Dog-proofing your house for Christmas and the holidays

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year – and yes, I am one of those people who buy their dogs presents.

But Christmas and the holidays can present challenges for dog owners – all those mysterious presents, candy canes and boxes of chocolates.

I’ve had dogs rip open presents, try and grab brownies off the table – I’ve even had a dog pee under the tree!  Now that was an unpleasant experience!

Luckily, with some common sense, you can prevent most problems before they happen – here are some of my basic dog-proofing suggestions for the holidays:

• Keep anything remotely edible out of the reach of your pooch.  Some dogs will even try and eat salt-clay ornaments.  Remember – candy canes and gingerbread look lovely on the tree, but keep them up high enough
• Make sure that the electrical cords from lights are tucked away safely.  Some dogs will chew on them – with serious consequences!
• Remember that chocolate is bad for dogs – in fact, enough chocolate can actually kill a dog!  Boxes of chocolates are best left in the cupboard until you can hand them around safely.
• Got an adventureous dog?  You may want to anchor your tree to the wall.  Some fishing line wrapped around the top of the tree and tacked to the wall can be enough to prevent the tree from toppling.
• One of my dogs is the world’s biggest snoop and will “explore” stockings.  My family has learned to keep stockings up high after Santa Claus has filled them.  Otherwise, we end up with everyone’s stocking being emptied before morning!
• Do strangers stress your dog?  My elderly rescue dog is a sweetheart with people he knows, but can be extremely fearful with strangers.  If you’re having a party or a big gathering at your house, make sure your dog has a safe place that they can can go to relax.
• Alcoholic drinks are another big no-no for dogs – keep the pooch out of the party drinks by making sure you’ve got enough places for your guests to perch their beverages.

Got another tip?  Leave it in the comments!
image: Stock.xchg