Christmas is right around the corner!! 

The holiday season can be exhausting for both you and your dog. There’s more commotion and guest visits. This can directly alert your dog and cause them anxiety. Ignoring one nasty habit of your dog can lead to a series of unacceptable traits, especially during the holiday season. Our trainers train your dog to become responsive to your commands, remain calm around food and guests, and behave well overall. But things get a little haywire during the holiday season. 

Even if your dog is the friendliest animal around guests, it might indulge in mischievous acts with all the kids running around the house or with loads of food everywhere. This needs some additional training dedicated to managing your buddy during the holidays. 

This blog post is here to answer your queries and make your Christmas a happy one!!

Prepare In Advance

When shopping for the holidays, stock your dog’s favorite treats in advance. You will need more than usual for more intense training or teaching new tricks. Moreover, you will have to keep rewarding your pet at intervals when they will be on their best behavior to keep getting more from them. 

Treats will work best even with the guests as an icebreaker. They can offer some to your dog to give off friendly vibes and make it feel comfortable. Once your dog is relaxed in the crowd, you will have fewer things to worry about.

This is also the best time to get a couple of new toys to keep your dog’s best friend busy if you decide to keep them away from the crowd. Some dogs are just not meant to socialize, so you shouldn’t force them to. 

The best way to deal with introverted dogs is to define a special place for them with their crate and toys. This will keep them soothed while you are busy hosting a gathering at your place. 

Train Them To Do What You Want 

Usually, dog owners are delighted to find some training sessions dedicated to the holiday season. This includes special commands which come in handy when your dog encounters new situations at home. It can be adults or new kids of varying ages. Training your dogs to some commands will make it easier for you to handle awkward situations or control one from happening. 

Most dogs are usually trained to sit, stop, leave, and stay. Other than these, Go back, Stay down, Down, or even a word like Behave can be added to the log. It would help if you had an idea of what your dog is capable of, whether he will jump on the guests or will he be able to stay calm when dinner is served etc. The objective is to discipline your dog accordingly. This will be incredibly beneficial when you travel with your dog or are invited over as a guest. 

Exercise More To Tire Them Off

Before the arrival of your guests or on the party day, make sure you give your dog some extra runs and playtime. This will tire out your pet and hold them back from reacting carelessly or surprisingly when guests, food arrives. They will be too tired to be bothered or get excited thus making you worry less. They can then be quickly put to bed while you cater to your guests and enjoy peace of mind during the holiday season.

You will also get to spend some quality time with your buddy before they feel left out. Some extra pats, hugs and extended playing will keep their content when you are busy with the guests. 

It’s Not Bad To Crate Your Dog

Not all of us get the time to train our dogs. Similarly, there might be some unplanned guest arrival or invitations. You won’t even get time to panic, but you can always take your dogs to their safe space. Their crates where they sleep and chill is the best place to keep your dogs if you don’t want them to meet your guests. This may be important if your dog is either too friendly or too shy. 

Guests visiting on special occasions might not appreciate dogs on their laps. And honestly, if you have not trained your dog to behave while guests are at home, it might not be easy to control them. They can always be put away in their crates with a new or a few favorite chew toys. They can be given some chewy treats to munch on while you make rounds on them and look after your guests.

Even if they are not causing chaos, they can be sent away while serving food so you can focus more on the serving rather than being cautious about your dog jumping on the table or the counter. It is just you who shouldn’t feel guilty about it because keeping them confined will also be healthy for their mindset. 

Teach Them Some New Tricks

So you have decided that your dog will share the same fun and joy with you and the guests. The best way to keep a dog at the party is to make it the center of attraction. Teach your dog some fun tricks that will entertain your guests, like a high-five, paw shake, etc. This will keep it from indulging in naughty acts and give you ample time to look after the food and arrangements. And here’s the best part – this will also tire them out soon, so they can be easily put to sleep after a tiring day and help you clean and rest. 

To Sum Up

Dealing with situations that are new to your dog isn’t a hassle. Once you become a dog parent, have some decent tricks up your sleeves to handle circumstances that work like wonder. It is like dealing with a toddler with a little more cautious and intelligent approach. Your pets need you, and you know that the best. If all the boxes tick for them, you will undoubtedly have a blast this holiday season. You can also bring your munchkins to Buckaroos 360 for exclusive Holiday Training sessions, or daycare and look forward to grand events without worrying. 

At last, have a marvelous, stress-free Christmas, with your munchkins!!