Decorations, presents, and festivities saturate the season, and for many homes, this often results in a temporary change in scenery. Trees, candles, and other shiny things fill the rooms and entice the senses. For a dog, this can be quite interesting, particularly for those curious pups who have never seen something like this before.
While these curiosities are beautiful to look at and give the home the familiar nostalgia of childhood, it can pose a few dangers for our canine companions who tend to have a slightly different view of the world and an abounding need to investigate it extensively.
Just lying around
Some of the dangers are simply lying around the home. New things that smell funny are often enough easily picked up and put up safely. Wrapping paper for presents is one of the most awesome things for a pup. It makes tons of noise, smells cool, and sometimes tends to get eaten.
Tape is another item that finds its way around the house during the season. These sticky items love to get on paws and fur, which is often more annoying than anything else. But be cautious, a pup nibbling that patch of tape off their fur can also choke on the plastic if they decide to eat it.
Presents are naturally something that should stay hidden, but there are times when some are left out for display. It would be wise to restrict these areas from pup curiosity, especially if you have one that’s in the “chewing” and teething process.
Scissors and other cutting tools are also common place this time of year. Presents and decorating often require certain tools, just be sure they’re put back up so your pooch isn’t finding them later on when you’re not around.
Decorations
There are a lot of different home decorations that appear this time of year. And in many cases, these tend to be the most hazardous things to keep around a bouncy and excited pup. Candles and nice smelly stuff are pretty, but should be kept to a minimum around dogs. When present, they need to be kept far out of reach of nose or tail and off of tables which can be bumped or nudged. Hot wax and flame are not only dangerous to a pup, they can result in catastrophic damages to your home as well.
Decorations in the tree such as lights, tinsel, and ornaments are awesome, and will often enough grab the attention of your pooch. Power cords should be kept secured, hidden, and untouchable by your canine friend. Placing a heavy carpet or rug over power cords or using a strong tape that secures it to the floor will help prevent your pooch from chewing on it and shocking themselves. As for the ornaments, glass wares should be kept up high away from nosey noses and wagging tails.
Plants are another common decoration this time of year. While trees are common and hardly dangerous, remember that poinsettias are poisonous, so don’t decorate your home with the real plants.
In most cases, it’s best to restrict access to heavily decorated areas until your pup can be trusted not to get all wild and crazy with their curiosity. Baby gates and closed doors are good preventatives, but you can also introduce your pal to these things to satisfy curiosity and inform them that these things aren’t toys. You’d be surprised at the difference it makes when you take the time to teach your pup rather than just leaving them wondering “what if.”
Outdoors
Walks are another thing. Not everyone has dogs, and not everyone is considering that dogs will cross the path of their decorations at one time or another. This means it’s up to you to keep them away from danger and also away from destroying someone else’s property.
Don’t let your pooch potty on your neighbor’s decorations, especially those electric reindeer. These new curiosities in your neighbor’s yard are probably going to attract the attention of any dog, no matter how well trained. Stick to the sidewalk and avoid deflating Frosty the Snowman.
The holiday season is fun, pretty, and overwhelmingly awesome. Just be cautious with what your pooch and their tail has access to. Be safe, and remember your furry friend when it comes time to pass around the gifts.
Author:
Jason Duron is a short story writer and author of several fiction stories. Curious and lovable as dogs can be, the Adventures of Rocky, Nixi and Dante give you a chance to see daily life from a “dog’s eye view” and share in their thoughts. Please enjoy, and we hope that you’ll feel free to comment and give us insight into your dog’s very own adventures.
