By Dr. Laura Hady
We all get busier during the holidays, whether it’s going to events or hosting celebrations in our homes. To top it off, we may not be able to provide outdoor exercise as much for our pets. Unwanted behaviors such as barking, destroying areas of the house, and unfriendly conduct toward guests can all be noted in our furry friends. A trainer once told me that with abnormal pet behavior, you need to modify the behavior, and/or manage the situation. The following tips are a combination of the two to help improve holiday event outcomes.
- Exercising outdoors can be more difficult in colder weather and when there is not as much daylight. However, many pets are better behaved with regular exercise. Try using the garage or a designated space in the house instead. Consider setting up a weaving course for your dog by setting up a series of chairs set evenly apart, spaced longer than the length of the animal’s body. You can also use dog or child play tunnels that pets can go through to receive a treat when they emerge out the other end. Or, set aside an area to play hide-and-seek for food, and use food dispensing games to keep dogs moving and thinking. You can even ask a trainer, watch videos or have a pet physical rehabilitation professional teach your pet how to use a treadmill. While very few cats will tolerate a treadmill, a cat wheel can be a great exercise tool for them. Small bursts of exercise for 5-10 minutes, such as following you while dancing, can also be beneficial to their physical and mental health.
- Barking is a normal warning behavior to tell of an intruder or alert that something is wrong with the dog, such as an illness. For excessive barking, try to remove the inciting cause and/or close the curtains/blinds and put the dog in the quietest place in the house or in their dog crate, if they tolerate it. Giving a dog a treat or attention (except for saying their name and a quick no) while they are barking, can reinforce the behavior. I will ignore the behavior until they are quiet, and then I will give them attention and a treat. Distracting the pet from barking and redirecting their attention using a constructive exercise, such as a game, can also be beneficial. Keeping the training consistent within a family is key.
- Greeting guests can be tricky if your pet likes to jump, bark, or is weary of new people. Try giving guests treats to offer to your pets to help decrease everyone’s fears. Keeping your pet in a harness on a leash, or having them meet the guest in the living room or bedroom instead of at the front door may help to calm the arousal of a stranger. Some guests simply do not want to be around pets for a social event. In this case, put your pets in their “safe” place with games, music or the television on to occupy their attention. Perhaps hire a pet sitter for the evening so that everyone can enjoy the event.
- Holiday decorations such as ornamented Christmas trees and plants like poinsettias can seem like a treasure trove of play for your pet, but they should be put off limits. Keep plants like Christmas amaryllis, mistletoe, and poinsettias out of reach as they can be toxic if eaten. I will be the first to admit that my cats have climbed the Christmas tree, and my dogs have destroyed decorations. Try using motion sensor lights and decorations that play music to keep pets away from the tree. You can put a gate around the Christmas tree and keep decorations off the lower third of branches. Avoid tinsel in cat households as it can act like a string foreign body causing vomiting and weight loss. To keep my cats busy, I use Kitty Kurlz accordion magic, which is a cardboard toy with a hidden ball that they can scratch as they try to get the ball. Also, avoid putting wrapped food treats under the tree, as they can cause stomach upset in pets.
Not every unwanted pet behavior can be resolved in a day or a week, but starting on management techniques now can help pets and their people relax a little more through the holidays. Dr. Jeff Nichol, the only boarded veterinary behavior therapist in New Mexico, has several tips on his website. Please remember that a family veterinary exam and consultation may be the best first step in helping control the behavior of our pets.
