Peace and Good Will? ‘tis the Season for Stress

It happens to all of us, both canine and human, during the holidays. The hubbub and pace of all that needs done affects the humans. What affects the humans, affects the animals in the household. Stress is infectious. Oh, not via the usual contraction methods. But infectious it is. It’s a pay it forward type of infectious. It can affect how you act and cause changes in the daily routine.

Dogs love routines. Routines convey security and comfort. Routines are often very upended during the holiday season, potentially causing confusion and uncertainty. The humans in the household often have shorter fuses and tighter schedules, leaving less time for fun and frolic. Fun and frolic with the canines is important to them.

On the other side of the coin, fun and frolic of the over-indulgent kind on the part of the humans, can cause even more stress on the canine household members. Hung-over pet parents are no fun! Your crew learns to lay low and wait for the storm to pass.

Then there are the added culinary temptations to deal with, many having dangers of their own. There are trees inside, another temptation, along with what lies beneath. Decorations around the house, adding to the ambience for the humans, are more temptations to resist. What is a canine to do!?

Even during the busy holiday season Bing and Tango take long walks everyday.

How can you help your crew at this time of year, to feel more normal and safe in their routine? Easy, with a few simple actions. Start with regular exercise and mental enrichment. Whatever your usual exercise routine is with your crew, do everything in your power to maintain it. I never miss a walk with my crew. I take them in the car somewhere every single day; rain, shine, sleet, snow, etc. They may only get out of the vehicle briefly in the worst weather, to sniff something different than they can sniff in their own yard, but they get out and that is the important part. A minimum outing is about a half an hour. This helps us all. Sanity returns.

Mealtimes are another important consideration. Try to stick with your usual routines for meals. Adding rich treats to their diet at this time may be what they want but minimize the unhealthy additions. Real food that is healthy for them is fine but do know what is and isn’t healthy for them before you indulge them.

The most important routine stabilizer is attention from the humans that they love. Be fully in the moment with them at least once a day. Don’t brush them off because you are short on time. Make a love connection. Notice when they need your attention even if you can only offer a moment or two. Truly connecting with your crew will help them handle the hustle and bustle of the holidays much easier than having to stay out of the way of grumpy humans. It can also change a grumpy human to a less grumpy human. Lower blood pressure is a happy result!

Feel free to share your dealing with the holidays with your crew. Please post your secrets below. And have a safe and happy holiday!