Dog Behavior to Observe During the Holidays

Dog Behavior to Look Out For This Holiday Season (Plus Solutions)

With changes of schedule, more people, noise, and movement, the holidays can be a stressful time for your pups. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help keep them at ease so everyone can enjoy the holiday season.

Signs to Look Out For

• Guests, traveling, or changes to their daily routine can be stressful for dogs. Some dogs will hide or shy away in fear while others may respond to additional stress by showing signs of aggression.
• Trees can become a hazard if your dog wants to play with the ornaments or turns the space under the tree into a den. Notice if they start to become possessive around the tree or try to get into trouble with the ornaments.
• With more food left out than normal, it is a lot easier for dogs to get into things that might not be good for them. Notice if they are often hanging around the kitchen, getting underfoot, or begging for food scraps.

How to Help

• Create a safe space your dog can head to when they need some alone time. A cozy corner in your bedroom, laundry room, or any other quiet place is the perfect reset zone.
• Keep your daily routine the same as much as possible. This includes feeding, walking, and playing with your dog at the usual times.
• Allow your dog to initiate contact with any new people who come over. Don't force your dog to interact with new people or unfamiliar pets.
• Keep your dog out of the room where food is spread out. If this isn't possible, supervise closely.
• Add some hemp to their meals in the days leading up to the big day to help support calm. You can also give them some of our tasty pumpkin treats the day of if needed.

Check out our other articles on safe and unsafe holiday foods and toxic holiday plants for more tips to keep your dogs safe during the holidays.

From the HempMy Pet family to yours, we wish all two- and four-legged members a happy and healthy holiday season.