With holidays creeping closer for many walks of life, there comes many potential hazards and problems. Dogs frequently get in to holiday treats, trees, lights, presents, decorations, you name it. It can often land them in trouble, or worse - and require a trip to the vet. Guests and strange people visiting can often send dogs into an anxious tizzy, and sometimes, they're not quite the same after the holidays. How do we prevent these kinds of things?
1) Impulse Control
Heading the top of our list is the number one way to prevent most dog-related holiday problems, and many other non-holiday ones, as well. It is the most under taught and undervalued skill a dog can have. Impulse Control teaches a dog to wait for permission to touch or approach anything at all, even his own food. It teaches a dog that simply because a human is not touching it does not mean that it is open for him to take or play with. Impulse control gives the dog the mindset that everything belongs to the human, and he is occasionally allowed to play with or eat a few things.
2) Leave It and Drop It
When Impulse Control fails (and every dog has their moments), the next best skill they can learn is Leave it (meaning don't touch that thing you're going for) and Drop It (Put that out of your mouth and leave it alone). These skills cover any situation where a dog is going for or has gone for something that could injure them - such as those dark chocolate candy cane bark treats, or the lights on the tree.
3) Kennel Training
In situations like dinners or parties where you just simply don't have the time or resources to monitor your dog, kennel training is an excellent way of mitigating potential disaster. If a dog is properly kennel trained, they enjoy time in their kennel, and don't try and break out or whine. This pretty much eliminates any possibility of holiday injury - but please don't leave your dog in a kennel more than a couple of hours.
4) Ex-Pen
For higher energy dogs where a kennel is just simply too much confinement in such excitement, using an ex-pen is a superb way of safely containing a dog while still leaving room to let your dog have space to play around.
5) Door Manners
The last thing you want is to have your over excited dog bowl some poor guest over at the door because they're so excited, especially if your dog injures themselves or your guest. Teaching a dog proper door manners will avoid all dog related door injuries.
6) Place/Bed Command
The Place or Bed command works like a less strict kennel, where your dog can occupy a space and move around a little, but essentially stay out from underfoot. This is good for small parties where you can keep an eye, but shouldn't be considered a means of safely containing your dog.
7) Not That, But This
A dog getting in to things they're not supposed to is an indication that they are bored, hungry, or both. The dog is trying to communicate that in some way, they feel left out, and need some form of attention, especially if they are chewing on your elf-on-the-shelf or trying to snag a shortbread. Instead of scolding and frustrating the dog that just wants some attention too, make a trade, with an appropriate correction. Our goal here is Correct, Require Behaviour, Redirect. In other words, you're going to issue a command, such as Drop It, Leave It, whathaveyou. Once your dog obeys, acknowledge that, and give them a task, such as sit, or such as paw the treat cupboard, bring a toy - anything that forces the dog to perform a behaviour and sidetrack the mind. Then, once that's done, you're going to give the dog exactly what he wants - just in a more appropriate form, such as a tug toy, game of fetch for a bit, or a meal or treat. Instead of simply correcting and frustrating your already frustrated dog, you're communicating that how they're acting is inappropriate, issuing a proper behaviour, and rewarding it with what they want. Given enough times, your dog will simply pick up a toy to play with you for a moment, or sit by their food bowl. The key here is to notice these signs, and engage your dog properly.
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