How to keep our pets safe and happy this Christmas 

Kya deLongchamps consults the professionals for advice on keeping our canines and cats content in the midst of a family festive season

Dogs and puppies are vulnerable at this heady time of year. File picture

Christmas is exciting; it should be exciting. However, the rise of frantic emotion, with spontaneous, loud and unusual happenings could prove stimulating to outright distressing for the family dog. 

Dog training specialist Olivia O’Gorman works with versatile gundogs and companion pets, with a particular passion for the hunt, point and retrieve breeds. 

Her approach focuses on clear communication, consistency and connection to build confident, cooperative partnerships between dogs and their handlers.

The problems, she says, start with the inevitable upset to what all dogs crave — routine. 

“The festive season is full of sparkle and excitement,” says Olivia. “For dogs, it can feel like the world has turned upside down overnight. Sudden changes to their environment, routine and noise levels can raise stress in subtle ways. Sticking to familiar walk and mealtime routines helps to anchor them when everything else shifts.”

Food is a particularly important area, and apart from affection and exercise, it is the central tenet of their whole existence. 

Watch what might be stolen or slipped to your dogs and cats over Christmas. It could kill them or at least make them very sick. File picture

The 40 million years of evolution have still left the wolf embedded way down in their soul. Resource guarding describes a dog’s instinct to ensure their food supply is safely under their control (even if it’s just dog nuts hitting the floor in a bowl). 

“During the festive rush, resource guarding can surface quickly,” says Olivia. “A dog might hold an item in their mouth, stand over it, or keep it close in their personal space. These aren’t naughty behaviours, they’re communication. Allowing dogs space to enjoy valued items or meals without interruption helps prevent conflict before it starts.”

The thing is, stress doesn’t necessarily show up as growling, snapping, barking or sulking — but things can go wrong quickly. 

Imagine guests with or without young, inexperienced and fizzy children just arriving with all their demands into your dog’s formerly quiet life, quite likely upsetting its feeding schedule and wandering through its safe spaces.

“Recognising stress early is key,” says Olivia. “Some dogs fight or flee, others freeze, and some show a flirt response, suddenly giddy, jumping up or zooming around. 

These are signs they’re not coping. Gentle, calm intervention can prevent things from escalating.”

If, against all the best advice, you’ve brought a puppy into the house as a present, or you just have a young dog about, they are extremely vulnerable during this heady time. 

“Puppies benefit from structured, low-pressure experiences,” says the trainer. “Avoiding overhandling, providing safe spaces, buffering sudden noises and supervising interactions all help prevent overwhelming moments from turning into lasting fears.

“Small adjustments can make a big difference. Leave doors open so dogs can move away if they choose. Create calm, secure spaces using barrier gates where they can relax undisturbed. White noise, calming music or dog-appeasing pheromones can help build a peaceful atmosphere. When the festivities reach their peak, that quiet, familiar space may be the best gift you give your dog this Christmas.”

We asked Olivia for her top six tips for making it through Christmas with a happy, healthy dog, whatever its age or situation.

How to keep dogs calm during the festive season

This advice from the Canine Connect team makes for a handy cheat sheet:

Stick to routines: Keep walks and mealtimes as consistent as possible to provide a sense of security.

Offer choice: Leave doors open so dogs can move away from busy spaces when they need a break.

Provide safe spaces: Use barrier gates to create calm, secure zones where dogs can relax undisturbed.

Respect possessions: Give dogs uninterrupted time with valued items or meals to reduce the risk of guarding behaviours.

Supervise and avoid overhandling: Manage interactions with children and guests to prevent overwhelm, especially for puppies.

Layer the environment: Use white noise, calming music, or dog-appeasing pheromones to create calm zones away from sudden festive sounds.

Children and pets

Dogs Trust Ireland emphasises that we should pay particular attention to children visiting the home at this or any time of year. 

Quite apart from upsetting the pet, even a small dog can do damage to a child if mishandled, cornered or stressed by young visitors. 

“If children are coming who aren’t used to being around dogs (or your dog isn’t used to children), have a chat with the family beforehand to make sure the children understand how to behave around dogs,” according to Dogs Trust.

“Encourage children to be calm and not approach the dog when the dog is eating or sleeping. And remember, never leave a child alone with a dog.”

You can find the Trust’s wider advice regarding keeping children safe around dogs at Dogstrust.ie/dog-advice.

Treats

You may know what’s not good for the dog or cat to eat over the festivities, but your guests and even visiting family may not. 

Leave up a list or patiently explain what’s not to be treated (possibly behind your back). Someone can easily slip a choking hazard or toxins down to a dog under the table.

• Grapes, raisins or sultanas might seem harmless, but can actually kill a dog.
• Chocolate and sweet decorations on the tree and in Advent calendars are easy pickings.
• Christmas pudding and mince pies are loaded with raisins, sultanas, sugar and potentially alcohol
• Rich fatty foods/fat trimmings like roasted meat, sausages, gravy or anything with cream in it can cause an upset tum.
• Beware cooked bones from Christmas meats — turkey legs or cooked ham bones can splinter or cause gastrointestinal issues. During the rest of the year, be very, very careful with both cooked and raw bones not intended for dogs or cats.
• Crisps or crackers — fatty and salty, these are not good for dogs at any time of year.
• Avocado — yes, I was surprised, but it will upset a dog’s stomach quite badly.
• Onion — think about the stuffing and side-dishes it might be in.
• Holly berries — these could be dangling around the house, and as the atmosphere dries them up, they can drop.
• Alcohol — often treated as a prank, we lost a dog to a lark by some friends many years ago. They let our Pomeranian lap some champagne while I was out of the room, and sadly, she did not recover (nor did the friendship).

Just keep in mind that although your dog or cat is a member of the family, they are not human beings, and the cheery explosion of a Christmas cracker can be enough to ruin their New Year, leaving a lasting emotional damage.

Let’s give them the gift of respect and care. You know, they deserve it.

Contacts

Canine Connecttarget="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> (Cork), Canineconnect.ie, email [e-mail], call 087-3884021; Dogs Trust Ireland, Dogstrust.ie