Holiday Prep: Dog vs. Guests

The Holidays are always busy, not only with parties, shopping, and other activities, but with house guests too.  Having strangers in your home can be very stressful for your dog, which can lead to bad and uncharacteristic behaviors. 

Having guests over can be stressful enough as it is.  Try these tips to help make the experience a good one for everyone involved.

1.       Exercise.  Exercise is key for every dog before any company is expected.  A tired dog is a well-behaved dog who is less likely to terrorize your guests.

2.     Educate.  Educate your guests when they arrive on dog rules – Especially Children!

a.     Be respectful of the dog’s space – Only pet the dog on the shoulder or under the chin, and only after the dog accepts their hand in his space.

b.     NO Food or Drink – NO table scraps of any kind should go to the dog.  Keeping track of what food is given to your dog and how much should not be on your to-do list while entertaining guests.  Additionally, your guests may not know that there are many human foods a dog cannot digest such as onions, garlic, avocado, raisins, grapes, mushrooms, chocolate, all of which can make him very sick. Not to mention caffeine, sugar, and alcohol can make him very sick as well.

c.     Watch the Front Door – Don’t leave any doors or side gates open where the dog might get out.

d.     Misc. – Be sure to tell your guests any additional rules for your dog, such as no jumping, no begging, not allowed on the furniture, etc.     

3.     Separate.  Some dogs get too overwhelmed by company, so it may be best to let him keep to himself while you have guests. Place him in a safe and secure place (such as his crate or in a back room).  Give him a chew toy and turn on soothing music to help distract him from other noise. 

*If your dog is out with you and your guests and he snaps at a guest, remember to stay calm and remove your dog from the situation (follow ‘Separate’ instructions above). No Scolding, yelling, or physical punishment, as that will not help the situation. Calmly apologize to your guest and ensure they are not hurt.  A snap implies no actual contact but they may be startled or scratched. Then calmly deconstruct the incident and try to identify what happened so you can avoid future occurrences.

And take into consideration, it’s not uncommon for previously social dogs to become temperamental as they enter their senior years or if they are experiencing discomfort from a health problem.  If you suspect this may be true of your dog, it might be best to let him be by himself until your guests leave.