Nothing quite sparks up excitement that it’s finally the holiday season like when it’s time to decorate your home. When your home’s sparkling and music plays, the cheery atmosphere is finally set. Be as festive as you wish - but make sure you’re keeping your furbaby in mind when decorating. What’s stunning to us can be unsafe for a dog. Here are 6 holiday decorating tips to keep your dog safe so your halls can be merry and bright - and dog-friendly.
A Christmas tree is a holiday staple for many who celebrate. But cats aren’t the only pets you have to worry about your tree toppling over with. If you have a boisterous dog or a puppy, they can accidentally kick your tree over. Affixing your tree to the wall or ceiling with wire will help keep wagging tails from making it topple, as will anchoring it securely. Alternatively, you can always opt for a small tree to place on a table or a shelf, out of the way of your 4-legged friends.
If you use real trees, make sure that you keep your dog away from the tree water. If your pup ends up drinking tree water, they could get sick, since it tends to be a breeding ground for bacteria. Putting a bag or some other sort of blockage around the water will prevent your furbaby from trying to drink it.
Another hazard of real trees is how the needles and branches can result in stomach and mouth irritation or even puncture them. Keep the area around your tree clean, to avoid any intestinal obstructions from your puppy consuming too many pine needles.
Tinsel’s stunning, especially when it catches the light, throwing sparkles around your room. It’s less pretty if your dog eats it and ends up with internal blockages that require surgery to fix. Nothing ruins the holiday mood like panic over your furbaby and having to take them to the emergency vet. It’s best to avoid tinsel in your decorations for the safety of your pup.
Glass and porcelain ornaments may be shiny, but they’re also very breakable. If ornaments fall or get knocked down, you don’t want them to shatter and hurt your pup. Steer towards safe materials, such as wood and fabric and plastic, that are hardier and won’t result in potential injury should they fall.
For many people, making ornaments is a holiday tradition. If this is one of yours, keep them hung out of reach of your pup. The sugar and toxins in these ornaments are very harmful for dogs, so keep them to the top of your tree.
Heavy metal stocking hangers may look stately, but if your pup pulls on a stocking, those can fall and hurt them. If you opt for heavy stocking hangers, make sure your stockings are hung up out of reach of puppies, so there’s no risk of them falling down. Alternatively, you can opt for plastic hangers or finding another method of hanging your stockings up that doesn’t pose the risk of something heavy falling onto your furbaby.
Nothing says cozy and festive like holiday lights and candles. These can also be very dangerous if not minded properly. The cords of lights can be easy for your pup to get tangled up in and pose the risk of your pup chewing on them and getting shocked. Keep your cords neatly tucked away where your dog can’t see in order to be able to enjoy your lights safely.
While candles are beautiful, they also pose a major fire risk, especially if placed somewhere a puppy could knock them over. Make sure that you place your candelabra or just the candles you choose to have around up somewhere out of reach and that you blow the flames out whenever you leave the room. Artificial candles are a wonderful, pet-safe alternative that create the same aesthetic and atmosphere, as well.
Mistletoe and holly and poinsettias may be traditional plants to have around during the holidays, but they’re also extremely harmful for dogs. Poinsettias can upset your dog’s digestive system, holly can result in nausea and vomiting, and mistletoe can cause even worse problems such as an abnormal heart rate and seizures and can be fatal if your dog has too much. It’s best to go with the fake versions of these plants when you have a little furbaby to be mindful of with your decorations.
You can have both a festive home and a pet-friendly one at the same time! Little Teton Doodles is happy to provide you with any additional recommendations you may desire on how to decorate your home safely for your puppy.
