Holiday Tips For Your Dog

Whether your dog has seen ten winters or only one, these holiday tips for your dog are sure to help you keep your sanity this holiday season.

Your Dog and Your Christmas Tree

If your dog is familiar with the idea of peeing on trees outside, it may not understand at first that your Christmas tree is only for decoration, and definitely not as a convenient place to use the bathroom indoors. Lead your dog away from the tree and praise them for using the bathroom outdoors.

Shiny ornaments or strings of lights can tempt your dog to chew. Always keep an eye on your dog if they are in a decorated room, or consider decorating in a room with a door that you can shut to keep your dog out. If you would prefer to decorate in a more public room, avoid using glass or edible ornaments on your tree. Stick to simple plastic ones instead

Keeping Food Out of Reach of Dogs

Dogs may be domesticated now, but years ago, they were wild animals who had to hunt for their food and fight to protect it. If your dog sees you turn away from your plate or leave the room, even if you’re cooking instead of eating, they may see it as a sign that you are done eating and that the food is now up for grabs. Keep a close eye on your dog while they are in the kitchen, even if they just ate their own food. If you host a family gathering, discourage your guests from feeding scraps to your dogs and advise them not to leave their food unattended.

If you are hosting a party at your home, it may be tempting to hang a garbage bag on a door handle or leave trash cans around the room. If you choose to do this, watch your dog carefully to ensure they do not dig through the trash for any thrown-out leftovers. Since humans don’t eat bones (and many choose to pass on parts of meat that contain extra fat), your trash will probably end up full of them. Cooked bones break more easily than raw bones, and the splinters can lodge in your dog’s teeth and throat.

Although flowers, toys, wrapping paper, and holiday decorations may not be considered food, all of these can be dangerous to your dog if ingested. For example, most wrapping papers use ink that can be very bad for your dog’s insides.

• We recommend storing gifts on a table or in a room where your dog cannot go, especially if any gifts contain food. Dogs have a much stronger sense of smell than humans do, and your pooch is likely to investigate. Dogs don’t really understand which foods can make them sick, and if a gift contains chocolate, your dog may consume an entire box if you aren’t careful.
• When giving your dog a gift, consider wrapping it in unpatterned brown paper. Your dog is sure to have just as much fun tearing the paper when it’s undecorated.

Safe Space

The holiday season can be a stressful time for pets. Shiny decorations, fireworks, large gatherings of strangers, and lots of children are all very common this time of year and can leave your dog feeling overwhelmed. Add an extra sensitive nose and extra sensitive ears, and it’s no wonder your pooch may want to run and hide. You can help your dog adapt to all of this by giving them a private space where they can rest until they are ready to return to busy rooms again.

• Offer your dog a warm, cozy spot in a laundry room or bedroom. If your dog sleeps in a crate at night, keep that room accessible for your dog. Consider covering the crate or a small table with blankets to make it a darker, safer spot for them to hide.
• Leave your dog with a long-lasting treat to lick and chew. Air dried treats and raw bones are excellent choices. Never give cooked bones to your dog
• Always be sure your dog has access to fresh water. If you are hosting a party, make sure your dog is still fed on time. Speak to them and pet their head while you fill their bowl, letting them know that you are there and still care about them

Holiday Food

Dogs cannot tolerate human foods the way that we can, as their bodies can’t handle fruit or dairy very well and they are not accustomed to the high salt and fat content of our meals. Read our post on a proper Holiday Diet For With Dogs if you are interested in treating your dog to a special meal this holiday season.

At Albion  we care about your dog as much as you do. This holiday, treat your dog to the health benefits of complete raw dog food. Our Premium Pure raw dog food is currently available in six delicious flavours that your furry friend is sure to love, making it the ultimate raw meal that’s sure to leave your dog as excited about this holiday season as you are.

We have put together a guide as to what foods to include in her diet during the gestation period and after the birth that can help your dog have a full and healthy litter.