Read on for tips to keep your dog safe during your New Year’s Eve bash (Photo: dog wearing a party hat)
Are you hosting a party? Do you want to keep your dog safe during the party?
Of course you do!
No one wants their dog to eat a gummy and suffer through THC poisoning (AKA cannabis/marijuana intoxication.)
No one wants their dog to feel so afraid that her only option is to bite your friend (who cornered your dog to try to pet her.)
No one wants their dog to chew up their sister’s favourite boots — you will never hear the end of it AND your dog could need surgery to remove the pieces!!
Crate, place, or on a leash with you prevents undesirable behaviours. Period. (Photo: Golden Retriever with a brown dress shoe in his mouth
All dogs are different. Some dogs are nervous and don’t like people invading their personal space. Advocate for these back-of-the-pack dogs by:
-teaching your guests how to practice the correct way to greet dogs (no touch, no talk, no eye contact until your dog is calm and YOU say it’s okay for them to interact — and if your dog doesn’t want to interact, that’s fine. Advocate for their personal space.)
-placing your dog in her crate in a quiet room (be sure to fulfill all of her needs beforehand — structured exercise, so she’s ready to go into a resting and relaxing state
-placework — If you’ve been practicing placework with distractions (i.e. your dog has relaxed on place when you’ve had small gatherings of people, rowdy kids over to your home, and dinner parties,) you may decide to work on place during this party. If you’re working on place, you’re sober and in training mode (this doesn’t mean you can’t have fun — dog training is fun, remember?!) This mindset will make it easier for you and fair for your dog. You may need to use a leash, even if training without one is going well on an average day at home. There will be way more distractions tonight, so a leash is always a helpful tool.
*Remember: Place is a do not disturb zone. Drunk friends (or sober friends) are not allowed to lie down beside your pup on her cot. Period.
Place is your dog’s safe space to relax and be calm. (Photo: brown pitbull puppy sitting on a dog bed)
Sad because you’re going to be training instead of fully engaging with your guests? Look at it this way: Once your dog learns how to behave at parties (go to place and be calm when guests arrive; calmly lay around and be petted by guests; play with guests without jumping/mouthing/biting etc) your life and your dog’s life will be awesome. You’re doing this training to be kind to your dog. Your dog deserves to be taught how to live calmly alongside you and your friends and family.
Puppies and rescue dogs don’t come pre-programmed to know how to behave calmly in the human world. By adopting them, it becomes your job to teach them. It is a gift.
Advocate for your dog around people who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Keep your dog safe. (Photo: eight people doing cheers with fancy drinks)
A lot of bites happen when people have been drinking. Set your dog up for success if she is nervous or has a bite history — use the crate. Do not let anyone bother her when she’s in her crate.
If your dog is happy-go-lucky and attending the party, there’s still lots to do to keep her safe.
-make sure THC gummies are not left lying around
-don’t allow counter surfing tonight if you don’t want her to continue this in the future
-your rules are your rules — if you don’t allow jumping up, don’t make exceptions for anyone. “You may pet my dog when she is calm and has all four paws on the floor.” It’s okay to have rules. They keep your dog safe and prevent Great Aunt Mary from breaking a hip next time she visits because the dog now thinks jumping up on people is fair game.
To help you with your guest greetings, be sure to check out this post:
https://beyonddogtraining.ca/news/guest-greetings
Happy New Year, Dog Leaders!
Alyssa
Photos: Yvonne Assen @yvonneassen (dog wearing a party hat,) Upsplash Image (Golden Retriever with a brown dress shoe in his mouth,) Upsplash Image (brown pitbull puppy sitting on a dog bed,) Helena Yankovska @helenayankovska (eight people doing cheers with fancy drinks,)