Are you ready for the celebrations to begin?
I do feel a bit early with this but in the interests of getting some Christmas tips to you sooner rather than later….here we are.
I’ve put my scrooge hat away, and breaking out the decorations!
As always when asking for some Christmas pictures from my Stop Barking Course Graduates they didn't fail me, but I had so many flow in that putting them in a blog would have had us here until Christmas! At the bottom of the blog please have a watch of some of the wonderful pictures they shared.
Managing your dachshund at Christmas.
Christmas is a wonderful time for us all to get together with friends and family and celebrate our love for each other….but….it is stressful for all of us, its wonderful, but it is full on with so many expectations to manage. Trying to keep everyone happy, making sure everyone has a good time, making a good impression…..yeah…..stressful!
And we know why all the changes are happening, we put ourselves through it and we know the reason why. (Well, in theory anyway!)
But for the dogs, that sudden change in their environment, all the stress, the lights, the random bright weird things in gardens….the peopling…..they don’t understand it….and many don’t like it! Many dachshunds don’t like change at the best of times, Christmas can be change overload! Try to keep that in mind over the next couple of months.
Christmas is often about assessing and managing risk, even for the most friendly of dogs, do not take chances. Christmas is full of surprises, good and bad. Remember dogs do not understand what on earth is going on so help them prepare for it.
Visitors at home
The big one is all the peopling. We’ve a few weeks before all the drama happens so lets think about what you can introduce now to help your dachshund navigate the big day.
1. Start introducing a safe place to rest away from the festivities. This may be a bedroom, or your study. Start introducing short periods of time during the day, or at times they aren’t used to being away from you when you are home. If your dog has separation issues you will need to slowly and systematically build this up. You probably won’t have the time to build in long absences but if you start now you may be able to introduce short periods. Please never leave them to become distressed.
a. Make it warm and toasty – they love the warmth, try a heat pad.
b. Play sounds of people talking outside the room so hearing people talk when they cannot locate the source isn’t a sudden shock to them. Include people laughing, children shouting, whatever may replicate your Christmas celebrations.
c. Put a blanket you’ve been snuggled up with in their bed.
d. Start feeding them their meals in there.
e. Spend some time in there with them yourself to help them learn to relax in there.
2. Visitors coming in. Now, irrespective of on your dog’s temperament, please do NOT let them come and greet people at the door. Too much can go wrong, a cat running across the road, someone tripping and falling. I know far too many dogs who have shot outside the door and due to a combination of things sadly hit by cars. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THE RISK.
a. Pop them behind a barrier, or in another room when people come in. This shouldn’t just apply at Christmas but at anytime. But at Christmas you won’t be thinking like you normally are, so don’t expect the dogs to either. Think about what your day will look like and start practicing the routine with your dogs regularly now.
b. They don’t need to be friends with everyone. Ask people to come in and ignore them, dachshunds aren’t mad on eye contact from those they aren’t familiar with. Just ignoring them for a while can help them no-end
c. If your dog has any nervous qualities remember all the hustle and bustle might exacerbate their worries. Put strategies in place to make sure they aren’t forced to ‘people.’ Like I said, we’ve a few weeks, put in place a plan now and practice it. What do they need from you?
3. Absolutely leave little pots of nice things lying around for people to give them, but rather than looming down or leaning in, ask them to throw them a treat. A freebie essentially, but that gentle act can help your dogs understand there isn’t a condition for them having a treat. Too often we offer a treat and the terms are “you can have this treat if I can touch you.” If they are nervous that can push them over the edge.
4. Remember if there is any risk or potential of risk, don’t rely on others to do as they are told. Christmas see’s a high bite rate, because we trust our visitors to listen. Assume they won’t and advocate for your dogs. Put things in place so it doesn’t put you in a situation of resenting your visitor, feeling inadequate (as the visitor has had dogs for 60 years and knows your dog better than you), or you becoming frustrated with your dog.
Make a plan!
Visiting friends and family with your dog.
First, ask yourself if it is worth it? It may be fun for you, but is it for them? If you have no choice but to take them with you think about what you can do to help them.
1. Start crate/pen training at home in different areas, not their normal spot, but in different areas, during the day and evening. Make it a safe space. If they aren’t crate trained, start now and you may get it reasonably solid by Christmas. Again, don’t leave them distressed, and remember to build in you being present and moving around as well as absent. Here’s a way to crate train with some top tips: https://www.perfectlypolitedachshunds.com/post/crate-training-do-we-don-t-we-and-how. I use a material crate for when I’m staying away, its easy to carry, doesn’t take up much room in the car and adapts to any scenario – hotels, bedrooms, living rooms, pubs! Something like this: https://amzn.to/4fMRaAe.
Remember they can chew out of the material ones, but I do like the top opening so I can reward them and reassure them if needed.
2. Buy some healthy, long lasting chews like these: https://amzn.to/3Z8Yqzt. This will give them something to get their teeth into, and a way to build a positive with the crate whilst things are going on.
3. Take some kong's and fillers with you. I often freeze a couple but take things with me to fill it with. You can soak their kibble and squeeze it in, mixed with something tasty. Then you can put it in a bag and use it later in the day, or see if you can pop it in the fridge. It’s a great way to give them their breakfast or dinner and help them feel calmer with all the goings on.
4. If there’s another dog hopefully they’ll get on well, but do give them time to just relax. Like human’s, when they get overexcited, hangry, or overtired it can lead to friction. If dog’s aren’t used to sharing, remove high energy toys, chews and feed separately to avoid any conflict. Make sure play and interactions are equal, give and take, if its too one sided, diffuse the situation and calm it down…..calmly.
5. Don’t be scared to say no. It may not be your home, but they are your dogs, so advocate for them. Ask if you can pop their material crate up away from the Christmas chaos so they can have a break (it’s a good excuse for you to get some quiet time too) especially if there are young children around. I often keep mine on lead initially whilst I assess the situation, the people, the other dogs and my own. Once I am confident then I may let them off, or I simply ask them to lie on their mat with me…..or on my lap! A lot of it is often not about my dog, but things in the environment which make me uncomfortable (Christmas involves a lot of foods which are not dog friendly, and people getting tipsy. I’d rather be overcautious and anticipate someone tripping over them, or feeding them chocolate than end up at the vets!)
6. Remember children will be excited. Expect even the most well behaved children to be high as a kite. Children struggle to regulate their emotions. They may struggle to remember instructions. Remember to safeguard your dogs. Don’t wait for the parents to parent, jump in if you are uncomfortable. Remind them of the rules – don’t put their faces in your dogs face, if your dog’s are resting or in their beds or crates, they have an invisible barrier around them, if they have any form of food – invisible barrier, and please don’t let children run up to them.
7. Talk to your hosts and see what and who is going to be there. Speak to them about an area you can pop your dog if they get tired.
8. Have a back up plan, just in case things don't go the way you expect. I know it seems like overkill but that way you will feel a bit more in control and it will keep any anxiety at bay. 9. If you increase their exercise, as many do over the Christmas period, increase their food intake.
9. Avoid high fat foods, pancreatitis is often a big cause of veterinary trips, similarly don't change their diet suddenly.....I don't need to tell you why!
10. Remember Christmas is for everyone, including you. Make sure you give yourself some time to enjoy things too.
I won’t bore you with another blog on all the other Christmas do’s and don’ts – here’s one I wrote post covid: https://www.perfectlypolitedachshunds.com/post/daxies-at-christmas.
Do remember, since covid our world changed a lot, so really think about your celebrations and which elements your dog’s may struggle with so you can prepare now, before the season is upon us!
Hopefully with some preparation, practice, and thinking ahead, when the celebrations start you will be able to sit back and relax with your families.
I'll wish you a Merry Christmas later!
Comentarios