Doggone Etiquette —

Just Watch

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

Tonight’s the night when all good dogs must stop howling before midnight (yes, including Christmas carols) and at least pretend to be asleep while strange events take place. Just watch in silence as all those mysterious packages tied up in ribbon and bows are piled up under the tree.

If it’s one of your very special people doing it, just watch. And if it’s a stranger spreading out all these goodies, you’d better just watch or you might not get the one that’s meant for you! Not one single bark, grumble or “grrrrr” should come out of you. Put your paws over your eyes so they’ll know you aren’t looking. Well, they might not notice if you peek occasionally to satisfy the watch-dog in you. Oh, and no sniffing — the person, or the presents! Mind your manners!

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

A lot of things we do are incomprehensible to dogs, and a Christmas tree must be one of them. Why would we suddenly bring a whole tree indoors, and then hang lights and ornaments on it! Okay, so now you had better “just watch” it to make sure your Rufus doesn’t think the tree is for his personal use and lift a leg on it. An older dog may accept the whole holiday as more people nonsense, but regardless of his age, be sure your dog does not try to strip the tree of any decorations. The kids will no doubt have their attention on other things, but it won’t hurt to remind them of the possible dangers to their dog.

When putting presents under the tree, or trimming it, be aware of your dog’s reactions. He may lie quietly at a distance, staring at the goings-on. It is completely natural for any dog to be inquisitive about these activities, and there’s no need for punishment. However, if he gets too nosey, excited, or upset, put him in another room with a chew toy he can vent his anxiety on, or any special toy that will occupy his mind and mouth.            

The same “rules of prevention” hold true as all the gifts are opened. Keep a watchful eye on the bits of paper, ribbons, tags — as well as that pair of ski gloves from Grandpa which Rufus might decide to claim as his very own. With all this excitement and confusion, Rufus will still need his normal exercise, be it a walk or playtime. A few new toys, “For Rufus” under the tree could be one way to use up some energy.

At dinnertime, your dear dog who has been so good all day, may decide to join you and partake of all that fabulous-smelling food! Forget it! Give him his own special Christmas dinner, in his own normal dining area. He just might follow it with a nice nap, but if not, out-of-sight confinement is kinder for the dog than constant correction at the dinner table. However, you could look at it from his point of view when it comes to clearing the table and loading the dishwasher! Those bits and pieces left on some of the plates are not leftovers to put in the fridge.   

One more “just watch” — watch out for turkey bones or anything on those plates that would upset Rufus’ tummy or catch in his throat. Think of them as after-dinner treats for a dog that is always so good.                   

Enjoy the holidays! Enjoy sharing them with your dog!

Until next time – MERRY CHRISTMAS!

  -Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.