6 Tips for Holiday Success With Your Dog

The holidays can be overwhelming for our pampered pooches, our goal is to make is go as smoothly as possible!

Here are 6 tips to help your dog of any age have success this holiday season!

#1 Create a Private Space

Whether you are home or traveling, ensuring that your pup has a place that will ensure good choices is important. What is more tempting and distracting than platters of holiday food. Being proactive to give your dog intentional breaks from the festivities to allow them to decompress can help with their success.

Putting their bed or crate in a bedroom or other quiet area can be helpful. Puzzle toys or food stuffed toys can help keep your pup occupied and provide some relaxing mental stimulation.

Giving your pup breaks before they actually need it will help with the overwhelm and keep the festivities positive for everyone…two and four-legged.

#2 Prep for Travel

If you are hitting the road this season and want to take your four-legged friend, make sure to call ahead to ensure your destination is pet friendly. This could be a friend or family home, or even a hotel.

Asking ahead of time ensures that you know the expectations of the house rules, and how it will work with your extra guest. It is always good to know who else is coming and what pets are already in the home and if they are social with other dogs.

If they do have dogs, I recommend introductions happen outside in a common area away from the festivities to help reduce stress. If introductions don’t go well, have a back up plan.

This could be in the form of a local hotel, or a dog crate to help keep them separate.

Make sure to take all the items you need for success….food, bowls, bottled water (best option to avoid upset tummies), crate, leash, collar with tags, harness if needed, and poop bags. The goal is to be prepared!

#3 Keep Your Routine

Dogs love routines, and the holidays tend to mess that up. As much as possible, keep the routine as intact as possible. That will look different to each family, be it feeding times, potty breaks, walks etc.

#4 Watch the Extras

Who doesn’t love to give dogs of all ages treats? When you have a houseful, you have no idea how many or what kind of treats may be given to your dog. Many holiday foods are not safe for dogs and can pose a big risk.

#5 Designate a Pup Watcher

This may be a good idea, especially if you plan on having a lot of guests in your home. When we get busy, we may assume that someone else is watching the dog, for this reason designating at least one person to be responsible is a great idea. This task can be shared as well, just make sure when it is time to switch responsibility that the new person knows it is their turn.

#6 Diffuse Calming Oils

You know my advice would not be complete without some doTERRA Essential Oils used for support. Choose our dog's favorite calming oils, use a diffuser or place a drop or two on bedding, or even on a cloth that can be laid nearby. My choice oils are Balance, Serenity, Vetiver, Adaptive, and Copaiba.