid an emergency trip to the vet this holiday season.
Here’s how to avoid that!
Table Scraps
Just recently, a vet told me that, during the holidays, they frequently have dog patients suffering from sickness related to eating scraps with onion and garlic offered from the dinner table.
Both garlic and onions together with raisins, chocolate and grapes, avocados, macadamia nuts, fish and poultry bones, caffeine, and alcohol, are toxic to canine and can cause a wide range of problems from stomach pains to organ damage and ruptured red blood cells.
Bloat
Bloat is one other typical holiday dog illness that is caused by overindulgence. Bloat is a condition where the pup’s stomach twists and gets filled with gas, sometimes can lead to breathing problems and the possibility of a ruptured spleen or stomach.
Bloat is most common after a dog has eaten or drunk excessively and got involved in a high-energy activity. Adult dogs of large breeds are the most susceptible to bloat during the holidays, but it can affect a puppy of any age or size.
Stick to Routine
While it is usually difficult to give your pup a little extra goodie during the holidays for fear of making them sick, sticking to your dog’s usual food routine is the surest way to keep them away from the vet.
If you can’t help but give them something extra, stick to tiny pieces of boneless meat and green vegetables or boiled potatoes, as long as they are not cooked with onion or garlic because your visitors will find it almost impossible to look away when your puppy’s eyes are wide open as they beg.
Make sure to inform them that your cute little puppy isn’t allowed to munch on human food.
No matter how hard you try, it may be challenging to keep your dog away from the inviting human foods that’ll fill your dining table this season.
Learn to tell your dog “NO” when they come close to the dining or kitchen even when it seems really hard. Give them dog-friendly snacks instead.
Teach your dog to “leave it!” if you want to keep them safe. If you haven’t yet taught them how to respond to “leave it!” you still have enough time to do so.
Make Dog-Friendly Treats
There are several dog-friendly treats you can make at home this season. Try them out and watch your dog jump for joy.
Please leave a comment below if you have other tips on keeping a puppy safe during its first Christmas.
