Christmas is busy. Your dog doesn’t have to be.
Visitors, doorbells, new smells, late nights and a routine turned upside down. For a reactive or anxious dog, the festive season can be a lot. The good news: a bit of structure now makes Christmas calmer for everyone.
- 1Start building structure now, not on Christmas Eve
- 2Place training and settle practice give your dog a job: relax here
- 3Crate training and tethering sessions add structure and challenge their skills
- 4Your dog doesn’t have to say hello to everyone
- 5Anyone who does interact must respect your dog’s space and boundaries
Build structure now
These four skills give your dog somewhere to be and something to do when the house gets busy. They also challenge your dog’s skills in a calm way and build more structure into everyday life.
Place training
Teach your dog to go to their bed or mat and stay there until released. It becomes their safe, familiar spot wherever you are.
Practise settling
Calm is a skill. Reward your dog for lying down and relaxing, not just for doing tricks. The more you practise, the easier it gets.
Crate training
A well-introduced crate is a den, not a punishment. Build it up slowly with chews and calm, so it’s somewhere they choose to rest.
Tethering sessions
Short, supervised sessions on a lead attached to something secure, with a chew or a mat. It teaches them to settle even when they can’t follow you around.
Your dog doesn’t have to say hello to everyone
It’s completely fine for your dog to sit Christmas out on their mat. The people who do interact with your dog need to respect their space and boundaries.
Do
- Ignore the dog when you arrive
- Let the dog choose to come to you
- Keep hands low and turn side-on
- Ask the owner before giving any food
Not yet
- Leaning over or hugging
- Reaching for their head
- Following a dog who walks away
- Kids chasing or crowding them
A calm Christmas Day plan
A sniffy walk first
A calm, sniffy walk before guests arrive takes the edge off.
A safe space
A quiet room or crate away from the busy bits, with a chew or lick mat.
Decompress
A quiet day after. Sniffing, short walks, sleep. Let them reset.
What would you do?
1. Your aunt arrives and goes straight to stroke your dog, who is backing away. Do you…
2. The house is getting loud and your dog is pacing. Do you…
3. When should you start practising place training?
Want a calm plan for your home this Christmas?
In a Relationship Reset home visit, I’ll help you set up place training, settle practice and a visitor plan that fits your dog and your home.
Book a Relationship Reset →Going away this Christmas? See my in-home dog sitting →
