Prepping for the Holidays
Holidays have a way of being stressful. In a survey by the American Psychological Association 49% report a noticeable increase in stress during the holidays. Sometimes this is due to expectations galore, cramming a lot into a little, feelings of overwhelm, guilt, disappointment, you name it, holidays can be a lot.
If you have a dog who can find things scary, doesn’t perhaps manage change well or routines being disrupted, struggles with people in their space, this is a helpful moment to pause and reflect on how to better set you and your pets up for success and or at least not creating a situation where you’re adding more stress into your lives. This may mean:
Your pet doesn’t need to be in the family holiday pic or group celebration
You explore options now of how your dog can have a safe and more low key time when people descend on to your space
Think about bumping up your dog’s opportunities to “be a dog” to compensate your schedule restrictions
Asking your relative to not bring over their dog
Be realistic in your reflection about what your pet can handle and what is appropriate to expect. For example, if your dog currently cannot calmly wait at their station while new people come in through the door then expecting this to suddenly work when all the relatives come over seems like a recipe for not being successful. Don’t expect family or guests to remember all your rules or management steps; let’s face it, management at times fails.
Do continue to grow your knowledge of your dog’s body language so you don’t force them into uncomfortable situations, especially if they don’t have the tools to navigate them. Signs of being calm include, for example: soft eyes, slow blinking, ears at ‘half mast’ (for our dog Boon), loose melty body, or neutral tail position. Signs of stress include: lip licks, yawns, ears forward (for our dog Boon), tense forehead. tense body, tail high. body forward, or panting. Remember each dog’s body signals may differ especially in terms of whether it’s approaching threshold or passed threshold so these examples are just that examples. If you don’t already have it, Lili Chin’s Doggie Language book is an excellent resource.
Remember that a lot of plants, foods, and holiday decorations can be toxic for pets. Here is just a short list:
Xylitol
Chocolate
Raisins/grapes
Cooked bones
Yeast dough
Fatty, rich foods
Tree preservative
Foilwrappers, tinsel, breakable decorations
Pine needles
Plants (e.g. holly, yew, mistletoe, lilies, amaryllis)
Keep on hand, the ASPCA Poison Control number which is (888) 426-4435.
Some of our pet friends are sound sensitive so keep this in mind if your area tends to let off fireworks. Carolers can be noisy and a gaggle of strange people knocking at your door can be frightening. Sound masking, having a safe space and talking to your vet (in advance) about possible medication support may be useful.
Lastly, give yourself space and grace to change your mind – this may mean a last minute change of plans because you realize you’ve taken on too much. Reflect on our expectations as the human in the equation. Rather than grieve that your pet is missing out, reflect on the joy your pet brought you this past year and celebrate a win.
Cheers, Tracy
