How to prepare your dog for the Holidays
December 2022 / by Sif the Vet / Dog Mental Health
Animals are usually in tune with nature, often more than we are. My cats, Lady and Mr. Rossi, always get a bit fatter in the winter, they eat and sleep more and spend less time outside than during the summer. My dog Odin doesn’t like the rain and prefers to curl up in his cozy bed when the weather is bad but otherwise loves his daily walks, also during winter.
The holidays can be a time of joy, relaxing and bonding with our family and friends. But it can also be a stressful time, both for us and our pets.
It is winter time in the Northern hemisphere and that means more days with bad weather, storms, rain and maybe snow, depending how far North you live.
If your dog is afraid of thunder and fireworks this is a good time to prepare for New Year’s Eve by desensitizing them to the sounds. You do this by playing the sound of fireworks really low on your computer or another device in the home and gradually increase the volume when your dog is not showing any signs of stress. In the beginning the sounds should be barely audible and then you can very slowly increase the volume, always taking care not to stress your dog.
Truly, preparing your dog to the sounds of New Year’s Eve should ideally start in February but it is never too late to take action to improve your dog's mental health.
In order to make the holidays a time of joy for everyone it helps to keep focus on the simple things in life, spend time together and try to anticipate what could be stressful for your dog and how to mitigate that. Here are some tips to prepare for the holidays.
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