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Stephanie Barger

Dogs and Holiday Guests: Fostering Positive Interactions


Older man in striped shirt talking to brown and white dog who is looking at him

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Max.

Max who?

Max-imum holiday chaos unless you set some ground rules!


No Fun

As family members gathered around the holiday table one winter evening, laughter filled the house as everyone enjoyed the season's warmth. 


However, the family dog, Max, caused trouble. His anxious barking and jumping on guests distracted the hosts. What could have been a joyful reunion turned into a hectic night. Instead of having fun, managing Max's behavior became the main task.


With the right preparation, you can avoid holiday stresses and enjoy the season peacefully with your dog.


How to Train Your Dog for Calm Greetings

The holidays are all about fun with family and friends, but it can be overwhelming for your dog with all the new faces and excitement. Suddenly, your calm pup turns into a jumping ball of energy—or worse, a nervous wreck. 


No worries! Teaching your dog calm greetings can make the season smoother for everyone, giving you one less thing to stress about. Here are some simple ways to train your dog for holiday meet-and-greets!


Teach an Alternate Behavior

Dogs naturally jump to greet people, but you can redirect this energy by teaching an alternate behavior like sitting or staying. Practice this cue often, especially before the holidays, and reward your dog for staying calm as guests arrive. Reinforcing positive behavior creates a consistent routine that helps your dog feel more secure.


Use a Leash for Control

During the early stages of training, using a leash can help you gently guide your dog when guests arrive. It’s a great tool for managing their excitement and preventing behaviors like jumping or lunging. You can help lead them through the interaction, keeping the greeting calm and controlled.


Guest Involvement

Communicate with your visitors about your dog's training. Encourage them to greet your dog calmly and avoid sudden movements, high-pitched voices, or excessive excitement. Having everyone on the same page reinforces the behaviors you're working on. 

Training calm greetings makes holiday visits more enjoyable while creating a more relaxed environment for your dog.


Festive Decor and Your Dog: Navigating Potential Triggers

Decorating for the holidays is part of the fun, but the sudden appearance of flashing lights, large inflatables, or scented candles can be disorienting for dogs. Understanding your dog’s sensitivities can help you make mindful adjustments that help keep them calm.


Identify Triggers and Observe Reactions

Notice how your dog reacts to new holiday decorations. Does your pup bark, cower, or avoid certain areas? Being uncertain could indicate that something is triggering agitation. Identifying these triggers early will allow you to manage your dog's environment more thoughtfully.


Mindful Placement

Once you’ve identified what may be causing stress, consider where you place decorations. Keep items like flashing lights or strong-scented candles out of areas your dog frequents.


Gradual Introduction

Introduce your festive decor in stages. Use positive reinforcement when your dog remains calm around new items. Gradually build up the level of decor as your dog becomes more comfortable.


Creating a Peaceful Environment

The holidays can be chaotic, but creating a serene space for your dog can help reduce its anxiety.


Create a Safe Space

Every dog should have a safe, quiet place to retreat when things get too overwhelming. Keep this area free from holiday decorations that might trigger stress, and use comforting items like their favorite bed or toys.


Use Soothing Sounds and Scents

Consider using calming sounds like gentle music or white noise, along with soothing scents like lavender, to create a peaceful atmosphere for your dog amidst the holiday hustle and bustle.


Limit Overstimulation for the Holidays

Minimize loud sounds that might overwhelm your dog, such as music or large groups of people. Keep lights soft and avoid sudden changes to their environment to help them feel more grounded. Creating a peaceful space allows your dog to enjoy the holidays without feeling overstimulated.


Winter Festivities and Fearful Dogs: Strategies for a Stress-Free Season

For some dogs, the winter holidays bring added stress in the form of unfamiliar sounds and changes to the home environment. Behavior modification techniques can help make this season more manageable for even the most fearful pups.


Sound Desensitization

The sound of fireworks, loud music, or even bustling parties can trigger anxiety in dogs. Preparing them in advance is essential.


Gradually expose your dog to recordings of holiday sounds, starting at a low volume and rewarding calm behavior. Slowly increase the volume over time to help your dog become desensitized to these new sounds.


Create a Calm Environment

On days when you expect loud noises, like New Year’s Eve, prepare your home by closing windows, drawing curtains, and playing calming music to muffle the noise.


Provide Comfort

Be there to comfort your dog during loud or stressful events. Offering a favorite toy, engaging them in a calming activity, or simply staying close can help them feel reassured.


Managing Environmental Changes

The holiday season often involves rearranging furniture or adding decorations, which can disrupt your dog's sense of stability.


Gradual Changes

Rearrange your space slowly, giving your dog time to adjust to the new setup before the holiday event. This can help prevent sudden stress or anxiety.


Maintain Familiarity During the Holidays

Keep your dog’s favorite items, like their bed or toys, in the same spot, even when other parts of the home are changing. This helps provide continuity and comfort.


Safe Retreat

Always have a designated safe space for your dog to retreat to if they feel overwhelmed by environmental changes.


Addressing Anxiety with New People

For dogs who are more shy or anxious, the constant flow of new or rarely seen faces during the holiday season can feel overwhelming. Patience and mindful introductions are key to reducing their stress.


Positive Reinforcement

Reward your dog for calm behavior when new people are present. Treats and praise can help build your dog’s confidence, slowly replacing their anxiety with positive associations.


Respect Boundaries

Guests must respect your dog’s boundaries. If your dog shows signs of discomfort—like avoiding eye contact or retreating—allow them space to decompress. Pushing interactions too quickly can backfire, making your dog more fearful over time. By taking a gradual, positive approach, you can help your dog feel more comfortable with visitors while respecting their emotional needs.


Interactions with Children and Seniors

The holiday season often brings together family members of all ages, from energetic children to older relatives. Interacting with young children or elderly guests can present unique challenges for excited or anxious dogs. However, with a few mindful strategies, you can have positive interactions for everyone involved.


Understanding the Challenges: Dogs and Children

Children’s natural energy and curiosity can sometimes overwhelm dogs, especially if they’re anxious or excitable. Managing these interactions is crucial to avoid stressful situations for the dog and the child.


Supervision is Key

Always supervise interactions between children and dogs. Excited dogs may jump or run suddenly, which could accidentally knock a child over, while anxious dogs might feel threatened by a child’s fast movements or loud noises. By staying nearby, you can intervene quickly to prevent negative experiences.


Teach Children to Respect Boundaries

Before introducing your dog to young guests, explain the importance of giving the dog space. Children should be encouraged to approach calmly and let the dog come to them. It's helpful to teach them not to pull on the dog's fur, ears, or tail and to avoid hugging or grabbing them too tightly.


Use Redirection for Overexcitement

If your dog gets overly excited around children, redirect your dog’s energy with a toy or a task to keep them engaged, such as asking for a sit or stay. You can also allow your dog to burn off some of its excitement by going on a walk or offering a puzzle toy before guests arrive. This can help manage their energy and reduce the chances of excitable behavior during interactions.


Reward Calm Behavior

When your dog remains calm around children, reward them with praise and treats. This reinforces the positive behavior and helps your dog build a calm association with young visitors over time.


Interactions with Seniors

Older relatives may have mobility or balance issues, making interactions with an excited dog potentially hazardous. Managing your dog’s excitement around elderly visitors is key to preventing accidents.


Create Physical Boundaries

If your dog tends to jump or rush toward guests, use a baby gate or crate to create a physical barrier. This allows guests to enter your home and settle without being greeted by an overly excited dog. Once your dog has calmed down, you can let them approach more slowly and in a controlled manner.


Help Your Dog Learn Gentle Behavior

It’s important to practice gentle behaviors for anxious or excitable dogs. For example, you can teach your dog to sit or lie down when they approach guests. Reinforce this behavior with treats and praise so they understand that calm, gentle behavior is expected.


Assist with Stability

If your dog tends to bump into people or gets overly excited when greeting, using a leash can help control their movements and prevent them from unintentionally knocking over a guest. Gently guiding your dog’s excitement helps ensure that visitors feel safe and comfortable in your home.


Provide Space

Guests may feel more at ease if they have some space from an active or nervous dog. During visits, dogs should have access to a safe, quiet space where they can retreat if they become overly excited or overstimulated.


Desensitization Training

Before holiday gatherings, desensitize your dog to the presence of children or elderly guests. Gradually introduce your dog to new people, starting with calm, positive experiences. Pair these introductions with treats and praise to help create positive associations with new faces.


Offer Breaks

Whether overwhelmed by a child’s excitement or confused by older guests, your dog should have a place to go where they feel safe and can decompress. Offering breaks is especially important for anxious dogs who may not cope well with prolonged interactions.


Manage Noise Levels

Children’s loud voices or sudden movements can be triggering for anxious dogs. Encourage children to use quieter voices and more controlled movements when interacting with your dog. Additionally, you should minimize overstimulation by creating calm environments with lower noise levels.


Reward Relaxation

If your dog gets anxious around children or elderly people, use positive reinforcement to reward any signs of relaxation. Even small steps—lying down or sniffing calmly near guests— should be acknowledged with praise and treats.


Holidays, Here We Come! 

The holiday season doesn’t have to be stressful for you and your dog. By preparing and being mindful of needs, you can create a festive environment you and your dog can enjoy. With patience, positive reinforcement, and thoughtful preparation, you’ll foster positive interactions and a peaceful atmosphere that allows everyone to celebrate together harmoniously.


Schedule a care call with me today if you’d like help preparing your dog for the holidays! I can help make things faster and easier. 


With holiday love, 

Stephanie


About Stephanie Barger, Canine Zen


Stephanie Barger is a dog trainer specializing in separation anxiety and behavior modification. She spent the early years of her career teaching humans before transitioning to dog training over a decade ago. Her passion is helping you and your dog live more harmoniously together.


The name of her business, Canine Zen, embodies her approach to life with our dogs. She recognizes that dogs are living, breathing, sentient, social beings that need human support, compassion, and understanding to live beside us in our strange human world. She shows people how to effectively communicate with their dogs and understand what their dogs are trying to say to them. She strives to provide a safe environment for dogs and humans to learn and thrive together without fear, pain, or judgment.


If your life with your dog is not what you anticipated and "nothing has worked" to change things, Stephanie can help you understand and work with your dog to achieve your goals and a better life together. She is an amazing teacher, works compassionately with humans and dogs, and provides practical solutions for your dog training needs. Her goal is to calm the chaos in your home.


Feel free to contact Stephanie if you want to transform your relationship with your dog and create a more harmonious home. You can also ask questions in the comment box below. 


Free Discovery Call with Stephanie: https://train.caninezen.com/book-discovery-call-page


Stephanie and Canine Zen's links/handles:  


  

 



Stephanie’s Certifications/Organizational Affiliations:  


Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT)  

Certified Behavior Consultant (CBCC-KA)  

Certificate of Completion-Aggression in Dogs Master Class  

Fear Free Certified Professional (FFP-Trainer)  

Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA)  

Member of the Association of Professional Trainers (APT)  

Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)  

Member of the Pet Professional Guild (PPG)  

Alignable Ambassador: Alliance of Central NM  

Alignable Group Co-Leader: Pet Industry Group  

Owner/Operator of Canine Zen LLC

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