Helping Dogs Through the Festive Season

Rows of lush evergreens stand tall under a bright sky, ready to bring festive cheer as Christmas trees.

For us, Christmas is bustle. For dogs, it’s disruption. Visitors, noise, strange objects, flashing lights, rich food. Change is the hardest thing for a dog to deal with, and at Christmas, change is everywhere.

That’s why my first rule is simple: I protect my dogs from unnecessary change. They don’t need to go everywhere with me. They don’t need to cope with every guest, every outing, every bit of excitement. Their security comes first.

When guests arrive, it’s on my terms. I greet first, calmly, and only when my dogs are settled do I invite them in. If the guests can’t follow the rules, the dogs aren’t the ones who compromise, the guests do.

Routines stay steady. Mealtimes, gesture eating, walks (or no walks), and rest continue as normal. These are the anchors that help dogs feel safe. Decorations, gifts, and food are managed by me, out of reach, out of sight.

Dogs don’t ask for Christmas chaos. What they need is calm, kind, consistent leadership. Protecting them from change isn’t restricting them; it’s giving them peace.

Russ