Christmas time is stressful enough for all of us, so imagine how our 4 legged family members feel when everything in the house changes suddenly, more people are coming and going and their routine can be turned upside down.
Here are some tips on how you can make the silly season a little more comfortable for your pooch. 

Do your best to keep your dog's routine the same. 
If every other day of the year you walk your dog at the same time, feed them at the same time or have a set routine, do your best to keep this the same. Dogs thrive on routine and this sense of normality will help to keep them calm.

Take into consideration your dogs level of interest and their area of reach when decorating.
Some dogs are very curious and like to explore with their nose and mouths (Labradors am I right?!) Keep this in mind when hanging decorations around the house and on the Christmas tree. Ornaments and decorations are not created to be pet friendly and the last thing you want is your dog trying to eat one or knocking something down that could break and cause a wound. 

Set up your tree in a space your dog cannot reach.
Fake and real Christmas trees can be easily knocked over by an excited dog running past too fast. A small pen/fence around the tree or placed in a room your dog cannot access is the safest option. 
If your dog and Christmas tree need to share the same space, be sure to not put your dog out by placing the tree in a place that your dog regularly uses. For example, if your dog loves to snooze by the window in the sunshine, don't upset their routine by putting the Christmas tree in this spot.

Live Christmas Trees can be poisonous to dogs and cats. 
If you are keeping a real, live Christmas tree in the house, ensure that the water base is not accessible by your pets. Pine tar that leaks from the base of the tree into the water is poisonous to pets. The water should be changed often as a precaution. If you believe your pet has gotten to this water, a vet check up is advised. 

Think of your dogs when you are cooking.
For some of us, the festive season brings out our inner Jamie Oliver and we love to get cooking. This can fill the house with delicious smells, which can invite our dogs to come and help themselves. Be conscious of what your dog can reach in the kitchen area and also what might get dropped on the floor. As more guests come into the home, younger guests may not be as careful while they are eating and lots of festive foods are dangerous to our dogs. 

We've come across this fantastic article written by the great, Cesar Millan, on humanizing our pets and how unhealthy some behaviours actually are;

One of the most important things I want to get across is that dogs are dogs — not humans!

• Find a canine solution. Often, the solution we would use for a human is totally wrong for solving a dog’s issues. For example, when a human sees a scared or nervous dog, s/he will first offer comfort and consolation. This would never happen in the animal world and can make the problem worse instead of better, because it reinforces unstable behavior.
  
  
• Speak the animal language. When dogs come into our homes, they meet emotional energy for the first time. We shower them with affection and babble at them in high-pitched baby-talk, so they see us as excited energy. This is why many dogs don’t listen to their human caretakers. Their mothers never acted this way; where did that calm-assertive leadership go?
  
  
• Treat your dog like a dog. We often develop a different agenda for our dogs. We want to make puppies our babies. From day one, many humans forget to fulfill and understand their dog's needs and instead project their own needs and desires on the animal.
  
  
• Be the pack leader! In the absence of a clear leader, a dog, even a submissive one, will seek to fill what they see as the vacant leadership role. The dog will ignore the owner, act out, and can lead to serious behavior issues.

  Projecting the wrong energy to our dogs can leave them confused and disoriented. But their confusion and disorientation manifest in bad behavior such as tearing up the couch or incessant barking. If we don’t fulfill them as a species, our dogs won’t live a balanced, centered life.

Understanding and projecting a pack leader’s calm-assertive energy will create a positive and lasting connection with your dog.

Throughout Australia, there are many wonderful groups that work tirelessly to train and raise dog's to assist those in need.
A fantastic group we are excited to share with you is 'Australian Lions Hearing Dogs' who are also branching into raising, training and pairing Medical Alert Dogs too for people living with complex and chronic illnesses. 

​Airlie is the first Interstate Diabetic Alert Dog to be placed in their home by ALHD. Her new home is now in Melbourne where she has settled in straight away.
Airlie does amazing work, she is trained detect naturally occurring low and high blood glucose level events in her human. She is scent and saliva trained on her human too. How incredible is that?!
Airlie is also trained to retrieve a medical kit to help treat a low or high blood glucose event, get assistance from another member in the household if needed or pressing an emergency button to alert emergency contacts in case her human falls when home alone and becomes unresponsive.
Along with the other amazing medical alert dogs, Airlie could not only save the life of her owner but will also drastically improve their quality of life. 

Want to learn more? Visit the Australian Lions Hearing Dogs website HERE for more information?

How can you help? The training and placement cost of ALHD  is just under $40,000. There is no cost to their human for this, so donations are greatly appreciated. All donations of $2.00 or more are tax-deductible and will receive a receipt in return for your donation. Click here if you would like to make a life changing donation. 

Origin:
The Golden Retriever was developed by a Lord in the Scottish Highlands in the late 1800s. They were created by cross breeding a yellow Flat Coated Retriever with a Tweed Water Spaniel, the latter now being extinct. Later in time he bred in the Bloodhound and the Irish Setter, naming the new breed the ‘Golden Flat Coat.’ It’s unsure at what time their name changed to Golden Retriever. They are now one of the most popular breeds around the world.
 
Purpose:
As their name would suggest, they were used for retrieving. They were used for collecting and returning birds, mostly water birds for hunters. They are confident in retrieval both on land and in the water.   

Coat care:
The Golden Retriever’s beautiful coat requires regular care, to avoid matting, hot spots and to remove any debris they may collect on their adventures. Their long, double coat will require daily brushing. They will require bathing only as needed and a strip out from a professional can help throughout the warmer months too.  

Health & Temperament:
The Golden Retriever is a well loved family pet. They are fantastic as companions and also thrive in activities such a hunting, tracking, obedience as well as sniffer dogs and service/assistance dogs.  As with any dog, they thrive well with structure and rules and still need to be exposed to new situations, people and other animals from a young age, to avoid any anxious or nervous behaviours.
They are an active breed of dog, loving to get out and play with the family. Daily walks are a minimum, they will also enjoy a run in an open area or keeping up beside a runner or a bike. They are an easy to train dog and with the right exercise for their body and mind are a very happy, easy-going, laid-back dog.
The breed is unfortunately prone to cancer. They can suffer from skin allergies, hip dysplasia, heart problems and eye issues. Due to their popularity, it’s important to do your research into breeding parents before purchasing a puppy, to avoid any serious hereditary health issues.