From vibrant Christmas trees covered in brightly-coloured baubles and twinkling tinsel to Santa’s stockings and the presents within, your dog will probably view your festive decorations as perfectly irresistible playthings.
But dogs and decorations don’t always mix – putting them at risk of illness or destruction respectively.
The team at pet food experts tails.com have put together a list of ways to protect your decorations from dog-related damages, your dog from decoration-related damage, and help your baubles survive until Boxing Day at least.
Here are their top 10 tips.
1. Christmas tree
Your tree can actually be harmful to your dog, with pine needles present potential choking hazards, along with getting trapped in paws. Preservatives sprayed on 'real' trees can also make a dog sick. First and foremost, you need to make sure that your dog is never alone in the same room with your Christmas tree, at least not for a prolonged period of time. Pups are far more likely to get up to mischief without their owners around to tell them off. If this is not feasible, then consider installing a baby gate around your Christmas tree to stop your dog from getting too close to it. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
2. Fairy Lights
Many dogs will be fascinated by twinkling fairy lights, but curious pups can get tangled up in cables, or risk an electric shock by chewing them. Dog owners need to be very careful regarding how much wiring is exposed. One way to conceal your cords would be to hide them under a rug, with the wiring taped to the floor to keep firmly in place. Another method of limiting exposed wiring would be to tape them along the skirting board, which you may even want to cover with another piece of furniture to be extra safe. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
3. Tinsel
Tinsel is actually one of the most dangerous decorations to have around dogs, as each small plastic or foil strand represents a potentially major choking hazard for your dog. Keep any tinsel firmly out of your dogs’ reach, whether that's on your tree or elsewhere, as this should prevent your dog from chewing or playing with it. Be sure to regularly vacuum clean any room with tinsel in it, to avoid any loose plastic strands being consumed by your dog. Regular vacuuming will also help to clean up any pine needles from your Christmas tree, which represent another potential choking hazard. Photo: Canva/Getty Images
4. Baubles
Dogs essentially see baubles as big, sparkly tennis balls and so will want to chew them. Avoid hanging heavier ornaments, or ones made of glass, on your tree as these types of decorations will be more difficult to securely fasten. If they do fall off, then the collision could injure your dog, or any shattered pieces could cut your dog's paws. Try keeping any sentimental ornaments of this nature away from your tree and on somewhere more solid like your mantlepiece. Photo: Canva/Getty Images