Enjoying Christmas with Dogs

Christmas is a fun and festive time of year, when spirits are high and happiness is all around. This time of year  is not only exciting for us humans but it can be an equally appealing time for dogs too.

Read below for tips on enjoying Christmas with dogs:

We must take care to ensure the safety of our dogs at Christmas, by following the advice below we can 
be sure that Christmas is a safe and joyous time for all.


*Traditional festive plants such as Poinsettias,  Lillie's,  Mistletoe and Holly are all poisonous to dogs, so if you already have any of these plants they should be kept well out of your dogs way.

*If you have a real Christmas tree, care should be taken to hoover the needles up as soon as they drop, as the needles can get stuck in your dogs paws or other areas on his body and cause a lot of discomfort and even infection.

*This tip also applies if you have a real Christmas tree, be sure to cover over, at least the water in the tub that the tree sits in but if you can the whole base of the tree, as this water is actually very toxic to dogs.

*Care should be taken with Christmas tree lights as some dogs may try to chew the wires and this can lead to your dog getting electrocuted , so try to hide the wires or keep them out of your dogs reach.

*Decorations can be very appealing to dogs because of all the bright colours, the different shapes and textures, so try to avoid having delicate decorations that may break easily, as these will provide a serious danger to your dog if he gets hold of one.
Care must also be taken with tinsel, if tinsel is ingested it can cause terrible problems with your dogs gastrointestinal tract, so be sure to keep tinsel out of your dogs reach.

*Lots of yummy food and drink is consumed over the Christmas period and it may be tempting to feed your dog some of the tasty food and drinks that you are eating, however it is important to note that Christmas pudding, fruit cake, nuts, raisins, chocolate, coffee and alcohol are very dangerous foods for dogs.

*Joints of meat are often cooked over Christmas and although it is tempting to give the bones to your dog, avoid doing this as all cooked bones are dangerous to dogs and only specific raw bones are ideal to give your dogs, this is because many bones can splinter or cause obstructions and blockages inside your dogs body.

Now for the fun part, here is some exciting things you can do with your dog over the Christmas period:

*Bake some cookies for dogs, your dog will love watching you prepare the cookies, smelling them cook and finally getting to sample some. Just google the phrases 'dog biscuits recipe' or 'dog cookie recipes' and you will find that many free recipes are available online.

*Take your dog somewhere different for a walk or take your dog on a longer walk than normal, they love their walks so it will be gratefully appreciated.

*Wrap your dogs Christmas pressies so he can have the fun of being handed his present and going off to unwrap it, your dog will love seeing the prize fall out after he has worked his paws and teeth on it.
Do not use sellotape or staples, these can be dangerous if ingested.

*If you have a Kong put some yummy treats inside or pack it with a tasty filling so your dog can amuse himself  by working out how to get the treats or filling out. Kongs for dogs are a great way to stimulate their brains.

*Prepare your dog a Christmas dinner, only use lean meat and vegetables that are safe for dogs, these kind of vegetables include carrots, broccoli, peas and beans.

*The most important one, spending time with your dog, sometimes not doing anything, just relaxing in the same environment as your dog makes your dog happy, calm and content. Dogs are at their happiest when their owners are around and just they love chilling with their owners.

So by following the above advice you will have that extra peace of mind and security, but you can also have some Christmas fun with your dog too, this will lead to you being happy and thoroughly enjoying Christmas with dogs.