The Christmas season is a wonderful time to spend with family and friends. This season is also the best time for parties and gatherings. For a dog owner, it is a must to include his/her precious pooch as part of such celebrations. But before you consider your dog to be part of your holiday celebrations, you must first follow some helpful guidelines on how to keep your dog safe and happy during the Christmas season.

Read on below:

1. Keep your dogs away from your holiday decorations. If you cannot keep them away, just make sure that they cannot reach any of your decorations especially the ones that can give them harm. All dogs are curious by nature, so they will want to check out any additions to the usual place that they roam around on, in this case, they would want to explore any décor that you may have placed on your living room or dining area. Sniffing can lead to chewing, or even ingestion of foreign objects. So always keep electrical cords tucked away and other decorations or holiday plants out of reach. Watch out for dangling objects that can be pulled down and cause injury. Candles should never be left unattended. Also, if you have a Christmas tree, never let your dog drink the tree water because that can make her/his terribly sick.

2. Keep your dog in a crate or quiet room during Christmas parties and gatherings at home. This is because parties can bring lots of commotion. While this can be fun for humans, it will not be very enjoyable for your dog. Having lots of people inside your home can result in injury or stress for your dog. You must always remember that a large crowd is not the place for most dogs, so consider keeping her in a crate or quiet room especially if she/he is the nervous type. But if she/he is comfortable around a smaller group, just make sure you set down the ground rules to ensure your pet’s safety and security.

3. Make him wear a dog tag or dog collar with proper identification. Many dogs get loose and run off during the holiday season. That is why it is imperative that you always make sure that your dog is wearing proper identification so that in case he/she gets lost, it will serve as away for his finder to bring him/her back to you.

4. Avoid feeding him/her with left-over human food so that you can prevent any untimely vet visit during the holidays.

The Christmas season is a the best time to enjoy with your pets that is why it is advisable that you make your dog feel the fun and excitement that the season brings without any hassles or interference.