Canton, Georgia-The holidays are a busy time for just about all of us. all of our friends and out of town family arrive and depart, deliveries are made to the door, really great smells emanate from the kitchen, and a general happy level of activity means that something special is going on. Among those impacted by these unique times is the family dog. To help dog owners remedy this, Home Dog Training would like to offer some helpful tips for dog owners to help manage their dog’s holiday-time stress.
“While one dog may enjoy a change of pace, another may be stressed by the changes,” says Robin Edwards, dog behavioral therapist and master trainer. “Your normally easygoing dog may quickly begin to show strange behaviors, like going after your food, jumping up on people, or growling or nipping at visitors. As your dog’s “leader”, you need to communicate and demonstrate to your dog that while things aren’t the same right now, you will continue to keep him safe and secure.
Dogs can often become insecure and confused whenever they encounter a new and different situation. If your dog feels threatened, he may react defensively with a nip or bite. On the other hand, a well-socialized dog is comfortable meeting and being with others, both dogs and people. He has been introduced to a variety of situations and knows he and his pack have remained safe through them all.
The following are some tips to help calm your dog and keep everyone in the home safe during the active holiday season.
- Dogs that live in a household that don’t have any children may not be comfortable when kids come to visit. The craziness created by young kids like grandchildren will inherently raise the energy level in the house, causing the dog to worry or stress. Here are some ways to control these types of situations if your dog does not do well with children.
- Always supervise the children (especially very young children) and dogs when they are alone and unattended. This is the time when most dog bites will take place with children. With a very young child, parents must be observant and monitor their child’s interactions with the dog. Parents should teach children of all ages to treat dogs with respect and thoughtfulness. Never allow a child to feed a dog by hand. This teaches the dog it is fine to take any food from a child. Because of a child’s small size, the dog may view the child as an equal and thus may try to take advantage of the situation.
- It is important that dogs feel they have their own “home. This is a place where they can always feel secure and calm. If your dog doesn’t already have a place of his own, make one for him. A crate or pet carrier provides a natural safe place for your dog. Keep his crate or dog pillow in a quiet area of your house, and instruct your dog to go there when you need to set boundaries. While he may not like being away from you, he will still feel safer and more secure.
- If your dog begins to bark or snap at visitors, remove him from the area and keep him in his safe place until your guests have gone or are out of the area. Keep your dog out of certain rooms where he can get get in the way. For example, training your dog to stay out of the kitchen, where most household accidents occur, would be an excellent idea. It also helps to prevent your dog from begging for food or counter surfing.
- If you travel during the holidays, taking his dog crate will help your dog feel more relaxed, since “home” is wherever he finds you and his familiar “place”.
- Older dogs may not enjoy the extra hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Be mindful of keeping your older dog comfortable when his routine is messed up. If your older dog gets cranky around visitors, we suggest that you take him to his designated quiet place where he won’t be “annoyed by all the strange things” and can feel secure. Remind children to be respectful of your older dog. Always provide supervision when dogs and kids are in the same area.
- A knock on the door by your guests, friends, or delivery person can be a stimulating event for a dog. Your dog may interpret this event as either fun or fearful. It is natural for him to want to know who the visitors are to ascertain if they are if they are “friend or foe”. We all will agree that a dog that explodes with excitement at the sound of the doorbell is both annoying and unsafe. The dog may run out the door and directly into harm’s way. He may get under your feed and trip someone. He may knock people over. He could even become aggressive to the visitor. To help your dog be calmer, exercise him before your guests are scheduled to arrive. After 30 minutes of walking or playing, your dog will more likely be relaxed or want to nap.
- As a general rule, don’t allow the family dog to greet unfamiliar guests because commotion and unusual circumstances can cause stress for dogs.
- Think about putting your dog on a leash as guests arrive to maintain better control of him.
- Teach your dog to sit and stay off leash every time you tell him to. When the doorbell rings, put him in a sit-stay and do not open the door until you are sure he is calm and is not going to move.
- If your dog gets overly excited with arriving visitors, have him in a back room with family members when you expect guests to arrive. You could put him in his crate in a quiet room, and then let him join the party later.
“By anticipating how your dog will react to new guests and situations, you can help ensure that everyone, both two and four legged animals, has a fun and safe holiday season,” said Edwards, dog behavioral therapist and master trainer, Home Dog Training. For more information, please contact us at Call Bruce and Robin.
Canton, Georgia-The holidays are a busy time for just about all of us. all of our friends and out of town family arrive and depart, deliveries are made to the door, really great smells emanate from the kitchen, and a general happy level of activity means that something special is going on. Among those impacted by these unique times is the family dog. To help dog owners remedy this, Home Dog Training would like to offer some helpful tips for dog owners to help manage their dog’s holiday-time stress.
“While one dog may enjoy a change of pace, another may be stressed by the changes,” says Robin Edwards, dog behavioral therapist and master trainer. “Your normally easygoing dog may quickly begin to show strange behaviors, like going after your food, jumping up on people, or growling or nipping at visitors. As your dog’s “leader”, you need to communicate and demonstrate to your dog that while things aren’t the same right now, you will continue to keep him safe and secure.
Dogs can often become insecure and confused whenever they encounter a new and different situation. If your dog feels threatened, he may react defensively with a nip or bite. On the other hand, a well-socialized dog is comfortable meeting and being with others, both dogs and people. He has been introduced to a variety of situations and knows he and his pack have remained safe through them all.
The following are some tips to help calm your dog and keep everyone in the home safe during the active holiday season.
- Dogs that live in a household that don’t have any children may not be comfortable when kids come to visit. The craziness created by young kids like grandchildren will inherently raise the energy level in the house, causing the dog to worry or stress. Here are some ways to control these types of situations if your dog does not do well with children.
- Always supervise the children (especially very young children) and dogs when they are alone and unattended. This is the time when most dog bites will take place with children. With a very young child, parents must be observant and monitor their child’s interactions with the dog. Parents should teach children of all ages to treat dogs with respect and thoughtfulness. Never allow a child to feed a dog by hand. This teaches the dog it is fine to take any food from a child. Because of a child’s small size, the dog may view the child as an equal and thus may try to take advantage of the situation.
- It is important that dogs feel they have their own “home. This is a place where they can always feel secure and calm. If your dog doesn’t already have a place of his own, make one for him. A crate or pet carrier provides a natural safe place for your dog. Keep his crate or dog pillow in a quiet area of your house, and instruct your dog to go there when you need to set boundaries. While he may not like being away from you, he will still feel safer and more secure.
- If your dog begins to bark or snap at visitors, remove him from the area and keep him in his safe place until your guests have gone or are out of the area. Keep your dog out of certain rooms where he can get get in the way. For example, training your dog to stay out of the kitchen, where most household accidents occur, would be an excellent idea. It also helps to prevent your dog from begging for food or counter surfing.
- If you travel during the holidays, taking his dog crate will help your dog feel more relaxed, since “home” is wherever he finds you and his familiar “place”.
- Older dogs may not enjoy the extra hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Be mindful of keeping your older dog comfortable when his routine is messed up. If your older dog gets cranky around visitors, we suggest that you take him to his designated quiet place where he won’t be “annoyed by all the strange things” and can feel secure. Remind children to be respectful of your older dog. Always provide supervision when dogs and kids are in the same area.
- A knock on the door by your guests, friends, or delivery person can be a stimulating event for a dog. Your dog may interpret this event as either fun or fearful. It is natural for him to want to know who the visitors are to ascertain if they are if they are “friend or foe”. We all will agree that a dog that explodes with excitement at the sound of the doorbell is both annoying and unsafe. The dog may run out the door and directly into harm’s way. He may get under your feed and trip someone. He may knock people over. He could even become aggressive to the visitor. To help your dog be calmer, exercise him before your guests are scheduled to arrive. After 30 minutes of walking or playing, your dog will more likely be relaxed or want to nap.
- As a general rule, don’t allow the family dog to greet unfamiliar guests because commotion and unusual circumstances can cause stress for dogs.
- Think about putting your dog on a leash as guests arrive to maintain better control of him.
- Teach your dog to sit and stay off leash every time you tell him to. When the doorbell rings, put him in a sit-stay and do not open the door until you are sure he is calm and is not going to move.
- If your dog gets overly excited with arriving visitors, have him in a back room with family members when you expect guests to arrive. You could put him in his crate in a quiet room, and then let him join the party later.
“By anticipating how your dog will react to new guests and situations, you can help ensure that everyone, both two and four legged animals, has a fun and safe holiday season,” said Edwards, dog behavioral therapist and master trainer, Home Dog Training. For more information, please contact us at Call Bruce and Robin.
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