Our dogs are family. We include them in our activities, celebrate their birthdays and love spending time with them over the holidays. The Christmas season is about surrounding yourself with loved ones and making memories. It is easy to get caught up in the commercialism and go overboard on gifts. Although I know all dogs love getting some extra treats and toys, I am sure their gift list would include more than just that! This holiday season, give the gift of yourself to your dog. The below items outline some ideas that your dog will love and ones that won’t break the bank!
Spend time with them This one seems like an obvious one, but lives are busy now and it is easy to put the dog’s needs to the side while we get caught up in the busyness. This is especially true during the holiday season. If your dog could ask for only one thing, it would be that you spend more time with them. Not a walk while you look at your phone, or a visit to the dog park while you visit with other dog owners, but time interacting with them.
When you are intentional about spending time with your dog, you play with them, show more affection and focus entirely on them. Take them out to new places and go slow. Let them explore, enjoy watching how they take in the world around them and interact with them. Their time with us is so short, so make an active effort to regularly spend quality time with your dog.
Train them At dogma, all of our training programs are designed to teach your dog how to be successful in our human world. This includes basic manners, socialization and obedience skills. We focus on these areas for companion dogs to ensure they can be ideal urbanK9s; confident and well-mannered dogs that can go anywhere with us. Our training programs are unique in this approach as we understand that dogs are part of the family, so we ensure they integrate well and are comfortable. Although it is nice to have a dog that can do a very long stay and doesn’t leave your side, we do not think this is fair to our dogs. We want them to be able to explore and enjoy life, so training should be designed to let them do this while keeping them safe and ensuring they are model canine citizens.
Training is what prevents/resolves behaviour problems, keeps dogs safe and allows our dogs to be included in more of our daily activities. Do not just expect your dog to behave and do not get frustrated when they misbehave. Training is our responsibility and we must take the time to do so. It allows your dog to better understand what is expected of them and leads to a life where they are not feeling stressed/frustrated as they try to figure out what we want. We are nicer and more fair to our dogs when they are trained, but we must get out and train. If you have frustrations with your dog, contact a trainer today. And ensure you are always using reward-based methods. Punishing a dog for incorrect responses and inappropriate behaviour is unfair. It just demonstrates that you have not taught them what to do, not that they are defiant, dominant or disobedient. Your dog wants to understand how to behave correctly, so the best gift you could give them is to spend the time training and doing so by teaching them through reward-based methods.
Look at things from their perspective One of the most powerful tools we offer at dogma is helping dog owners look at things from their dog’s perspective. Too often we get caught up in just looking at how things affect us or make assumptions based on human behaviour. I urge you to step back and look at things from how your dog may perceive them. By taking the time to do this, you will gain a better understanding of your dog, improve your communication and be more successful in your training. All of this will lead to a stronger bond and relationship.
To do this, I also recommend that you take the time to learn more about canine communication and learning. This simple step will help you ensure your dog successfully integrates into our human world and will minimize stress and frustrations for you both.
Gifts It is the season of giving, so I do encourage you to spoil your dog at Christmas and include them in the festivities. Remember that there are many dangers, so ensure food, treats and plants are out of reach. Introduce them slowly to decorations and pair them with food to ensure they view them as a positive thing. Keep your dog well-exercised and stock up on chew bones/interactive toys to give them quiet time if there is a lot of extra activity in the house. For gifts, give them items such as interactive games, toys or new chews to provide them something for additional mental stimulation as well.
We love our dogs, so focus on their needs and wishes this holiday season. Show them that you care and make that extra bit of effort to spend quality time with them. Snuggle up against them and listen to their heartbeat and feel how your breathing will sync up. Cherish this time. Dogs don’t need mistletoe to give kisses, so appreciate each moment and have a wonderful time over the holidays!
