How to Safely Celebrate Thanksgiving With Your Dog
Thanksgiving is a time to gather, following social distance guidelines, with family, friends and enjoy good company and delicious food. While you don’t want to leave your dog out of the celebrations, it’s important to be mindful of the dangers that lurk in the fun festivities so you can keep your pup safe. Practice these safety tips to ensure your dog enjoys Thanksgiving as much as you!
Food Dangers
It’s hard to say no when your dog gives you that look while sitting next to you at the dining table. While it’s best to stick to feeding them their normal food and treats, you might feel inclined to indulge your dog in a few holiday dinner scraps. Healthy foods like sweet potatoes, green beans, turkey (no bones or fat), apples and pumpkin can be safe options to share in small portions. The list of unsafe and unhealthy foods is much longer make sure your dog avoids these foods:
- Turkey bones, skin and gravy
- Stuffing
- Creamed peas
- Onions, scallions, garlic
- Grapes and raisins
- Yeast dough
- Chocolate and sweets with xylitol
- Alcoholic beverages
As you’re prepping your turkey dinner, be sure to keep your dog out of the kitchen. Hot oven doors and boiling water can lead to unwanted injuries. And, make sure the trash lid is on tight so your dog doesn’t sneak a harmful snack!
House Guests
Hosting a socially-distanced Thanksgiving dinner? This means a lot more people, activity and noise in your home. While some dogs are happy to have visitors, others can be shy and nervous. Know your dog’s personality and have a plan to keep them and your guests comfortable. For dogs that get anxious, put them in a quiet space away from the crowd with their favorite toy. If your dog is the life of the party, be sure they don’t invade your guests’ personal space by jumping up or giving endless licks and kisses.
Also, have a designated area for your guests to put their bags and belongings out of reach of your curious dog. You don’t want them to get into any mischief or find something that might be hazardous to them while you’re not looking.
Traveling
Taking your dog with you on your holiday road trip? Make a list so you don’t forget any of their essentials while packing. You want to be sure you have enough supplies for the time you’re there, plus a little extra, just in case. Make sure you safely secure them in your vehicle while driving. Not sure what you need? Click here to learn how to make your dog car-ride ready.
If your dog didn’t make the dinner party invite list, bring them to Dogtopia for a safe and fun boarding stay. Under the watchful eyes of our certified Canine Coaches, your dog will enjoy hours of playtime and exercise with their BFFFs (best furry friends forever) in our clean and climate-controlled playrooms. No matter how far away you are, you can check in on them with our webcams through a desktop or mobile device. When you pick them up you’ll have a tired, but happy pup. Learn more about Dogtopia and find a Dogtopia daycare and boarding center near you.
