Ground Rules for Holiday Visitors in Your Dog’s House

If you’re reading this, it’s likely your home is your dog’s castle.   

Now here come the holidays and those holiday guests from out of town, so expectant and demanding, might not always cohabit harmoniously with your dog.  The following are some tips to help them get along with the 4 legged family member. 

1. Start it off right:  Introduce your dog by name to guests, telling them a bit about her and conveying her status in your house.  You could say something like: “Tasha came as a rescue and she is our most recent family member.  She’s part retriever and part lap dog.  That’s how she’s wired.  Yes, it confuses her too and we’re very proud of how she has adjusted.”  
   
2. If your dog is not encouraged to eat table food and random snacks, explain that to guests.  For many, the best way to bond with a dog is to give her something she’s not supposed to eat so as to become her “special friend.”  Redirect the impetus to share chocolate marshmallow cookies toward the biscuit box of permitted snacks.  Say: “Tasha may have five of these a day as special treats.  She’s quite the health nut.”
   
3. If your dog is free to sleep anywhere in the house at night, you probably will have to bend on this one.  It would be best for all if you would close your dog in your room so guests do not hurt her by stepping on her in the dark.  (Sure, they could hurt themselves too, but this blog is about the dog.)
   
4. Unless you have a fenced property or your dog normally goes out at will, remind guests going and coming that they must make sure not to let your dog out.  Tell them you will take charge of the trips outside.  And don’t trust the guests.  Holidays are notorious times for short attention spans and lost pets.
   
5. If your guests unavoidably include children who are afraid of dogs or who have not been properly trained in how to play with dogs, you really will have to take the time to help the child learn how to have fun with your pet without annoying your pet.  Seriously you cannot allow them just to work it out.  Seriously.  
   
6. Guests do not stay forever.  Well, the good ones don’t.  The difficult ones seem to lumber around for weeks and weeks.  If you find a guest is not being kind to you dog, remember, this home is your castle… and hers.  Speak up.  Say:  “We never shove our dog (or whatever) in this house.  It’s not our custom and if you do it again one of the humans will bite you.  Have a nacho.”  Smile. 
   
   Next week Raja will feature a totally silly, but beautiful, video of Holiday Dogs in Holiday Finery and then he’ll slip up north for a bit of ice skiing so he can blog all about it when he gets back.

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