Dog Training Health & Fitness    www.SitK9Sit.com

Thanksgiving: a day to gather with friends and family while enjoying a satiating meal.  Turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and many other things that are incredibly palatable to humans are in abundance and purposely made easily accessible.  Unfortunately for the dog the thought of getting some savory tidbits is on the constant hope horizon even though some traditional Thanksgiving feast fixings are on the big danger list for a dog.

In addition to the food being out of the ordinary for a dog, friends, family, kids, handbags and the goodies that might be in them, or shoes left at the door are all matter for distress in the life of a dog.

Dogs do like routine.  With commotion comes a curiosity that is difficult to curb when you are a dog and don’t possess the ability to logic.  Your sister’s 3 year little girl who decided to give the dog a hug may sound like a sweet thing, but can end in tears.  Many dogs are not used to being hugged and the reaction can go from bad to worse depending on the exposure your dog has had to this type of activity.

Make it a practice to avoid leaving your dog unattended with children or food that is out as snacks or in the preparation process.  Don’t feel bad about giving your dog some space in a “room of their own” especially when guests are arriving.  The simple mistake of the door being left wide open while people, bags and exuberant greetings are being exchanged could be a disastrous situation for the safety of your dog.  

Even when your dog doesn’t normally make a dash for the door, the initial chaos can easily send your dog into an unusual spin.  No one wants to spend Thanksgiving Day with your friends and family engaged in a neighborhood search to find the lost dog.  Make sure your dog is wearing dog identification tags just in case of an accidental escape.

Dogs who are normally really well behaved can become nervous and jump up, whine, or bark.  A super friendly dog can appear to be shy out of confusion with all the over stimulation in what is normally a very routine environment.  Again a dog safe room or a crate or kennel is a good idea for the comfort of everyone, especially your dog.

There are few dogs who aren’t obsessed with food.  For this reason alone, be very attentive if your dog is out and about while food is out in any stage of the game.  Pre-dinner snacks, food preparation, during and after dinner are all opportunities to grab a little somethin’ for the dog.  Don’t leave your dog unattended and if its just too much again, give your dog a safety zone of a “den” or kennel, or a dog safe room of his own to chill out while the festivities that may be just too much to handle go on.

Giving your dog attention during the holiday is important as well and makes it much easier to work towards the safety measures when new people arrive or food is out and easily accessible.  One of the most important things you can do is take your dog out for an appropriate amount of exercise.  Amazingly enough it will be a great thing for you as well since even for humans, the stress of family, friends, cooking, and lack of normal routine can be wearing.

Feed your dog on the normal schedule and let your guests know it is off limits to give the dog a treat from the table.  There are some foods that are safe from the holiday feast for your dog, but better safe than sorry in educating your guests on what is safe and what is not.

A special Thanksgiving treat you can prepare for your dog that can also provide some self induced entertainment is a the Holiday Treat Kong!  Here’s the recipe:  Stuff a few pieces of your dog’s regular kibble, cubed pieces of turkey (with NO skin!), a couple of chopped up green beans, a few cubed pieces of sweet potato and dribble some gravy on it all and your dog will wagging with huge thanks.

As a special note turkey skin can be detrimental to your dogs health in that it can cause pancreatitis.  Make sure to keep turkey skin as an absolute no-no for the dog.

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving and do get outside and get some exercise for you and the dog.  Start a the New Year's fitness resolution now!

©Jt Clough and K9 Coach, Inc 2009   www.SitK9Sit.com     www.GoTrainYourDog.com