Another holiday season is upon us, which means days full of decorating, shopping, visiting loved ones and a whole lotta eating. (It does for me, anyway.) While we here at Zen Dog Training hope you're able to enjoy these last few days of 2010, we ask you to keep your dogs in mind as you prepare to ring in the new year.- If you're anything like my family, you've got lights strung up around your home and favorite ornaments hanging from your tree. Take an extra minute or two to tape down the extra light cords; by doing this, you're also taking away what may look to your dog to be a tempting — and dangerous — chew toy. After all, no one wants to spend a wintry evening in the emergency vet's waiting room while a furry companion is treated for burns or electric shock.
- Similarly, make sure to move low-hanging ornaments from the bottom of your tree to a safe out-of-reach place. While you're at it, move those few strands of tinsel too — they're a choking hazard!
- Believe it or not, some of the festive seasonal plants we bring into our homes in December could also bring trouble if you're not careful. Poinsettias, mistletoe, holly, ivy, amaryllis, many types of lilies and several variety of bulb plants are poisonous to our pets, or can cause digestive issues. Oh, and don't forget that Christmas tree — those needles are hard enough to clean up after the tree's dried out, so imagine what they'd be like to clean up after going through your pet's system.
- Dogs are creatures of habit, so they love to have structure in their lives. Well, we know that routine is going to pretty much fly out the window for the next few weeks. While it may take a bit more planning to do so, try to stick to the schedule you've established for your dog as much as possible.
- All those people traipsing in and out with warm season's greetings may be cheery for you, but your pet may think otherwise. Try to prevent increased stress caused by increased traffic flow by finding a quiet, calming place where your dog can relax while you revel. This may be a closed-off bedroom, an out-of-the-way study, anywhere your dog can chill out.
- Speaking of chill, keeping the front door shut doesn't just jack up your heating bill — it also jacks up the chances of your dog slipping out into the cold. This might be a good time of year to make sure your pet's tags are up-to-date with all of his current information.
- My dad is known for spoiling the family dog silly, especially when it comes to feeding Winston food from the table. This bad habit gets even worse around the end of the year, when we're likely to have not only more food out to gorge ourselves on, but also fattier options. Anything unhealthy for you is almost always guaranteed to be even worse for the Winstons of the world, so it's smart to start practicing moderation even before you make your new year's resolutions.
* Photo taken from Lucky Dog Animal Rescue
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