Happy holiday season to all! We all give our dogs special treats this time of year so be aware of the Christmas Dog Diet. Just like ourselves though, we don’t want them to gain weight just because we’re being festive! Remember the golden rule: all things in moderation. If you want to add some people food to your dog’s meal every now and again, that’s fine. You can certainly find lists of acceptable v/s unsafe people food for dogs on many animal health websites, so I’m not going to do that here. Moreover, never lose sight of the best dog food for weight loss. Find a website from a trusted animal health source; do not ask a FaceBook group of dog owners for important information. Remember to subtract some kibble equal to the amount of people food so the calories are not excessive. I routinely feed my dogs leftovers believing in the increase in nutrients, and they are not overweight.
I was discussing this with some obedience clients last week and they all said that when they feed their dogs from the table they begin to beg every time the family sits down to dinner. Easy fix: do not give food from the table – add it to their bowls. Dogs beg at the table? Easy fix: don’t let them in the house at mealtime, or put them in another room, or teach them a place to be… You CAN have a well-mannered dog! You OWN the dog, and can (must) teach it how to be a good citizen.
Dogs are often overwhelmed with busy and loud holiday gatherings. This is especially true for dogs who are older or high strung. Put them away in a quieter room with a toy and a chew, leave a TV or radio on for them so they aren’t so intent on the voices. Dogs should not be used as party accessories; most of them don’t want to be petted by a bunch of people, and your guests will all sneak the dog people food, and nobody wants an upset stomach on party night!
If you will be having relatives or friends staying with you, let them know if you have any rules about the dog. What he eats, where he’s allowed to be. If young kids are involved, be sure they are behaving with the dog. It’s not cute for them to crawl over the dog or play with his ears, especially a dog who doesn’t have to endure this on a daily basis. Your dog may need a place for an alone time from the visitors. Enjoy your visitors, but protect your dog, and have a Merry Christmas!
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