Holiday Tips for a Well-Behaved Dog

As the holiday season approaches, a bit of advanced planning can go a long way to preventing your dog from devouring the turkey or other faux paws.

Here are a few suggestions to help you keep Pooch's manners under control during the holiday celebrations.

Kids and dogs should always be carefully supervised. Even if you have a child-friendly dog, visiting children might not know how to interact with your dog. Plus, your dog may not be as tolerant with kids outside your family. Watch for signs of canine stress, such as avoidance, hiding, freezing, or low growls.

Keep all trash securely out of your dog's reach-especially foods like bones, corn cobs, onions, grapes, and chocolate. We suggest lifting trash cans, securing them with lid or putting trash behind a closed door.

Crates and baby gates can be helpful in keeping pooch away from dangerous items or overwhelming social scenes.

Proper exercise and mental stimulation can go along way in shaping a well-mannered dog. So, don't skimp on the walks, playtime and long lasting chews.

Lastly, give your dog planned downtime away from the hustle and bustle. Brain breaks are a good idea even for the most social of dogs, who as the day wears on, may wear thin. A quiet room or crate with a long lasting chewie is the doggie equivalent of curling up with a good book to relax. And can be a much needed way to reboot and rest up.