The holidays are the season for family and friends to come calling, and no guest wants an ill-behaved pet jumping on them as soon as they walk in the door. A change in their routine and home life can cause some extra stress to your pet companions, so we’ve put together some best practices for pets when hosting guests to help you not only get through the holidays but also be able to enjoy this time without the stress of a dysregulated pet.
Praise and Reward the Behavior You Want
Positive reinforcement training goes a long way with your pet and creates a lasting bond of trust and loyalty. It is suggested that you reward the desired behavior 4 out of 5 times, then over time, 3 out of 5 times, and so on. Don’t be too quick to reduce the number of times you reward positive behavior! Your dog may become discouraged and uninterested, so be patient and consistent with your rewards and decrease over time. Every time your pup sits, stays, greets people without jumping on them, lets a squirrel pass through their vision without losing their minds, give them a treat and acknowledgment for the hard work they are doing! Gradually decrease the treats over time, but keep the positive words and affection for a job well done.
Get the Energy Out!
Dogs are like toddlers, full of energy that needs somewhere to go! It is so much harder to get your dog to behave when they are full of energy and have nowhere to put it. It is true that mental stimulation can certainly tire your dog out, physical exertion is the fastest and easiest way to burn off excess energy. Take your dog for regular walks and “sniffaris” (walks where you let them sniff whatever they want) to let them get their little doggy brains ready to listen and behave. Have a dog park nearby? Even better. Bring your dog and let them play with their doggy friends to tire them out.
Musher’s Secret Paw Protection
Try a Kong and Other Stuff-able Toys
Give your active pup something to concentrate on and work on. Stuff a Kong with peanut butter and freeze it for an even longer activity as your dog licks and licks the frozen peanut butter out of the center of the toy. Lick mats work the same way, and other boredom-buster toys will keep them entertained for short periods as well. These solutions should be used under supervision to make sure all of the intense chewing doesn’t lead to unintentional choking from small pieces your dog may break off of the toy(s).
Keep a Leash on Your Pet While in the House
For the extra stubborn or, um, “hard of hearing” (or so it seems…) dogs that need a lot of reminding and correcting, try keeping a leash on their collar while in the house. Bring them with you from room to room to make it easier to keep an eye on them and what they are doing.
Confinement
Confinement to a room or a crate may be the best option for some dogs who prefer to be in their own space away from the chaos of too much noise. Pet gates, exercise pens, and crates are available in all different sizes to accommodate your living space and the size of your companion animal. To make things even calmer in their space, try using a white noise machine or classical music soundtrack on any listening platform to buffer some noise from the other rooms. Recent studies show that classical music is preferable for dogs because of the varying pitches.
When all else fails, boarding your dog is always an option that can be explored. But, with enough notice, effort, and training, we think your pet will adapt just fine if given the chance.
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