The point is, there's a lot of celebration this time of year and to try and help you and your darling dog(s) we've been posting tips on how to keep them safe and happy. (You can see our Halloween/Bonfire Night, Christmas and Snow specific posts by clicking the titles, with Halloween/Bonfire Night being mainly about fireworks, the Christmas post covers decorations and a little on food and the Snow post is pretty self explanatory!) Now the clock is ticking down to the New Year (get it? clock?) we wanted to make sure your pups 2012 starts with a bang - and not a bang that causes them utter terror! So this is our New Years Eve safety advice, we hope it helps!
Now, we covered most bases in our other tips posts but there are a few problems that could come up with New Years that we thought it would be helpful to write about!
The main issues with New Years Eve, from a dogs point of view, are all the extra noise - fireworks, music, rambunctious party guests and if you do have a party/group of friends over, all the extra people - feet to stand on them, doors being left open, extra mess with food/drink being spilt etc.
Lets start with the noise. We covered fireworks pretty thoroughly in the Halloween/Bonfire Night post, so I shan't repeat myself, I'll just advise that you check it out! As far as loud music and guests, if you're having that kind of party it might be wise to have a friend or family member take care of your dog(s) or even look into an overnight kennel stay. (I'd advise family over kennels, if you know someone up to the job, as some dogs can find kennels quite unpleasant.) Although they'll be away from you, both options should be less stressful and a lot safer than them running around your party!
As far as your guests go, if you do keep Fido or Fluffy at home, try to educate yourself and your friends. If your party might get a little 'wild', consider turning one of your bedrooms into a doggy den. To set up a den room you'll need a comfy bed, perhaps a hidey hole tent or snuggly blanket, a very sturdy toy (you don't want any pieces swallowed), fresh food and water, plus newspaper or pee pads. Make sure you don't leave anything chewable, breakable, sharp, poisonous in the room. It's worth not leaving anything electronic in the room, apart from the ceiling light of course lol and please check on your pup regularly! No one likes to be forgotten. Where possible let them out to pee and it's probably wise to walk them before your party.
It might seem 'harsh' to 'shut your dog away', but the alternatives are so much worse. They could be let out accidentally by people arriving/leaving, by someone going outside for a cigarette etc. A well meaning but clueless tipsy guest could feed them inappropriate (and possibly dangerous) snacks or find it funny to 'get the dog drunk'. The wrong food or drink, especially alcohol, can be literally life or death for a dog, so please don't risk it. A friend could be strutting his/her stuff on the dance floor and stand on your poor pooches paw. We all know how much that hurts, don't put your dog in that situation. There's also the simple fact that your dog may just get overwhelmed by a large group, so be kind to your dog and let them stay with family, a kennel or if all else fails, build them a doggy den and let them relax.
As I mentioned in my Halloween/Bonfire Night post it's always wise to know when your dog has reached its limits and be prepared to call in the professionals - your vet can administer sedatives and offer you a lot of great advice. It's a good idea to check your vets emergency/out of hours services covering the New Years period, just in case.
So with all that in mind, be safe and we hope you and your dog(s) have a very Happy (and healthy) New Year, see you in 2012!
Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo
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