The Ultimate Guide: How To Keep Your Dog Safe During The Holidays
With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we can sometimes put our guards down and forget to take steps towards keeping our furry best friends safe, especially during those big holiday parties. Make sure that your dog is taken care of during the holiday season and has a season full of joy as well. Here are some things to keep in mind this season in order to keep your dog safe:
Be Cautious of All the Holiday Plants
If you have a live tree, make sure that it is secure so it doesn’t tip or fall. You don’t want to have to clean up a mess that your dog may make if they’re alone with it. There’s no need for unnecessary drama during the holiday season! If you can keep your tree in a area that your dog doesn’t have access to, that’s even better.
Also, if you have a live tree, keep your dog away from the tree water. This tree water can be full of stagnant bacteria, mold, or commercial preserving chemicals and fertilizers that can severely upset your dog’s stomach if they drink it. Furthermore, pine needles themselves are sharp and completely indigestible; if swallowed, they can puncture your pet's intestinal lining.
Try to avoid decorating with mistletoe and holly. These plants can cause your dog to have a severe upset stomach and maybe even vomit if they are ingested. If you love the look of festive greenery, opt for high-quality faux replicas or pet-safe alternatives like Christmas Cactus instead.
Keep the Holiday Feast Away
There’s always an excess amount of food during the holiday season, but stay away from feeding your dog special treats from the table. Stay away from feeding your dog human food, especially food that is poisonous to them: chocolate, raisins, and xylitol/birch sugar (which can be found in most baked goods and holiday candies).
You must also be incredibly careful with rich, fatty foods like turkey skin, gravy, and butter. These greasy indulgences can trigger a sudden, life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. Additionally, never leave cooked meat bones or corn cobs anywhere near the edge of the counter. While corn itself isn't a toxin, discarded corn cobs are completely indigestible and act like a solid plug in a dog's digestive tract, making them one of the most common causes of emergency holiday abdominal surgery.
If you’re giving your dog a special treat for the holiday, try to give it something indestructible or a durable rubber toy that can be stuffed with its favorite healthy dog food or a spoonful of plain pumpkin puree.
When Wrapping Gifts
If possible, try to keep your pets away when you’re wrapping up all of your gifts. The crinkling sounds of paper and flashing colors of metallic ribbon are highly enticing to curious pups. If they ingest any wrapping paper, shiny ribbon, or gift string when you’re not looking, it can cause a devastating "linear foreign body" intestinal blockage in their stomach.
Once your gifts are wrapped, try to place them in an area that your dog can’t reach rather than stacking them directly on the floor under the tree. You don’t want them to accidentally eat anything, chew through electrical cord light strands, or destroy an expensive present meant for someone else.
Safety and Comfort During Big Holiday Parties
During large family events, we can easily forget about our beloved pets until they become a problem (or until other people become bothersome towards them). If you have certain rules that your dog has to abide to in the house (like not going on the couch or not begging at the table), make sure your guests know that so they’re not encouraging any behaviors you don’t want to encourage.
Please encourage your guests to also not feed your dog at the party. Although those puppy-dog eyes are tempting, some people simply may not know what is safe and what isn’t safe for your dog to eat. A guest might think dropping a piece of ham or a chocolate chip cookie is a harmless favor, unaware of the medical consequences.
If you have a lot of guests over, the loud music, stomping feet, and sudden bursts of laughter may become too overwhelming for your dog. Make sure your dog always has a quiet, dedicated space—like a back bedroom or a covered crate—that they can escape to when they need to decompress. If they have a favorite toy or a comforting blanket that brings them security, make sure they have it before the party begins. Turn on a white noise machine or a fan in their safe room to drown out the festive noise down the hall.
By taking just a few quick preventative steps, you can keep the holidays completely merry, bright, and emergency-free for every single member of the family!
Is your holiday calendar packed with travel, shopping trips, and seasonal hosting duties? Don't let your pup's exercise schedule slide! The professional dog walkers at Sparky Steps are here to ensure your dog gets their vital mid-day exercise, outdoor stimulation, and potty breaks during the hectic winter months. Explore our Chicago pet care services or contact us today to set up a consultation!
Original author: Kaitlyn Luckow
Edited by the Sparky Steps Team (Last Updated: May 25, 2026)
