Post-Thanksgiving Festivities & Dog Safety

dog safety

Dog owners across the United States are recently celebrated Thanksgiving with their human and furry families. Now the holiday continues through lots of leftovers, eaten as-is or re-imagined in new dishes. Thanksgiving and the days following should be a joyful and fun experience for everyone involved. To keep all family members safe, there are some tips Bart, his mom and I want to share.

Turkey Bones Are Not Dog Bones

Your furry family members are going to be drooling over the smell of the turkey every time it emerges from the fridge and they’re likely going to beg with their best sad eyes for a taste. Table scraps are never recommended, but turkey bones are particularly dangerous. You have to be especially careful of this as the carcass is picked cleaner of meat with each leftover helping.

Unlike ham bones or beef bones, turkey bones splinter in sharp shards and can easily become lodged in your k-9 family member’s throat. If that happens, it can inhibit breathing and/or prevent them from being able to close their mouths. Keep your four-legged kids safe by making sure any guests know not to share turkey bones with them.

Doggie Manners

Thanksgiving often brings with it guests who stay a day or the weekend. House guests are a whole other kind of leftovers! You may not have an issue with your furry baby jumping on you, licking you or nearly bowling you over with joy at your arrival. Your visiting human family members may feel differently, however. If your dog is likely to jump or otherwise upset your human guests, consider putting them on a leash or out in the yard for a while.

Dog Guests

Thanksgiving is about families, so it’s possible some of your human guests will have brought their furry family to your house for their stay. Hopefully you have had time to ask questions about the dog(s) and their personality and discover how they interact with your own. If there’s any sign of conflict between your dog and any guest dogs, put a plan in place to keep them separated and avoid any fights.

Dogs and Kids

If your dog is your only child but your visiting family includes small children, make sure you’ve shown the kids how to safely interact with your dog. Ensure that you or another dog-friendly adult supervises interactions to be sure both human and furry children feel safe.

Don’t Forget Walks

With the busyness Thanksgiving and spending time with out of town family, it can be easy to forget the daily walks. Instead of expecting your dog to understand, turn the walks into a family affair. Use it as an opportunity to show your human family around the neighborhood while spending quality time with the four-legged one.

These safety tips will ensure you, your four-legged family and you human family have a great Thanksgiving holiday weekend together.

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Sarah Woodard is a freelance writer based in Southern New Hampshire. She enjoys bringing stories, issues and topics to life with words and pictures. In addition to writing, Sarah is a beekeeper, Reiki Master Teacher and black belt in Muay Thai Kickboxing. In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and playing with their four cats.

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