I’m not sure if I can believe that Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away, and Christmas is just 4 weeks after that! Somehow the holidays always sneak up on me! One thing is for sure though, your dog never knows what to expect during the holidays! Usually it means lots of visitors, lots of stress, possible travel…the sky is the limit. So, while you are probably stressing about the holidays, let’s take a look at this time of year from your dog’s perspective:
Typically, emotions heighten during the days leading up to the holiday. Especially if you are hosting: the house needs to be spotless, the food needs to be purchased, you need to have a schedule for cooking the food, thawing the turkey, making endless trips to the packed grocery store…it’s constricting just thinking about it! On top of this you may also be working, running your regular errands, your kids might have hockey games or after-school programs. And then of course, we have our dogs and their regular routines! To them, they can sense your heightened stress and may react by being a bit more underfoot than usual. Perhaps you don’t have a ton of time to exercise them or get their energy out since you’ve added so many things to your plate. So now, they have lots of pent up energy, they are feeding off your stress, and…you guessed it…they are wild and rambunctious when your guests come over!
The good news is, it definitely doesn’t have to be like this! Let’s take a look at some of the things we can do to help your dog through the stress of the holidays:
1. Whatever you do, remember that your dog’s routine ideally needs to stay the same. Even if that means utilizing a grocery delivery service so you can get your daily walk in with your dog, or agreeing to have a few people bring side dishes to dinner. You could even hire a dog walker or a one-time house cleaner…this is the time to delegate.
2. Several days leading up to the holiday, ramp up the exercise. You could take them for longer walks, teach them a new trick or two, purchase a puzzle feeder so they have to work harder to get their food, etc. You could even schedule a playdate with a friend’s dog or check out a doggie daycare service to help drain energy!
3. Start desensitizing to knocks on the door and people coming in and out of the doorway. Do this by getting them into a seeking game, whether through a puzzle feeder or scattering kibble or treats throughout the house. Once they are really “in the zone” and focused on the game, knock on the door. If they come right out of that mindset and perk up, start barking, or become excitable, just ignore them completely and go back to what you were doing. Then, let them get a little further into their seeking "zone" until you try it again. Ideally you want them to look at the door for a second, then go back to their seeking work. Do this once or twice a day every day leading up to the holiday and your dog will respond much better to the knocking on the door. Eventually, the knock will become a non-event to them.
4. If you can have someone come over and help you with this, make sure that they know to only give the dog attention if he or she greets them appropriately! If your dog is known to jump on the guests, you could put him on leash while guests are arriving, giving him the chance to greet everyone and if he goes to jump, walk him away and have him sit until he’s calm, then go back over and let him have another chance. Your guests could even have some food to give him if he sits and waits patiently for them! Practicing this as much as possible beforehand will be incredibly beneficial.
5. Call your guests or send them a message and let them know that you need their help training your dog during your get together! Tell them what you need from them (knock on the door, wait until I say “ok!” then come in! If Chase comes over nicely, you can pet him, but if not, I will walk him away from you, settle him down, and then I will give him another chance.” The last thing you want to do is try and explain all of this while everyone is coming through the door, excited to see each other and when emotions are running high!
6. This might sound counter-intuitive, but make sure your dog has adequate downtime before your guests arrive. Plan to get some energy out of him early in the day, then let him have down time in his crate or on his bed until it’s go time. Overtired dogs will act more excited than usual, so your best bet is to drain some energy, let him decompress for a bit, and then watch as all your hard work pays off as everyone arrives!
7. Last but not least, make sure to give your dog some praise (affection, petting, treats) when he is nice and calm, laying down during dinnertime, or anytime he is acting appropriately during what can be a very stressful time for a dog. Remember, “you get what you pet!” Give your dog feedback when he’s doing exactly what you want him to do!
All in all, if you prepare your dog ahead of time for what you expect from him, the lines of communication are open between the two of you, and you will be more likely to see much better behaviors during these times of stress. Happy training!
