Episode 77: Keeping Our Dogs Safe During the Holidays

Nicole interviews Melissa Farmer of Farmer Doodles to get her tips and tricks to keep your dogs safe and comfortable during the holiday season: whether you're taking them with you on a trip, staying at home, or having someone watch them while you're away.

The second half of this episode features Dr. Nate Ritter and Dr. Mikel Delgado, who discuss common holiday hazards for your pups. The holidays can be a bit hectic, so it's good to know what's hazardous for your dogs beforehand so you're able to prepare your home and educate your friends and family on basic safety measures to keep everyone safe. Listen to the episode to learn more about the dangers of decorations, holiday plants, human food, and more.

Transcript

Nicole Engelman [0:25] Hi, everyone, and welcome to the Good Dog Pod! Thank you so much for tuning in this week. I’m Nicole, your Breeder Community Lead here at Good Dog, and I’m so excited to be joined today by Melissa Farmer—an amazing member of our Good Breeder community. We’ll be discussing everything you need to know about prepping your dog for the holiday season. Later we’ll be joined by Good Dog’s Health and Standards team (Dr. Judi Stella, Dr. Mikel Delgado, and Dr. Nate Ritter) who will be sharing important information with us about common holiday hazards that your pet might encounter during the holiday season, and how to make sure we keep our dogs safe. For our listeners that are new here, I just want to say: welcome. We’re so happy to have you. Good Dog is on a mission to build a better world for our dogs and the people who love them by advocating for dog breeders, educating the public, and promoting canine health and responsible dog ownership. We’re a secure and free online community, created just for dog breeders. And we’re committed to empowering dog breeders with technology. If you aren’t yet a member of our community, we invite you to learn more about our mission and apply to join at gooddog.com/join. So, I will pass things over to Melissa to give a little bit of an introduction on herself, her background, and her breeding program.

Melissa Farmer [1:38] Thank you! So I’m Melissa Farmer and our breeding is Farmer Doodles. We breed Goldendoodle and also additionally we’ve recently started breeding Bernedoodles. I’ve been breeding for over 15 years. Additionally, I had met my first Goldendoodle—my best friend introduced me to my first Goldendoodle. Absolutely loved the breed! That’s how I got started. She mentored me and, currently, my children are now adults and so my oldest daughter has joined, and she is working with me and eventually I may retire one day, and she will continue. 

NE [2:27] Awesome! Just to dive right in and kick things off in the spirit of December: are there any holiday traditions that you share with your puppies, with your dogs—anything that you do every year with them that’s special?

MF [2:39] Yeah, I think like most families, we buy Christmas gifts for our pets. I would recommend that you be mindful about overindulgence in this area. Overindulgence and overstimulating them. I tend to look for quality over quantity. So I’m not just bombarding a bunch of cheap, potentially unsafe gifts and overstimulating them. We just like to pick out one or two really nice quality products for them for their Christmas gift.

NE [3:14] Are there any gifts in particular that you think are really great for puppies that you would recommend to the buyers for the holidays? 

MF [3:22] Yeah, the snuffle mat. That’s actually one of the things that we are now sending home with our puppies. I actually work with a group of students who are on the autism spectrum, so they’re making our snuffle mats for us that I’m including in our puppy bags now. So that’s a great item. You can put your little treat in. It keeps them busy. Puppies love it! Anything Kong. Nylabone. Those are my favorite toys. I pretty much stick to just those two products when I buy toys for my dogs and puppies. 

NE [3:56] Yeah, those are all amazing ones. I love snuffle mats! Just speaking from personal experience, a few members from the Good Dog team actually shared snuffle mats with me, and I am obsessed. I got one for my parents’ dog for the holidays. He’s a bit older. I think it’s given him such a new sense of life and zest, and it’s just so fun to watch them search for the little pieces of kibble. Those are awesome toys. I definitely agree. Do you have any recommendations on how puppy buyers—especially new puppy buyers—can create special memories with their puppies? Say it’s their first time celebrating the holidays together—anything they can do to really create something special together? 

MF [4:36] Families love to dress their pets. I have one guardian family that actually just sent me their Christmas picture. They all have their matching pajamas on, including their pups, in front of their tree! So, creating photo moments I think is a good way to capture those memories and those times, and then you can look back on your puppy when they were little. Even playing games with your puppy through the holidays as well is another good way of vibing during the holidays and creating some fun. 

NE [5:10] Definitely. On the topic of holiday costumes and pajamas for dogs, I know those can get a little bit iffy, especially if they’re too tight or they have little pieces on them that the dog could choke on, they can get too hot… What are some things that you look out for with those costumes? And what would you recommend to your buyers if they’re interested in any costumes or pajamas of that nature?

MF [5:33] Keep it simple. Avoid all of the balls that would be hanging off, or the glitter. Just do something very simple. Look for something lightweight. It doesn’t have to be tight, snug, making them overly hot. I know a lot of times you can get the boots for going outside in the snow. I think that’s appropriate, but you’ve got to keep an eye on those things, because they can chew them off easily. They could ingest those things. Put them on when they go outside, especially with the snow. It helps keep the snowball mats out of their coat. But remove those items. Make sure you’re checking and supervising. Don’t put them in their crate with their items on!

NE [6:17] That’s a huge one. I like the point you made previously about taking a photo in the holiday costume or sweater, and then maybe after the photo just taking it off. So the photo obviously lasts a lot longer, and it’s just nice to make sure we’re aware of our pets and aware of what we’re putting on them, so I think that sounds like a great solution. And then on the topic of holidays this year… I feel like people will be actually traveling this year to see loved ones, which is very exciting, or they have guests coming and going. While that is all really great, it can definitely be a little bit hectic for your dog, regardless of how old they are. So with your puppies, what kind of training and prep do you do with them to make sure that they don’t get too overwhelmed—not just during the holidays but in any situation where they’re exposed to new people coming into their home or they’re traveling?

MF [7:10] I would do it in small doses. So if you’re traveling with your pet, try to maintain a similar schedule that you would at home. Make sure that wherever you land, there is a quiet place where you can continue your crate training and give them their downtime and their frequent naps that most puppies need throughout the day. Try to keep that routine going as much as possible, even though you are introducing a lot of new things. That would be helpful. Be mindful of the number of people that you are introducing to your puppy at once. I actually recommend tethering the puppy to me. If I’m going to be out and about with several people, I’ll tether the puppy’s leash to me. This helps alleviate people from picking up your dog. That overhandling—it can be very inappropriate, and grabbing of puppies can cause stress, negative associations with people. Puppies can become irritable. Even older dogs not accustomed to crowds of family and friends can get that stress and cause diarrhea and loose stool and things like that. So keeping the puppy tethered to you. It’s also appropriate to tell people not to be picking up your puppy. I just make it a rule. No picking up the puppy. Let puppy come to you. Then you can pet or play with the puppy. Keep it short: 20-30 minutes is adequate for a puppy. They’re going to be ready for a nap shortly after that anyway. Remove them. Let them have their quiet time away from the party. 

NE [8:55] I think all that sounds great. I especially love the point you made about not being afraid to be assertive with your guests, even your own family members, and tell them, “Please don’t pick up the puppy. Please let the puppy come to you.” Also, I think the same can go for table food. I feel like sometimes it can be a little awkward and people might feel like they’re the bad guy for not letting people play with their puppy, but it really is important to make sure people take you seriously and really hear your needs, hear the puppy’s needs, because at the end of the day it’s all for the good of the puppy. I love that you mentioned that. People should not be afraid to be assertive. It doesn’t mean that you’re mean! You’re still letting them pet the puppy if the puppy wants to be near them, but definitely preventing the puppy from being grabbed or any of those other horrible things that make it feel like its space is being infringed on.

MF [9:45] Right, and that leash—even if you’re the type of person that has a hard time being verbally assertive and telling people no, that leash kind of does it for you. If the leash is on your puppy, you maintain that physical control. They can’t pick your puppy up. It’s tethered to you. Or you’re stepping on the leash. You don’t have to say anything. They just can’t do it. 

NE [10:12] Definitely. Just circling back to travel tips because people are traveling in a multitude of ways this holiday season. Do you have any specific tips for people that are traveling by cars, planes, or trains and that might be bringing their dogs with them? 

MF [10:25] The more comfortable your dog or puppy is with the crate, the easier this is going to be. If you have your crate set up in your car, make it comfortable. Put bedding in the crate because that will keep them from sliding around, and they’ll feel stable and secure. You can even put a cover on the crate as well. You don’t have to cover it all the way, but even covering it partially can help eliminate a lot of visual stimuli if there’s too much of that going on. I only feed, prior to getting in the car, half a meal. That way, if they’re going to get carsick, then they have something on their stomach but not a full meal is going to be on the stomach. If you’re traveling long-distance, you’re going to want to stop periodically. Let your pup have a break. Get them out. Have some water. Potty. Walk around. If it’s a new puppy, you’ll want to look for places where most people don’t take their dogs, just to help eliminate the potential spread of diseases or sick animals. 

NE [11:48] Awesome. I can definitely relate to carsickness. I get carsick myself, and I know how uncomfortable it can be. Actually our dog also gets really carsick, and we do the same thing. We feed him half of his breakfast before we head out. It seems to really do the trick, but I think those are all great tips: just overall making sure the puppy is comfortable, make sure you’re giving it a safe space, that you’re tending to its needs, taking breaks, all of that. It seems very important! Let’s say you’re on your way to grandma’s house for Christmas or New Year’s and you’re staying with family or friends where the dog necessarily hasn’t been before: how do you help the puppy settle into a new environment? Because I can imagine that might be a little scary or overwhelming. 

MF [12:34] I set up a space for them where they’re going to be taking up their naps. Take items from home that you can put in there as well to help. Like your blankets. They’re going to smell like home, so that’s going to be nice. Take a toy from home, so those are familiar things that are going with them. As long as your puppy is comfortable in their crate and you have that crate training part down, this part should be pretty easy because your puppy (as long as they’re in the crate) should feel that security and be comfortable where you put them. I recommend that when puppies go home with my families, when they do the crate training process, that they have a couple of different crates. One in different areas of the house. The travel crate is great because you can easily move it from location to location, so you’re already acclimating your puppy to sleeping in different rooms, different locations. That creates some flexibility with them.

NE [13:42] I think it is great to just make sure they have that safe feel and space, so regardless of where they are/what new environment they’re in, there’s that constant piece that feels like it’s moving with them. I think that’s great.

MF [13:54] When you arrive, you can do your introductions. Walk them around, introduce them to the new rooms or the new areas where they’re going to be. Take them outside to the yard, let them smell around.

NE [14:06] You’re essentially giving the puppy a house tour as soon as you get there. That’s really great. I love that! On the topic still of traveling, kind of the flipside: if you are traveling this holiday season, but you’re not planning to bring your puppy or your dog with you, what are the top things you would advise owners to look for when they’re finding someone to watch their puppy?

MF [14:30] Very good referrals for sure. A lot of your vets will have referrals that they can refer, but I would talk to the staff and see if they personally know these people, as opposed to someone coming in and just slapping down some brochures on the desk, but yet nobody really knows them. I would look for people that are recommended from people that you know and trust. If you have somebody come into your home, I would prefer it’s somebody that you actually know. I know there’s a very popular website out—Rover or those types of apps… You have to be cautious with those because you don’t know those people. My daughter actually used one one time, and it was not a good experience. You have to be very selective and vet people out, just like you would with daycare for your child. 

NE [15:35] Definitely. I would assume during this vetting process if, let’s say you found someone that seemed like a good candidate—would the next step be to then bring them to your home to meet your puppy and see how the puppy reacts to them? 

MF [15:48] I would have them definitely come in, meet. I would have them do it more than once, too. The more familiar your puppy is with the person, the more comfortable they’re going to be. I would set up some time when they’re coming in on more than one occasion and playing with the puppy. Have them take the puppy for a walk around your neighborhood. See how that goes. Then move into having them come in and either stay at your house (which would be preferable over doing visits). 

NE [16:23] Definitely. It’s great that I feel like the puppy, by doing all of that, would almost know the person when the time comes for you to actually go on your trip and do your traveling. It would feel kind of familiar to the puppy, which I guess is really great. 

MF [16:37] You should probably start something like that, even if you’re not necessarily planning a trip. Because something could come up, and you have to leave town! And maybe it’s an emergency situation. It would be nice if your puppy is already familiar with somebody, just in case. 

NE [16:57] That’s a really great point. I actually had never thought about it that way, but it’s true. Sometimes you just can’t know what life is going to throw at you and what’s going to come up. I think it’s great to just have that person—whoever that trusted person may be—on reserve and ready to go. I guess we would definitely recommend that people really start doing that, regardless of if you have travel plans in your future or not. I think that’s an awesome idea. And then the final topic that I wanted to talk about today with you is something that I think we see come up a lot around this time of year especially, and that’s people buying puppies as holiday gifts. Either they’re getting them for loved ones, or sometimes they’re even giving them as a “surprise” to someone else. What are some of the steps that you take as a breeder to make sure this isn’t an impulse purchase for that buyer? 

MF [17:47] We have an application, and we do our vetting process. If I know that it’s going to be a puppy that’s going to go home anywhere near that time of year… We do talk about Christmas/Christmas activities. If I have somebody contact me and say, “I want to buy a puppy as a surprise for my wife!” No. Let’s talk to wife. Let’s not make this be a surprise. Because you think your wife wants a puppy, but do you really necessarily know that your wife wants a puppy and is prepared to be that caregiver of that puppy? I definitely prefer no surprises. Or if they can tell me that we’ve already had these conversations, and they’re talking about how they’ve been preparing and they’ve been looking, and she’s expecting that we’re going to get a dog, I would be okay with that situation, if I’m comfortable that they did do this prep work already. We do not send puppies home on Christmas. I recommend that those puppies go home—if they’re not scheduled to go home a week or two prior to Christmas—that they wait until after Christmas, so families can just enjoy their holiday, and the puppies are not getting stressed by trying to acclimate to a home where everybody is being chaotic, opening gifts, and it’s stressful for the puppy. We recommend waiting. You can wrap dog items. You can have your kids unwrap pet supplies, things like that. Get them prepared. And then bring a puppy home in January, February, or March. 

NE [19:39] I love that as a compromise, because I think there’s this classic holiday image in people’s minds of the box with the puppy inside of it, and you rip it open, and there it is. But I don’t think it’s realistic. When you’re planning on bringing a puppy into your life, I think it has to be a decision that you’re making with whoever else is going to be involved in the puppy’s life as well. It doesn’t really make the best environment for a surprise, so I think it’s a great compromise. You can wrap up a dog toy under your tree and give it to whoever it is and say, “Let’s work together on this in the next few months and find a puppy that we both feel ready for.” I feel like that’s a really great compromise and way of looking at it. Awesome! Well, thank you very much for joining us and sharing all of that information about keeping dogs safe throughout the holidays. I think it was so helpful for first time puppy owners and also just veteran puppy owners who might need a refresher, especially as we are traveling this year for holidays again.

MF [20:41] Thank you! 

–

NE [20:45] Join us for our third annual Breeder Appreciation Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 15, at 7:30pm EST. Come together with your fellow dog breeders and the Good Dog team to celebrate all that we’ve accomplished this year together and close out 2021 on a celebratory note. Plus, when you register using the link in the show notes, you’ll be entered to win over $10,000 in prizes, including a Jonart whelping box. We can’t wait to see you there and celebrate together!

–

Mikel Delgado [21:15] Hey, everybody! Thanks for joining us today. I am Dr. Mikel Delgado here from Good Dog’s Health Standards and Research team. I’m here with Dr. Nate Ritter, our resident veterinarian. Today we’re going to be talking about some common holiday hazards to keep in mind as you celebrate with your dogs this holiday season. Let’s start with perhaps the one we see the most. A lot of us are decorating for the holidays. You might have a Christmas tree. You might have some other decorations: candles, plants. Dr. Ritter, let’s start with talking about some things people should be aware of when they’re decorating for the holidays. What should people be thinking about, especially with the Christmas tree? Where could things go awry?

Nate Ritter [21:59] That’s a great question. The tree itself—they can be large. They can be dangerous and not stable, so we need to be really careful of those trees possibly falling over with our dogs. If they’re interested in the ornaments or interested in the tree in general, if they get too close and knock that over, that can result in injuries, so that’s something that we definitely want to be cognizant of. Additionally, the water trays that these trays are often in to keep them alive—we want to make sure the dogs aren’t ingesting that, especially if we’re using additives or anything like that in the water. Very important to keep them clear of that. Finally, not the tree itself, but like you mentioned, the ornaments. You need to be careful with those. A lot of us have ornate, nice ornaments that can fall off and unfortunately cause injury. If they’re ingested, that can cause issues as well. Those are definitely some things to think about when discussing the tree in particular.

MD [22:50] Let’s start with the tree water. Like you mentioned, dogs might try to drink the water that you’re using to keep your tree alive, if you have a live tree. One thing is, of course, making sure your dog has other sources of water that they like drinking from, but we can cover that source of water, possibly. I know some of the bases of trees have a covered/enclosed watering thing. Or maybe, given everything you’re talking about, people should consider: how can I keep the dog away from the tree in general? Which is tough! You set up the tree, and you want to enjoy it. You don’t want to close it off in a room where people can’t look at it. Would an X-pen or something similar be effective? Is that a solution for keeping your dog away from the base of the tree?

NR [23:34] Yeah, definitely. Like you mentioned, a great point that you can cover that. If you aren’t going to cover it, try to refrain from using additives in that water. But, yes, a barrier to keep them away from not only the tree—I know we’ll get into it as well with gifts and what have you, but that can definitely be an effective way. I know it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing solution, but I guarantee you’d much rather have that gate up than have a problem that you’re dealing with around the holidays.

MD [23:57] Maybe being selective about the ornaments you put on the tree. I think a lot of ornaments are glass breakables. Not only do you not want to hurt their paws, but maybe you don’t want your very nice ornaments to be broken. Maybe putting those ornaments out of the dog’s reach, not at the bottom of the tree. And securing your tree, right? You mentioned the tree falling over. I typically recommend that people use something to secure the tree to a wall so it’s nice at risk of falling over. I guess you have to know your dog, too. You don’t want to take any risks, certainly with ingesting things, but if you have a more mellow dog or a smaller dog, maybe less likely to knock the tree over?

NR [24:35] Definitely. In your individual circumstances, you know your pets best. If anything that we’re even talking about makes you nervous, that’s worth looking into. Depending on the breed or the size or the temperament, there’s a lot of different things that you can do for the holidays in terms of handling this. Just try to cover it broadly and generally. It’s not the easiest thing to address, but take it into consideration with your specific animal.

MD [24:58] I know that there are covers you can get for extension cords and other electrical cords that will deter your pet from chewing on them. We certainly don’t want any dogs being electrocuted from chewing through string lights or anything like that. I know we sound kind of fatalist here. “Oh it’s so dangerous!” But it’s really just about keeping things in mind. Like you said, knowing your dog and using caution when warranted. But there are things you can put over cords that will prevent them from chewing. You also don’t want them to get tangled in these things. But let’s talk about ingestion of things like tinsel or ribbon or even small objects. Like a piece of an ornament could be a problem. As a veterinarian, is that something that you would see in a lot of dogs?

NR [25:39] What we’re discussing is linear foreign bodies, more so in cats is always what comes to mind, but of course it happens in dogs as well. You want to be conscientious of that, selecting decorations/ornaments carefully and appropriately and then keeping them out of reach and what have you. But some of the signs that you may appreciate, unfortunately, if anything like that were to happen: the inability to keep food or water down. It’s not necessarily just vomiting, it’s regurgitation. A lot of people combine the two and use them interchangeably. That’s not the case. When we’re thinking of those two, regurgitation doesn’t involve the musculature in the abdomen, that whole-body heaving. It’s oftentimes very sudden. You appreciate that more with obstruction because the food or water isn’t necessarily able to get down. If you’re appreciating things like that, definitely let your veterinarian know. 

MD [26:29] Do you ever see tinsel in the poop? Is that something people should be worried about? Or ribbons from a gift? If your dog is going to eat them, sometimes it does kind of make its way through but maybe not all the way out? What should you do?

NR [26:44] That’s a great point. Not everything will necessarily cause an obstruction. Based on the material or the shape or what have you, some of these things will be either digested or passed through, luckily. If you do notice something missing or if you don’t, it’s not the most pleasant thing but taking pictures is always helpful. I have plenty of people, around the holidays, coming in with images of stool to show us. It is helpful. If you have any concerns, take that. But if it does seem like some of the decorations that you’ve had, keep that in mind. Luckily that portion passed. You want to make sure all of it is passed. Make sure nothing else remains. That’s just keeping an eye out for clinical signs.

MD [27:21] Great! Another thing that people might not think about is just the hazards caused by fireplaces operating or having candles around the house. I personally would not feel comfortable with a lot of burning candles around. Maybe just, again, being aware of what your dog is doing, what you’re doing. We don’t want any dogs getting burned or causing a house fire during the holidays—not great. Just be aware. What about fireplaces? Should people just make sure they have a grate in front of it or is there something else they need to be aware of?

NR [27:51] A screen—definitely in front of that. As we’ve discussed before, just bringing it back, know your dog! If they’re a little more curious, a little more of a troublemaker, the holidays can be chaotic with a lot of different people, a lot of moving around, not always paying attention to the animal. Better safe than sorry is how I always feel with some of these things. Having a screen up in front and ensuring they can’t get into trouble would be wise. 

MD [28:13] We hear a lot about plants that are dangerous to pets. Are there any holiday plants that we need to be aware of? What should people be worried about? Are these things that are deadly or is it just not great if your dog ingests it because they might get an upset stomach? 

NR [28:25] It’s a really good question! The ASPCA actually has a fantastic list of toxic plants for dogs. I would recommend that everyone peruse that, especially around the holiday, bringing new plants into the home. It’s also just helpful in general, to be honest, with all the houseplants you have. Once again, I think of this more with cats than with dogs, but know your dog. If their tendency is to chew on plants and ingest it, keep an eye out. But holiday-specific ones, people will think of poinsettia, mistletoe—those are both unfortunately toxic for dogs. Poinsettias a little less so; those cause irritation in the mouth and irritation in the stomach and can cause some vomiting. The mistletoe—vomiting, diarrhea, and unfortunately it can cause some difficulty breathing. It can cause lower heart rate. There’s an extensive heart rate. So there’s an extensive list. I don’t know what people have in their home, but I definitely recommend going over that list and ensuring that you don’t have anything in the house, if your animal has a tendency to go after those kinds of things. 

MD [29:17] So mistletoe! Hang it up high if you’re going to be trying to kiss anybody, but don’t let your dog access it. That’s the moral of the story. Not that it’ll be necessarily deadly but it’ll certainly cause some problems. On a related note, we’re talking about dogs eating things that they shouldn’t, it seems like a lot of dogs do like to eat things that we don’t want them to eat. So we’ve got a lot of potential for begging, for table scraps. We’re having these big meals with family or friends. Certainly we know chocolate is a problem. We know raisins are a problem. Those can be in a lot of holiday cakes that people might be making or buying or having around. Let’s talk about chocolate and raisins, because those seem to cause some issues. Have you had any personal experiences with these as a veterinarian or a dog owner? Let’s talk about chocolate!

NR [30:08] I’ll start with the chocolate. Unfortunately, growing up, one Christmas we had chocolate wrapped (still in its packaging) underneath the tree. My miniature Dachshund did manage, unfortunately, to get into that and it was multiple pounds of dark chocolate. We had, fortunately, the ASPCA Poison Control line on hand. We were also able to speak to our veterinarian and were able (fortunately!) to handle it at home. Regarding chocolate, it’s something where there are a variety of different kinds. It is dependent on that. The darkest baker’s chocolate or heavy dark chocolate—more dangerous than the milks and white chocolates. There are calculators online that can be very helpful. If anything like that were to happen, you can enter the amount that was ingested, depending on your dog’s weight, to see what kind of signs you can expect. If you’re concerned, have your veterinarian’s phone number handy. Obviously around the holidays they may not necessarily be open in a general practice, but there are 24/7 emergency facilities that you can get the numbers of as well if you need to call. Or, once again, like we mentioned, the Poison Control line. There are a variety of different signs that may be seen. You can handle some of them at home, fortunately. But they’ll let you know if anything more severe needs to be handled. Regarding the raisins, they are a little bit trickier. Unfortunately, not necessarily dependent on amount or dog size, we haven’t been able to necessarily discover why raisins cause this kidney failure but it can be as much as one raisin for a really big dog; it can cause that to occur, unfortunately. And then you can have a small little guy that can ingest a bunch of them and not have any problems. Just one raisin, unfortunately, is enough to warrant treatment. Definitely be very, very cautious with those. 

MD [31:46] Good to know! Just for everybody listening, if you need the ASPCA Poison Control hotline, let’s give them the number: it’s 888-426-4435. Once again, that’s 888-426-4435. Have that number handy, just in case you’ve got a curious dog eating something they shouldn’t. What can people expect when they call the Poison Control hotline that the ASPCA does? 

NR [32:13] It’s a fantastic service. What will happen is you’ll be hooked up with a toxicologist who will instruct you on what may be necessary based on what was ingested. The nice thing about this service is that a case number will be given to you, so if it is recommended that you go after further treatment with your veterinarian, they can then reference that case number and call in. I’ve had plenty of cases where I have been able to call and work with the toxicologist as I’m treating in the clinic. Definitely very helpful. There may be a cost associated, so keep that in mind, but of course that’s something that we would all willingly, definitely pay in order to make sure our guys are taken care of. 

MD [32:52] In general, I think just keep an eye on your dog and make sure you don’t leave chocolate and raisins laying around where they can access them! Stick to the dog food, the dog treats, and some of the human foods that we know are safe like unseasoned veggies and that sort of thing. There’s certainly lots of information online about what treats are safe, but the safest thing to do is feed your dog dog treats and dog food and just keep them out of the chocolate.

NR [33:19] Have that conversation with everyone that comes. I know it’s not the most comfortable when you have family members. I’ve certainly, unfortunately, scolded my fair share. My dog’s got a particularly sensitive stomach, so I’m well aware of the repercussions and what I may end up dealing with later. Have that discussion ahead of time, especially if you have younger children that are coming and may not know any better. Have that discussion and let them know what may be appropriate to give. Like you mentioned, you can have some things set aside that you can give them that they will still enjoy. I’m sure we’ll get into it with table scraps and what have you, but definitely a conversation worth having at the beginning of the evening. 

MD [33:52] Sometimes it’s hard to resist those cute, begging dog faces! 

NR [33:59] It is.

MD [33:59] Probably the last thing we can touch on is just stresses around the holiday. We talked a lot about chocolate and raisins as potential hazards. I think sometimes people don’t think about table scraps and what the impact can be of feeding fatty food to your dogs or things that they’re not used to eating. Do you have any thoughts on what we should be doing about table scraps or what the possible harms are of feeding too many table scraps?

NR [34:22] Just quickly one more point with the food: something that comes up with the table scraps. As much as we say to have that conversation and to only offer dog food and treats, we all know other things do take place. Something that comes along, especially with the holidays, is something called pancreatitis. Definitely something I wanted to touch on. It’s important. The pancreas is a digestive organ that releases enzymes into the intestine that helps with digestion. What happens with pancreatitis is inflammation of that pancreas. So these enzymes get released prematurely while still in the pancreas, rather than in the intestine. It causes inflammation. It’s very uncomfortable for these guys. There’s no size/breed predisposition. It can happen to any of these guys. You want to be careful, particularly with the fatty foods. Anything novel or new can cause it, but we want to be particularly careful with the fatty foods. Things you might see if that were to occur: it’s a very, very painful condition so the animals are restless and uncomfortable. You might see something called a bowing pose, where the head and the arms are outstretched and down and the rear end is raised. It’s trying to alleviate some of that discomfort. There are different ways that this can present, from mild to severe, but a lot of the treatment revolves around making that animal comfortable. You might appreciate vomiting as well with that. 

MD [35:39] We’ve talked a lot about the environmental hazards, from things around the tree and decoration and we talked about food, but sometimes people forget that the holiday season can just be kind of stressful for our pets. We’ve got a lot of visitors coming and going. Maybe you’re traveling and you’re bringing your dog with you to stay with other people. Some dogs probably enjoy the hustle and bustle. They maybe really like having a lot of people come over, but we know (of course) some dogs hear the doorbell ringing and they start barking. They get stressed out. Maybe they’re not so comfortable with visitors. So we wanted to end this holiday problems or concerns episode by touching briefly on things that might be stressing out your dog and how to help. I think the main thing is knowing your dog. We talked a lot about knowing what they’re comfortable with and, of course, you know your dog better than anyone else. Being aware of signs of stress in your dog: that can be something as trivial as they seem a little different, maybe less engaged. Or it could be something more visible, like they’re shaking in fear or hiding or trying to get away. Is this something people should talk about with their veterinarian? 

NR [36:46] It’s definitely something you want to discuss before the event occurs. We have so many people the day before/the day of. “Oh, now I need this right now!” So, coming up with a plan around these different holidays is really important. Knowing your pet, like you discussed, and talking with your veterinarian if you need to engage their specialists/trainers/behaviorists. It may involve medication. There are a lot of different routes to take, depending on your animal and your situation. But it’s definitely something to think about beforehand. Of course, sometimes we don’t appreciate it—maybe the first holiday with the animal or the first holiday under a particular stressor with that animal. You live and you learn, and you take it from there. But definitely having that plan in place previously is important. I practiced in Manhattan. Around the holidays, we had a lot of travel. I’m a USDA certified veterinarian, so we had a lot of international travel as well. Depending on what country you may be going to, a lot of things need to be put in place prior to that trip. You mentioned you want to make sure the animal is comfortable with whatever travel method you may choose: car, flight, what have you. And then preparing the home that they may be going to or that they’re in, who else they may be interacting with, whether it be a lot of family members or other animals they may be presented to. Definitely want to work with your veterinarian to ensure. As we’ve said before, you know your animals best. You know what they may or may not need. The holidays may be great for some of these guys. They may be really excited about all of that. Some of you listening, I’m sure, are thinking the opposite, so making sure you have everything together and prepared is the best way to go.

MD [38:15] I think some things to keep in mind, too, are providing a routine for your dog. Dogs like to have things happen around the same time, so make sure you’re not lapsing on their daily walks or exercise. That’s going to have stress-reducing properties too. We definitely want to make sure they’re getting that same structure in their day, so they know when to predict things. You can sometimes manage by letting your visitors know if your dog likes to be approached or how they like to be handled or to give them their space if they need it. Some dogs might need a safe room or to be sequestered away from a lot of the activity. Certainly, depending on the dog and who’s coming over and their dog experience. If your dog is crate trained, that can be an option. But you don’t want to keep your dog in a crate all day just because you have visitors. It might be a case where they’re better off in a room or just kind of having the control and ability to step away if they need to. If you are traveling, make sure you’re bringing their favorite things with them so that they have those familiar smells and toys and things that keep them happy. The other thing that happens during the holidays is just that it’s getting cold. That probably causes some stress for some dogs. It can change their routine. Some people do like to put clothing on their dogs. Does your dog like to wear a jacket when he goes outside? 

NR [39:31] My guy does okay in the cold. He much prefers it to the heat. As I mentioned, I grew up with the mini Dachshunds. They got cold very quickly, so they have a wide array of clothing and outfits that we certainly put on when it gets cold outside. 

MD [39:44] Yeah, they’ve still got to go outside to go to the bathroom most of the time. Just being sure: does your dog need snow booties? Does your dog need protection from the rain or snow? But also being aware that some dogs don’t like wearing clothing, so they don’t necessarily want to wear a sweater inside the house, even if they need to wear a jacket outside. Maybe provide them with a microwaveable heating pad or bed that will keep them warm if you’re concerned about that. I think it’s a great point: working with a veterinary professional or a behaviorist if your dog is having difficulty coping. Obviously, again, planning ahead: you’re probably not going to be able to get a trainer to come help your dog cope with visitors the day before the visitors are coming. But if your dog doesn’t have a great holiday season this year, you can start planning ahead for next year. In the meantime, like I said, give your dog routine and play and safety. It’s probably the best thing you can do if things are not going perfectly. 

NR [40:36] Totally agree.

MD [40:37] Great! Thanks, Nate, and thank you everyone for listening. We hope this has been helpful. Of course, if you have questions, you can always reach out to our breeder team at gooddog.com. We’re happy to answer questions. We hope you all have a great holiday season, that it’s safe and fun for you and your dogs, and we’ll see you all in the new year.