Thanksgiving is a fun time of year and can also be a stressful one. There’s lots of planning for the dinner and for visiting family and friends. It’s at times like theses when your dog can be a little neglected and it’s times like these when you need to be paying extra attention. There are many ways in which you can prevent accidents and fatalities. Yes fatalities can happen too.
First off all stay as calm as you can through all of your planning and the day of Thanksgiving. Recruit as much help as you can from your family. This helps keep stress levels to a minimum in turn lowering your dog’s stress level. Because as you know our pets absorb our energy.
Ensure that you know where your dog is at all times. Particularly when you answer the door to greet your guests and tell your guests that you alone will be answering the door to prevent your dog from having the opportunity to run out of the house. Put all your guests’ purses in a room away from your dog’s inquisitive nose. If you have small children coming over to the house do not leave your dog and the children unattended. Small children can be noisy and often do not have the skills to appropriately interact with a dog. Your dog may not have spent time with small children and this could end in a situation with a child getting a dog bite. If you cannot be with your dog at all times assign a family member or friend to keep an eye on your dog or create a safe secure area.
Now I don’t know about you but if I am going to offer someone’s dog a treat or food I always ask the owner if it’s ok. You never know if someone’s dog is allergic to certain foods or simply not permitted to eat them. In a perfect world everyone would ask but you are more than likely to encounter one of your guests feeding your dog without asking. My advice would be to inform all of your guests to not feed your dog for safety reasons and that would also include any drinks. This way you can avoid any problems. Some of the foods that are harmful or fatal dogs are; chocolate, turkey bones, grapes, onions, walnuts, macadamia nuts, tomatoes, coffee, raisins, and, avocados.
Onto the kitchen…keep your trash secure where your dog cannot get into it in any way possible. Sharp can lids, mesh from a roast, and food all can be dangerous and sometimes fatal. Place your food to the back of the counter top where your dog cannot reach it and keep them clear from the oven. It may be a good idea to simply put up a dog gate to the kitchen.
Having your vet’ s telephone number at hand is a must as well as the emergency vet and the poison control centre numbers. Should you suspect your dog ate something dangerous do not hesitate to get your dog to the vet. If there is a case of bloat it will not rectify itself a vet needs to treat your dog immediately.
In a nutshell make your dog an important part of the festivities, ask your family and friends to help you with your dog’s safety, and take the necessary precautions to make your home extra safe for the holidays for your four-legged furry friend.
Happy Thanksgiving
London Rock Dog 