Hosting a Holiday Meal? 5 quick tips for your Family Dog!

If your dog struggles with guests, having multiple people over for a family meal can be really exciting or really terrifying for them.

​Here are a some quick tips to help your dog TODAY, tomorrow, or in the future

Time to Leash Up

When expecting visitors, it's important to have a way to prevent problem-behaviors from occurring. When your dog wears a leash in the house, you have a better ability to manage unwanted behaviors, like jumping on guests, getting too close to the table, or exploring areas they shouldn't.

If you have a dog who gets really excited when the leash goes on, it would probably be a good idea to go out for a little walk after the leash goes on. Then, when you go inside, just leave the leash on. This way, the dog goes through the predictable leash-on pattern and you are able to leave it on when you return to the house.

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Crate, Gate, or Tether

For dogs who need some extra management but don't need to be completely removed... gates, crates, or tethers can really come in handy! 

Sometimes we have those really well-intentioned family members who "don't mind our dogs jumping" or who can't read body language effectively, in order to prevent jumping or hyper-arousal. In those case, it's a really great idea to have an extra layer of management beyond just a leash being on. You may also want to pick and choose times when your dog should be gated vs free or crated vs tethered. 
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Caution: If your dog is tethered, people should not be allowed to approach. This is a set-up for failure. A dog who feels trapped is much more likely to snap or bite. 

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Stuff Some Toys

Prepare a Kong or other food toy in advance and put it in the freezer so your pup has his own feast to enjoy when everyone sits down to eat.

The last thing you'll want to do when sitting down for your hot meal is have to continually manage your dog. Being pro-active means getting ahead of a possible problem.

So, when it comes to mealtime, there are really only two proactive options. The first is to give your dog a treat toy if he'll stay occupied that way or the other is to give your dog a treat toy in a crate or gated area (or another room) so if he finishes early or is tempted to come visit the table instead, you have a back-up management plan.

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Revisit Familiar Cues

If your dog knows cues like "down", "stay", or "bed" try to review it multiple times between now and then.

During the visit, you can certainly pick and choose times to practice. Keep your expectations low and remember that this is a college-level skill.

However, if it's an option, go ahead and use it when you need it. Often, giving our dogs something specific TO DO can be helpful for some!

​So, this may come in handy but if it doesn't work, don't stress! You can use management now and focus on that later.

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It's okay to opt out!

Finally, many dogs just aren't ready for visitors. This is the point where I want to remind you that your dog does not need to interact with visitors. There is no shame in forcing your dog to opt out of a situation that is highly likely to be difficult.

It doesn't matter how much your family tries to guilt you. You know your dog best. You don't owe anyone anything, including explanation.

If your dog is nervous of people, this is not the time to try to socialize him! Use management. Exercise him before everyone arrives, then have him in another room that family members can't access with a delicious stuffed toy, white noise, and a plan to work on this another time.

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