Tiz the season for feasting and festivities, but dogs don’t understand the festive period like we do. Christmas for dogs can be quite different. What we find fun and exciting, they might find confusing or stressful.
Here are some tips to make sure Christmas is fun for everyone…
Stay Safe
- Don’t leave your dog unsupervised around the tree initially
- Keep edible, sharp or breakable decorations out of reach from dogs on the tree
- Don’t leave chocolate on the coffee table or anywhere they can reach it. Chocolate is very toxic to dogs
- Introduce new faces (family and friends) to your dog slowly – dinner parties or social events can be stressful
- Make sure dogs still have a safe place (a bed or a crate) despite the decorations and tree taking up space in the house.
Stay Calm
- Keep your dog’s routine as normal as possible
- Don’t skip on the walks – your dog still needs exercise and fresh air
- Don’t leave your dog alone for long periods of time while you are out celebrating
- Don’t put lots of festive fancy dress on your dog if it is showing signs of distress, not all dogs enjoy it.
Avoid poisoning your dog for Christmas
Whilst the Christmas tree itself isn’t poisonous, the oils it can produce can be toxic. Other seasonal plants which should be kept out of reach include:
- Poinsettia
- Potporri
- Holly
- Ivy
- Mistletoe
Wanting to share some of your feast with your dog? Not all of the Christmas dinner is for sharing! A little bit of cooked, lean meat is ok – absolutely no bones! Onions, leaks, grapes, desserts, alcohol and chocolate are also a no go. A full list of poisonous food for dogs can be found here.
We hope you and your dog have a wonderful Christmas! Please do share your festivities with us by tagging us on social media! We would love to see and share them! We are IWCT UK on Facebook.
If you have a little left to give this Christmas, could you make a donation to our Christmas Stocking Campaign? All proceeds go towards filling stocking with treats, toys and goodies for our rescue dogs this Christmas. Thank you.
