Christmas Safety Tips for Your Puppy!

‘Tis the time for cheer and puppies! During the holidays, all the excitement can be very overwhelming and distracting — especially for our pups! New decorations, new activities and new people can mean more opportunities to get into a little trouble. Keep these puppy Christmas tips handy to ensure your puppy is safe and ready for the holidays along with family get-togethers!

The holidays are here and many of us have already decorated our homes! While you’re in the midst of enjoying lights, ornaments, and flowers, you want to make sure you are also considering “is my home safe for my puppy?” Whether you already have a puppy or are expecting one this Christmas, it’s important to puppy-proof your Christmas Tree and your home to ensure that they’ll be and safe.

We know this time of year can be stressful enough and the last thing you want to do is worry about your puppy getting hurt, so we’ve out together this list for our students and their parents at our puppy school and wanted to share with you too!

“People tend to relax on their normal “rules” around the holidays. Remember to keep up with your pup’s training as much as possible, pay close attention to them (or put them in their crate when you can’t), and don’t expect them to be perfect! They’re still puppies and learning each day — there will be some mistakes!”

— Tip from The Puppy Academy trainer, Megumi

Christmas Tree Safety

A new big shiny tree in the home is sure to grab your pup’s interest! There’s ways to modify your tree decorating and keep things secure to ensure your pup’s safety. Save this Christmas Tree Safety Tips cheat sheet for quick reference!

Holiday Plants & Flowers

Many puppy and dog owners alike have often heard at some point that Poinsettias are poisonous to our furry friends. And although they do contain a white milky sap, they are only mildly toxic. Whew! Here are the more serious culprits that you should be looking out for: Mistletoe, Holly berries, Rosemary -- and make sure to be aware of any poisoning-type symptoms!

Luckily, many of us hang up these flowers like Mistletoe and Holly but sometimes, they can be found in other decorations such as in a table centerpiece or on food if it’s Rosemary. In those situations, be mindful that your puppy won’t have access to decorations and that food isn’t left around where they can get into it! 

Christmas Lights

One of the most beautiful parts of Christmas decorations is the many twinkling lights! But to curious pups, they can seem like a fun chew toy. Light cords are like magnets for young puppies, especially if they’re going through a teething phase. Lights can be very harmful as they can cause electrical burns inside your puppy’s mouth, or smaller light bulbs can be easily swallowed, which can cause intestinal blockage. Make sure no loose cords are left on the ground or uncovered and secure them to your tree or bring them off the ground so your puppy can’t reach them. Utilize playpens and puppy gates your puppy can’t access them when if they’re ever unsupervised. 

“Put a playpen around the tree so your pup can’t get to it and all those tempting, shiny ornaments! ”

— Tip from The Puppy Academy trainer, Sparky

Food and Drinks

With any holiday, food and drinks will be plentiful! This is a great time for puppies to get into something they shouldn’t (ie. the Christmas cookies or chocolate sweets on the coffee table!) and get sick. A super simple way to avoid your puppy from snacking on cookies or other holiday treats is to keep them out of reach and whenever possible, keep your puppy away from where they are. If you can crate your puppy in another room during eating time, even better. If that’s not possible, remind your guests to be cognizant of where they place their drinks or food plates so no accidents happen, and practice a good Recall with your pup so they know to come to you anytime you call them! Not there yet with your puppy’s training? Keep them on harness and leash to be able to get better control with them, and if you’re ready for that good-mannered pup, join us in our Online School!

Prep Your Guests 

Planning on hosting? Some of your guests may not know that you have a new puppy in the home so a quick reminder is all you need to make sure your puppy is safe! Let your guests know how you want them to interact with your puppy, not to feed the puppy any human food,, and to make sure they shut the door when coming and going from your home. Another good tip to follow is prepping a puppy “safe zone” beforehand. All the attention, sounds, smells and tightened energy can be overwhelming for a young puppy! Pick a spot that’s quiet and away from all the excitement (ie. their crate in a quiet area of the house) so your puppy can go to get some rest and feel comfortable and safe. A big plus side to having a place just for your puppy is the peace of mind that they are safe and you can go about your night and enjoy the festivities! 

“Toss used wrapping paper directly into the trash when opening gifts. Puppies loooove to sink their teeth into those crinkled paper balls, which can be bad for them to ingest.”

— Tip from The Puppy Academy trainer, Josh

Have a Backup Plan

Overall, the most important takeaway is: PREVENTION IS KEY! By preparing and properly puppy-proofing your home beforehand, you can help keep your puppy safe throughout the holidays and avoid a stressful last minute vet visit! But like all good Christmas pet safety plans, having back up resources are always a good idea. Before you get into the throws of setting up to host a big Christmas get together, look into some local 24/7 emergency pet clinics and pet poison hotlines. Keep these numbers in your phone contacts or someplace handy in the event that you need to place a call for help for your puppy.

Have more questions about Christmas safety and tips for your puppy? Ask our trainers LIVE every Wednesday at 1 pm PT on our Instagram @thepuppyacademy during the Ask A Puppy Trainer Show! All replays are posted afterward, and you can catch up on our last ones on our YouTube channel!

Become a Puppy Academy VIP (Very Important Puppy) to get our latest puppy training tips direct to your inbox, for free, each week!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at The Puppy Academy!

Check out these other blogs on puppy training:

I Got a Puppy Over the Holidays! Now What?!

Step-by-Step Guide to Crate Training Your Puppy!

Complete Puppy Training Schedule By Age

Tips for Your Puppy’s First Thanksgiving!

The holiday season is upon us! If you have a new puppy joining you for the festivities this year, we’re sharing our go-to puppy prep advice, safety tips and food list to ensure your puppy’s first Thanksgiving is a happy and worry-free time for the whole family!

The Puppy Academy student: Thurman!

Thanksgiving, a day many of us look forward to for weeks with mouth-watering anticipation. One of those holidays when you can really kick back and enjoy spending time with family. 

Our puppies are no exception to the excitement that Thanksgiving has to offer! But as exciting as it is, it can also be a time that can cause distress for your puppy. Think about it from a little puppy’s perspective: new people, lots of movement and sounds, and...the smells! 

And if you are like the rest of the nation hosting family or friends over, you have a dozen or so things going at once, including ensuring the safety of your puppy. Just like your dinner, the best thing you can do to care for your puppy in this case is come prepared with a plan for them the day of!

New situations always present risk factors, but when you follow the same helpful tips we share with our students and their parents at our puppy training school, the only thing you’ll need to worry about for your pup’s first Thanksgiving is enjoying the feast and feeling grateful!

Can My Puppy Eat Thanksgiving Dinner?

The short answer: kind of! Although we recommend sticking to your pup’s normal diet, if you do want to treat them to something festive, your pup most certainly can enjoy a version of a Thanksgiving meal. However, certain foods aren’t good for their young digestive systems and can even be toxic. So, to help you decipher what is safe and what isn’t, we put together an easy-to-follow infographic with the dos and don’ts when it comes to Thanksgiving food for your puppy. Don’t forget to save it for future reference!

Making Sure Your Puppy is Satisfied & Safe

With so much prep work that goes into Thanksgiving dinner, it’s super easy to forget that your puppy’s needs aren’t on hold just for the holiday. They still require care, attention, and above all: security! Develop a day-of plan for your puppy and consider including the following:

1. Exercise Your Puppy in the Morning

If you’re planning on hosting or even bringing food to a family member’s home, prioritize your puppy’s needs first before getting into the weeds of Thanksgiving prep. Give your puppy plenty of time to burn off some of their excess energy in the morning with a walk, interactive playtime session, and make sure to include puppy training for mental stimulation that will leave them feeling fulfilled and ready for a nap. By providing your puppy the right type of exercise and structure, they’ll be in the right, calm mental state for the rest of the day, which will give you more time to focus on getting your meal and home ready.

Grab our go-to training routines that will satisfy your pup while teaching good behaviors in our Online Puppy School!

2. Ask for Help!

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, chances are you will be running around with a million things on your list to get done. Avoid finding yourself in a situation where you can’t tend to your attention-seeking puppy and instead enlist the help of a trusted family member or friend to watch over your puppy while you are prepping dinner.

Hand them your daily puppy schedule to follow to keep your puppy on track and take our any guesswork of wondering what your puppy needs and when.

If you can’t enlist the help of others, your pup’s crate and playpen will be your BFFs today!

3. Keep Your Puppy’s Crate Readily Available

The crate is your puppy’s safety zone. With so many people coming and going, excited talking, loud music, and new smells, all that stimulation can get overwhelming for a little puppy. Keep their crate in a quiet, stress-free area of your home so your pup can escape to relax to and get their much needed down time.

Puppies can get overwhelmed and energized by all the activity happening around them, so some crate time throughout the day to help them settle and get the rest they need will help prevent your puppy from exhibiting anxious behaviors!

And in times throughout the day where you can’t supervise your puppy while cooking, socializing, or eating dinner, your puppy’s crate is also the perfect place to keep them in so they are safe and you can let your pup-parent guard down and enjoy.

Bringing your puppy with your to your family’s house? Take their crate! Your pup will benefit from having their familiar space in a different environment, especially if they need a break from the other dogs and small children that may be running around!

4. Be Aware of Your Puppy’s Safety

If you are hosting Thanksgiving and are expecting guests, chances are some of them may not be so puppy-mindful as you are.

Forgetting to shut doors, feeding food from the table and leaving dangerous items (ie. alcoholic beverages, chocolate desserts, sharp utensils, etc.) within puppy-reach can all lead to an accident waiting to happen.

Tethering your puppy to you with their leash and utilizing their playpen and crate will help keep your pup out of harm’s way.

For more puppy safety tips for Thanksgiving, watch our short video:

5. Don’t Pause on your Puppy Training!

Puppy training shouldn't take a break for Thanksgiving! This is a quick way for puppies to regress and start picking up bad habits. Instead, use it as a great opportunity to reinforce your pup's good manners by enlisting your guests to help. For example, have your guests greet your puppy when they're (both!) in a calmer state, and remind them to only pet your pup when all four paws are on the floor to discourage jumping up. Giving attention and affection while your puppy is jumping all over your guests will only encourage more of that behavior, and make training more difficult, even if it's just for one day!

6. No Table Scraps!

Another important situation to watch out for is family and friends sneaking your puppy some Thanksgiving goodies from the table. Of course, we want our puppies to celebrate along with us, but it’s important to remember that their tummies are sensitive. AND feeding from the table sets up a terrible habit of begging that can be difficult to reverse! Richly seasoned foods can cause them to get upset, but more so, they could accidentally ingest food that is not safe for them and can be harmful to their health. The last thing you want is to make an emergency vet visit on Thanksgiving! Make sure to save the infographic with safe and not safe Thanksgiving Day foods for your puppy, and put your puppy in the crate while you’re at the table to eat.

7. Clean Up Before Your Puppy Does it for You!

Puppies can be opportunists so the best way to prevent them from getting into leftovers, table scraps, and fallen food pieces on the floor is keeping your pup away from the dining table and cleaning up right away! Utilize barriers like puppy gates or a playpen if they’re out of their crate, or keep them in a different area away from Thanksgiving dinner if necessary!

8. End Thanksgiving on a Calm Note

With so much happening on Thanksgiving, let your puppy unwind by giving them their favorite chew toy to enjoy, taking a short walk together, or doing a little calm-down training session to help get them settle for the evening. Ending the day with a low-intensity exercise can help your puppy relax from the overstimulation of the day’s events that they’re not accustomed to, so you can all sleep well tonight!

Have more questions about Thanksgiving safety and tips for your puppy? Ask our trainers LIVE every Wednesday at 1 pm PT on our Instagram @thepuppyacademy during the Ask A Puppy Trainer Show! All replays are posted afterward, and you can catch up on our last ones on our YouTube channel!

Become a Puppy Academy VIP (Very Important Puppy) to get our latest puppy training tips direct to your inbox, for free, each week!

From our family of pups to yours, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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