Keeping Your Dog Safe During the Holidays

Sit Mean Sit of Waukesha offers personal dog obedience classes to address any exceptional behavior problems in dogs, as well as group obedience classes.
There are many hazards for your dogs during the Holidays. This week’s blog will go over some of these and how you can keep your dog safe.
With all the Holiday lights being hung, many cords end up being within reach of a curious dog. Especially puppies have the chew impulse and if they chew on a live electric cord, they can be electrocuted. Watch your puppies and chewing-prone older dogs around the cords.

Christmas trees can be hazardous to dogs for several reasons, besides the cord danger discussed above. Bulbs commonly fall off of trees and some dogs could swallow bulbs whole, or chew them up leading to an intestinal impaction. If the bulb is glass, further damage to the intestines and mouth could take place. Tinsel too can be a danger to your dog. The long silvery strings can choke a dog and cause suffocation.

Another danger is poisonous plants. Both Poinsettias and Mistletoe are toxic plants and need to be kept well away from dogs and cats. Another edible is chocolate. Everyone loves Holiday chocolate, even dogs! But chocolate contains theobromine. Dogs metabolize this slowly and so it builds up to a toxic level. If your dog has eaten just a small amount of chocolate, it will likely have just an upset stomach, but if it has eaten a large amount is it advised that you seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Call us for any behavior problem you may be having with your dog, and we’ll be glad to help.