Ten tips to keep your dog and home, and Christmas tree safe this Christmas

Very Close to Christmas now, and most all or all will have their Christmas tree and decorations up; it's always an excitable time for our home with three children and a hyper dog!

I found from experience that dogs and indoor trees of any kind but those with wires and light are a disaster waiting to happen.

I've found some potential hazards waiting to happen and some that already have, so I wanted to give tips to prevent any mishaps for others over the Christmas period.

Christmas decorations can be mistaken for dog toys and can become a dog's desire to get something off the tree you have spent hours putting up! So I have come up with ten tips to help keep your Christmas as mess-free as possible.

Fix the tree properly

Christmas tree falling over is a big one; if your dog is excitable and curious to explore on the other side of the tree, your tree could fall over without the proper support; this could cause injury and mess, so best to get it fixed properly.

Ensure your tree stand is the correct size for your Christmas tree and will hold your tree steady. To ensure fixed, you could tie it to the wall; however probably not great to damage walls, so maybe add something heavy around the tree to give extra support then but tinsel around to hide.

Elevate to keep out of tail shot 

Keep your tree out of reach by elevating it off the ground. Not only will this keep curious paws and happy wagging tails off the tree, but it will also avoid any potential toileting issues.

Pop your tree on a secure table. You will get more presents under and around the tree too, so extra bags from Santa claus is a good idea!

Buy an Artificial tree to Re-use.

You can't beat a real tree, except when the needles drop off before Christmas day but are something extraordinary about a real tree, the smell alone! However, an Artificial tree could be a good option and safer for your dog. Pine needles can also be pointy, which could cause eye injuries if they get too close. Fallen needles can stick into dog paws, and they can also cause an upset tummy if ingested.

You can get lovely artificial trees to suit all budgets, and you can re-use them each year to save on the environment; as long as you use them for many years, I think it is a good option. 

Cover the water

However, if you're like me and love a real tree, your best to keep the tree well-watered. However, stagnated water is potentially harmful to your dog, so ensure the bowl is covered and if this is not possible, refresh to ensure none of the potential toxic needles give your dog an upset stomach  

Careful with Wires

Lights on a tree and Christmas Pud with Brandy sauce are a must! :) But it can be very attractive to dogs and pups, and could be a risk for a potential electric shock as well as being strangled, so try keeping the lights off the lower branches; regards to the wiring, try to keep it out of reach, too, maybe keep it down with some electric tape, you could even go safer by using battery-powered lights, they will not give a powerful electric shock if bitten 

Glass Baubles 

 Probably best not to have Glass, as it can be knocked, and paws and FEET can be hurt. However, if it wants you to want, ensure they are on a higher branch ensuring they are well attached. But I would suggest keeping to safer decorations like paper or re-using plastic.

Not to Edible decorations

We used to like to add chocolates to our tree until we realised the kids weren’t eating their dinners and the tree was looking less full with decorations, and the dog was looking at the tree with admiration. But best NOT chocolate isn’t good for your dog; it is very toxic for dogs and shouldn’t be given at any time and can be tempting to have food on the tree and could cause him to try to get by jumping up. Not a good idea to have food on trees, but if it is, keep it high up in the tree.

Baby gates are not just suitable for babies. 

You could use this to block access so you’re not always thinking about what your dog is up to; this will give you peace of mind your dog and tree are safe!

 Use other forms of barriers.

 Put something around the tree to protect it; you can buy ready-made fences online, or you could use a doggy playpen to stop access.

Christmas day

We all like to open presents together on Christmas day, but if your dog wants to be the center of attention and goes mad when he sees his natural squeaky rubber toy best to give him in another room, which is safer for all the decorations and your dog. Also, if you have got him some Rubber toys may be best not to play around the Christmas tree as they bounce in all directions and cause a disaster.