🦃 Let’s talk Thanksgiving! 🦃
If you are participating in big family thanksgivings, you’re likely getting ready right about now!
There are a lot of options for thanksgiving but the 3 most common are:
-heading to friends or families for dinner
-hosting friends or family for dinner
-heading to friends or family’s for the weekend
For those with chill, laid back pups- you likely have no dog related stress going into this holiday other than keeping them safe
For those with reactive, fearful, anxious, high strung, jumps on everyone or etc etc etc dogs, you are likely dreading the holiday
The most important thing is making sure you are being realistic about your dogs manners, approachability and above all- comfort level.
If your dog needs help through all this social time and you wont have the mental capacity to help them- leave them home or give them their own space away from all the chaos.
We as people understand Thanksgiving dinners, we understand that theres a crowd of people coming over and we are expecting and preparing for it. Our dog is not aware or prepared for it! They are either excited for all the people walking in the door or more and more petrified as each person walks through the door- and everything in between. It is our duty as pet guardians to prepare our dog(s) the best we can for the upcoming holiday.
Now the question is: How can we prepare our dogs for the holiday?
Preparation comes with training before the holiday. Training our dogs before we get to these types of scenarios is the most impactful thing you can do. If you are heading into the holiday thinking “I really need to train my dog” then its too late!
First we need to understand our dogs comfort level and there current manners and abilities in a realistic way! If you know your dog is going to be jumping all over each and every person that walks through the door, getting between their feet and just overall being a nuisance when we are trying to greet our guests then we need to have them on a leash attached to us. If you cannot recall or redirect the dog away from the incoming guests, or our guests while we are enjoying the holiday then leash them and have that leash attached to you. Whether thats tied to you with a hands free leash or leash in hand. This way you can redirect your dog without having to chase them down after they have already gotten to a sky high excitement level which at that point you likely wont be able to redirect them and you have missed the training opportunity.
If this isnt something you think you will have the time to do, then the best thing you can do for your dog is to give them their own space away from the chaos! Whether this is crated in a separate room or loose in a separate room. Either way, a lick mat, a frozen stuffable (like a kong, topple, etc.) your dogs favourite toys, a chew, etc. something to keep their minds busy and occupied while you are enjoying your night.
Other options for incoming guests and during the visit could be:
-Baby gates
-Making sure you give your dog frequent breaks (an hour long break every few hours at the very least, more frequent if possible!)
Regardless of what you do, ADVOCATE for your dog!! Make sure to give your family and friends instructions on how to properly deal with your dog and your plans for the night for your dog. You know your dog best and you know what they need!
