By Lindsay Root, CPDT-KA

The holiday season is here, and if you are anything like me, you are already feeling a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation. As many of you may know, I have a wonderful, but fearful, dog whose nightmare is people invading his home while joyfully singing and dancing. 

 But don’t fret! There are many options you can take to keep your pet safe and at ease when the friends and family invade! If your dog displays fear, aggression, over-arousal, resource guarding, bad table manners, or any other challenging behavior, then this article is for you! 

Steps to Set You up for Success

• Have a conversation with everyone in the household as soon as you can. Don’t wait until the day before guests arrive. Dogs need consistency to be successful with training. If everyone is not on the same page and are conducting training differently, how can we expect our dogs to flourish?
• Make sure you inform visitors that you have specific training protocols in place. If you are not sure how to create a specific protocol for your dog, meet with a Philly Unleashed trainer. We will be able to help you create a custom plan for your family and your dog.
• Practice makes perfect. If you will be implementing new rules, begin the training way in advance. Our dogs need time to master the rules. They learn best when they are safe, comfortable, and have time to practice the rules.
• Grab a gate or pen and then grab another one! Gates and pens can be really helpful tools to give our dogs space while still being able to be in the same area as you. Use some of the items in the next step to help make these separate areas a positive destination for your pup.

• Invest in some delicious long-lasting chews and food puzzles. There is nothing like the peace and quiet of a dog happily enjoying a treat. There are a million different items on the market, but I listed a few of my favorites below. Check with your veterinarian with any concerns about these items or if you have any questions about allergies. Make sure you are with your dogs and watching them the first few times you give them new chews.

1. 1. Kongs! You can fill kongs with whatever your pup likes best, like peanut butter, pumpkin, wet dog food, cream cheese, cheese whiz, apple sauce, or yogurt. Make sure to freeze it for an extra-long activity.
   2. Deer Antlers, Everlasting Bento Ball, and Himalayan chews! These can provide hours of entertainment and reinforce appropriate items to chew on.
   3. Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball, Planet Dog OrbeeTuff Snoop Dog Toy, and Kong Duratreat Ring! Food puzzles are fantastic ways to help your dogs work on mental enrichment on their own. You can fill them with kibble or treats.

• Work on those obedience cues. Obedience cues like go to place, touch, look, stay, leave it, and come can be helpful to redirect your dog and keep their attention. You can keep your dog next to you on a leash as well. If your dog has a reliable go to place, this can be used instead of separation. You can even throw a dragline, which is a long leash, on them if needed.

• Get out that energy! Take a long walk, go on a hike, have a doggie play date, go to daycare, play a game of fetch, review training cues, use food puzzles, play a sniffing game, or learn a new trick.
• Talk to your veterinarian about calming supplements. Your veterinarian will be able to tell you if calming supplements are right for your dog.
• Utilize daycare, a dog sitter, or boarding. Just like you, your dog needs some time away from the relatives or in-laws to get out that pent-up energy, so get them out of the house and have some fun!
• Lastly, give yourselves a break if you need it. Bring them in a completely different area, give them a long-lasting chew, shut the door, and go enjoy your holiday! 

 Now go have a glass of wine, you earned it!