Teddy’s Top Training Tip: Winter Tip 3: Keep feeding and exercise routines the same over the festive period.
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This week, we look at routines over the festive period. Dogs thrive on routines and over the festive period, routines can alter drastically. However, planning ahead can help make some of your dog’s time over this period a little less stressful.#
Daily exercise:
- Have a walk before opening presents Christmas morning.
- Afternoon walks can be fun with the lots of family members, but if your dog is only used to having a calm walk with one or two people, then try and incorporate this routine.
- Additional family dogs may seem like a great idea, but introductions before hand may be useful so that the dogs can get used to each other.
- Daily planned walks can help with routines and some special 1-2-1 attention for you and your dog.
Daily mealtimes:
- Making sure that their mealtimes are in a clam environment – away from the busy lunch-time or diner-time family mealtimes.
- Make sure that their meals are kept to the same time each day and this will help maintaining their routines.
- Avoid changing or altering any food that your dog has as this may lead to upset tummies.
- Make sure that any visiting guests do not feed your dog any festive foods as this too may lead to digestive upsets.
Overall it is important to maintain the daily routines of walking and feeding as much as possible.
Note: make sure that any external doors are kept shut as dogs may try to escape during this time. If an external door has to be kept open for a period of time, then shut the dog away in another part of the house or being a dog gate or if they have a crate, then place them in a safe area until the external door can be closed, and you can let your dog out.