IS YOUR DOG PEEING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE?
This behavior isn’t limited to male dogs, female dogs may pee too. Your live Christmas tree may have extra smells this year from wildlife living in them on the tree farm. Those smells are enticing for your dog — even dogs who never peed on the tree in past years.
Fake Christmas trees are appealing too. Your dog may thank you for bringing the bathroom indoors. It saves them from going out in the cold or snow. How do we prevent adding the aroma of urine to the scents of Christmas?
- Block off access to the tree using a play yard.
- Use a gate to block off access to the room your tree is located
- Pick up your dog’s water from the floor. Instead of providing constant access to water, plan frequent water breaks throughout the day (we are not denying our dogs water, just simply planning water breaks). These water breaks should be planned around your schedule to ensure you are home to let the dogs out to relieve themselves.
- Reward your dog for doing his business outside
- When you are in the room with your dog, have your dog on a leash or long lead so you can redirect your dog away from the tree. I use “touch” or “come” as a redirection tool.
- Use the leave it command to keep your dog away from the tree
- Refrain from keeping wrapped gifts under the tree. If your dog does sneak inside and pee, Aunt Tilly’s gift may smell of Perfume De-La Urine. Awkward!
- If you cannot block access to the room, crate your dog when you are unable to watch them.
- My least favorite tip is the belly band. It is preferred that you teach your dog proper behavior around the tree, however, if none of the tips help, a belly band may save you grief, especially when visiting other homes.
- Refrain from screaming at your dog, it will add additional stress. Simply use commands, treats and a calm, confident tone.
Extra tips:
- Cover the tree stand to prevent your dog from drinking the water from underneath the tree.
- Preventing access to the tree prevents the dog from jumping on the tree and from eating ornaments or other items that are harmful.
- Do not keep food on the tree or underneath it.
- Keep plants out of reach. Some Christmas plants are poisonous.
Merry Christmas from ISCDT! A little training each day will make Christmas’ enjoyable for you and your dog.
Our 18 week online program is a hands-on program where students are required to work with dogs. Skill and ability is determined through a series of videos submitted to the school. We also offer a 2-week and 4-month in-person internship. To learn more about the courses we offer, visit ISCDT.com