The holiday season is always the funnest times of year... right?!
Okay, so maybe sometimes the holidays can be a little stressful. Between coordinating family members, ensuring you have gifts for everyone, and cooking grandiose meals fit for a queen, your plate (pun intended) is full of potentially stressful tasks ahead.
But did you know that the holidays can be stressful for your dog too?
Especially for small breeds or nervous dogs, the busy holiday parties are full of unknown people and lots of fast moving feet.
So let's work together and make this holiday season a breeze for you and your dog with our Ultimate Holiday Pet Checklist!
this checklist will cover everything you need to have on hand for your pet, everything that will need to be done before and throughout the season, as well as help you establish a routine for your pup during this busy time.
What to Do BEFORE The Parties
In order to set your dog up for success, you'll start before you even leave your house for holiday parties or trips! These tasks need done to ensure that your pet is safe and secure during this season.
Some may seem far-fetched, but remember that holidays are busy and mistakes do happen. Better safe than sorry!
- Ensure your pet is microchipped and registered. Even the best behaved pets can get spooked by loud noises or run out the front door during an entrance. Any change in your pet's routine can cause unexpected behaviors, so it's best to have your pet microchipped and ensure their info is up to date, just in case.
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Work on training. As pet owners in our daily lives, our dogs are naturally used to our routine and our movements. At this stage, we usually don't need to engage in daily training sessions to have well-behaved dogs, but that can change with holidays.
Holidays, by definition, are a deviance from our usual routine. This can cause confusion, over-excitement, or nervousness in our dogs. By refreshing training skills like recalls, sits, and stays leading up to the holidays, you can help prepare you and your dog for when their training may actually be needed. -
Update Vaccinations, if needed. Often, holidays involve traveling to relative or friend's houses. And if you're anything like me, I always have my little pups in tow!
New environments always pose a potential threat of new diseases, so I always ensure that my dog's vaccines are up to date so I have peace of mind that they are protected as much as I can.
What To Do Bring with You
I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like my dog's travel bag is bigger than mine! Between their food, comfort items, and other essentials, there is a lot that I have to remember to grab.
So much so, that I made a list of everything you will need for a short trip to a nearby relative's home, as well as an extensive list for everything you'll need when you are far away from home!
For a Short Trip
Sometimes, our holiday "trips" are really just a day spent at a nearby relative's house. For many though, we don't want to leave our dogs at home for long periods, or leave them out of the festivities!
This is list is perfect for if you will be close enough to home for emergencies, but want to have the essentials on hand.
- Pet Carrier to carry your small dog when needed. carriers can also act as safe places for dogs to relax in when stressed.
- Leash your dog even they usually don't need it.
- Collar and/or Harness with ID tags to keep your pet secure.
- Treats in case you need to work on behaviors, or just as a reward for being good dogs.
- Distractions if your dog needs a time out or break from the party, a distracting chew toy is perfect for allowing them to calm down.
- Medications, if needed during the time you'll be there.
For a Long Trip:
For trips that are out of town, you'll want to ensure that you have everything you'll need for your dog in case of an emergency. These trips take a bit more planning, but it is worth it for the peace of mind knowing you have everything you need.
- Pet Carrier to carry your small dog when needed. carriers can also act as safe places for dogs to relax or sleep in when stressed.
- Leash your dog even they usually don't need it.
- Collar and/or Harness with ID tags to keep your pet secure.
- Treats in case you need to work on behaviors, or just as a reward for being good dogs.
- Distractions if your dog needs a time out or break, a distracting chew toy is perfect for allowing them to calm down.
- Medications
- Food and Water Bottles, enough for your trip plus 2-3 extra days in case of delays. you may also want to grab any "special food" that your dog loves incase they don't want to eat their usual kibble in a new environment.
- Clean up supplies like waste bags, pee pads, stain remover, towels, and shampoo wipes.
- Familiar comfort items like their favorite blanket or toys.
- Medical Records and a recent photo in case of emergencies.
PRO TIP: My dog doesn't always like to travel in her pet carrier because she'd rather walk and sniff, but I never leave without my pet bag. Not only will it come in handy later when her little legs get tired, but it holds everything I need to bring for my dog in a cute and convenient way!
It's kind of like my dog's suitcase and their ride.
How to Create a Holiday "Routine"
Dogs love routine. It keeps them calm to know what the next thing in their docket is, and they can keep track of these routines better than most of us give them credit for. When these routines are broken, dogs may be extra stressed, so it's important to set up a loose "holiday routine" for them.
- Begin by loosening up how strict your current routine is at home for a few weeks prior to a trip. Adjusting their feed time a few minutes to an hour back and forth in the comfort of their home can help your adapt to a new routine in new environments a little better.
- Adjust your home routine to match your trip routine. If you know that your dog currently eats at 5pm, but during your trip they likely won't eat until 6 or 7 pm, try to adjust that time leading up to the trip to match the trip routine.
- Create a safe space for your dog to retreat to away from the party. Make the carrier your dog's favorite place! I like to feed my dog special treats that I use just for the carrier. For the few weeks leading up to a long trip, I leave the carrier out and randomly throw small treats into it throughout the day. Sometimes I even feed my girls in their carriers to create a positive association with the space.
- Stand up for your dog. Family members are wonderful to have around, but many of us dislike when they try to change you or your dog's routine, food, or anything. Don't be afraid to set your dog's boundaries, especially with kids. When we advocate for our dogs, they know that they can trust us to create a safe environment for them.
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Give your dog regular breaks. It's easy to lose track of time when catching up with family and friends, or eating delicious meals. Be sure to set alarms or timers to regularly take your dog outside. This is not only for them to go potty, but to give them exercise and a break in fresh air.
Remember that your dog will still need regular mental and physical exercise to be on their best behavior!
Conclusion
With so many things to remember, be sure to save this post for future reference! If you follow our tips and lists, you'll sure to have a wonderful holiday season. And if you want to make a dog mom statement this year, be sure to check out our Chic Pet Bags!