Holiday Celebrations And Dogs

Topic: Thanksgiving Tips

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The autumn season brings around many special holiday events and activities that people look forward to all year round. Of course there is the Thanksgiving holiday with its extended long weekend or even a longer period of time at home, plus the Christmas season with its decorations, parties and excitement. While all this may be just what the kids and family is looking forward to, it can be a very stressful time for your dog. Perhaps surprising to a great number of dog owners is the need for your dog to feel he or she is able to know what is going on in the environment. In other words a dog really likes routine and predictability, although they do also like some variations and slight changes as well. Preparing both yourself and your dog for the wonderful holiday celebrations will ensure that the whole family enjoys the festivities and there is as little stress as possible.

Dogs And Emotions

Dogs are very attuned to human emotions, especially companion dogs that spend a lot of time around their family members. It seems that some dogs almost have an uncanny ability to sense when their owner is tired, frustrated, angry or sad, but they can also sense anxiety, fear, excitement and joy within the family as well. Since holiday celebrations and events tend to cause both positive and negative emotions in people, it is very likely if not a given that your dog, especially a housedog, will pick up on these emotions. Often dogs don't show the same emotions as we do, but when they sense changes in their owner's emotional level the dog shows signs of anxiety. Often humans interpret this as the dog actually having the same emotions or matching the human emotions in intensity. Most researchers don't agree with this statement, rather they report that the animal is just responding to the change in the environment.

Regardless of how it is happening or what specific emotions the dog is or is not feeling, it is very probable that you are going to have to deal with some challenging behaviors. One of the most common is for the dog to suddenly feel the need to be with you all the time. This means literally sticking to your side, following you through the house and even becoming much more demanding of your time and attention. Often dogs that behave in this fashion towards high levels of emotions or changes in routine in the house become really challenging for the owners. Everywhere you turn or step there is the dog, seemingly right under your feet. Typically the dog ends up getting scolded for this or put outside or in another room, which actually increases the anxiety of the dog rather than helping to calm him or her down.

The best option for a dog that is becoming increasing anxious and needing to be close to the owner is to stick, as much as possible, to a routine of exercise and attention. Be sure to provide lots of fairly intense, long walks, jogs or hikes, plus find a bit of time throughout the day to play with the dog for a few minutes. If he or she has been crate trained, you may want to position the crate in a central area where the dog can still see you but can also take advantage of the peace and security of being in the crate.

If you build in routine attention time and exercise time the dog should become more comfortable and less anxious. Some dogs, especially those that already have issues with separation anxiety or changes in routine may need additional support at this time. There are many different holistic and natural supplements that can be provided to help calm the dogs without using medications if you are concerned about this issue. If you are using holistic supplements or treatments be sure to buy from a reputable company and ensure that you have fully researched the use of the supplement. You may also want to talk to your vet or find a holistic or homeopathic vet in your area to help you decide if this is a good choice for you pet.

Dogs and Celebrations

Since most dog owners want to involve their four legged pets in the spirit of the holidays it is important to work with your dog in advance. One of the most important advance commands to teach your dog is the command to settle, relax or calm themselves down. For most dogs, especially younger dogs, this is the command that tells them that they are getting a bit to rowdy or worked up and need to just lie down, sit or stand quietly and stay calm. Rather than just the "down" command, settle or relax is a command that tells the dog to both relax and stay there until told to get up in just a brief period of time. It is much more effective than the stay command as the dog knows it is only for a very short period of time. Plus, during the settle command the dog can sit, stand or even lie down, as long as they are calm and not demanding attention from people. The stay command is hard for most younger dogs and high energy dogs anyway, so this is a shorter more effective option.

To teach a dog the "settle" or "relax" command you will need to have patience and a good understanding of your dog's body language. It is best to start teaching this command when the dog is already calm, after all it is when they are anxious and excited that all the trouble starts. Simply call the dog over to you and say "settle" or "relax" or even "Be calm", whatever you prefer. The dog is likely to just stand and look at you for a minute, then sit or lie down on his or her own. Ignore the dog until he or she is resting, then simply say "Good settle (or relax or calm) and continue to sit quietly. During settle time it is important not to interact with the dog as this will only prompt him or her to try for your attention. Start with a minute or two and gradually build up to longer periods of time as your dog understands what you are asking.

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