When we have people over for festivities it can sometimes be a prime scenario for our dogs to become overwhelmed.
- It may be noisier than usual
- There may be more people
- There may be other dogs
- There could be children they aren’t used to
Let's choose the most difficult thing to cope with to go into more detail.
What happens if your dog does not like visitors?
This can be the most difficult part of Christmas. What do you do if your dog is actively scared of people and you're having friends and family over?
It's actually a really important thing to acknowledge and speak out loud. If you recognise that there is a problem or that your dog is having vulnerable emotions then it may feel easier to start to advocate and address them.
These kinds of events can be made easier through:
- Providing a quiet space to retreat to
- Finding someone to look after your dog if they are not coping
- Explaining the rules to your guests
- Prioritising safety - especially where children and alcohol are concerned
If you truly believe that your dog is a safety risk, then it's really important you do not have them around visitors or people they don't know.
This isn't just to stop your dog from hurting someone, but to also keep your dog safe from people who don't know how to interact with them. One of the most dangerous things to your dog is someone who thinks they know how to interact with them but actually doesn't.
If in doubt, keeping your dog separate for a short period is less cruel than subjecting them to people or other environmental things that are going to stress them out.