Canine Care Christmas Countdown - Day 58

It's 58 days to Christmas, when noise and stress increase in the household. Many dogs react to the holidays with excessive barking or whining, destruction, and breaking house-rules.

A great way to keep your dog calm is to help him get into good shape. Just like humans, dogs manage stress better with a strong exercise plan introduced early and set as a routine before the holiday season begins.  Start today by increasing exercise slowly by 5 mins. a day for a week period watching your dog to determine their enjoyment. Exercise should be fun, not exhausting. Dogs who are over-exercised means we have introduced that same stress we are trying to avoid.  If your dog is not already fit, speak to your Vet first before starting your exercise program.

A few fun exercises you may not have done before include:

• Play treat tag with a friend, and have the dog run between you and friend to receive a treat.
• Monkey-in-the-middle is also fun, if you and a friend take a toy and toss it back and forth and then to the dog.  It can lead to a good game of chase.
• Place sticks or poles on the ground and lead your dog across them and through them.  It improves dogs awareness of their body and posture.
• Purchase an inexpensive doggie bubble-maker (we like the peanut butter bubbles) and watch your friend enjoy the fun of popping them.

See Day 59 Tip on Calming Strategies