Dog Holiday Prep Guide

Preparing our dogs for what they will experience between mid November and after New Years is often not what people think of when it comes to the holidays. WE know that this is the season for large gatherings, family visits, vacations and special meals, but our dogs have no clue that anything is changing aside from the weather. On top of our normal routine we now have gift shopping, house decorating and travel packing so sometimes our dogs get shorted the outdoor time that we had time and sunlight for since the end of last winter, making the holiday changes even harder for them.

This article will help you to put yourself in your dog’s shoes so you can understand their needs. Plan on devoting some of your awareness and a bit of time and effort to dog prep so you can ensure their holiday is merry and bright.

Some of us will be staying home and maybe popping out for a meal, which requires little dog prep aside from making sure they are nice and tired before you leave and keeping your outing to six hours tops.

For those who are:

• Hosting a gathering or housing out of towners

• Traveling with their dog

• Leaving their dog with someone they know or at a facility

I wanted to offer my expert insight.

As I started writing this guide I realized that no matter the situation, the core pillars of my advice was the same.

How cool is that?

I divided this article by topic for a reason: because I don’t want you to just skim to the scenario you are doing this year. I would love for dog owners to read the entire article and develop a complete understanding of how each training tool applies to each dog scenario. Chances are you will be in each of these situations someday, and possibly around another dog in all of these situations next week. I’d like you to be able to advocate not just for your own dog, but to be a good steward for all dogs, perhaps by sharing some of these tips with the dog owners you meet.

Let’s break it down:

EXERCISE IS ALWAYS KEY

As the old adage says, a tired dog is a good dog. Exhausting your dog isn’t a complete training solution, but I will tell you that I ask every dog owner I talk to on the phone how much exercise their dog gets and 80% of them aren’t getting enough. If we aren’t giving these natural athletes a healthy and appropriate outlet for their energy it’s harder for them to be calm, sit still, thoughtfully engage with their environment and exercise self control.

Most dogs would thrive on a minimum of 30-120 minutes of exercise once or twice a day. Yup. Depending on age, breed and fitness some dogs need upwards of 4 hours of exercise a day so choose your pup carefully.

Exercise is a stellar first line of defense when it comes to changes in routine like big events, new environments, or longer than normal stays at home alone (just be sure to monitor your dog’s post activity water intake and time your outing, their drinking, your departure time and how likely their bladder is to be empty). If walks are tough then put my eCourse on your holiday wish list!

🎉 Are you hosting this holiday? 

Your dog will probably be excited that new people are staying with you or coming over, which is totally understandable. The best best best thing you can do for your dog is exercise!! A tired dog will still be excited, but more likely to express it as a happy wag than non-stop jumping or zoomies around they room. They will settle faster and be more likely to be in a mindset where they can hear your instructions and complete your commands. Go on a double long walk before guests arrive while you are frantically cleaning or cooking? YUP!

• Lay out some warm clothes the night before so you can get up for sunrise and squeeze in that longer walk

• Add a backpack with a water bottle or soup can on each side so you can get a little more muscle engagement for each step

• Drive to a hiking trail to add some uneven terrain to the mix

Remember: A mentally engaged walk will be just as tiring (if not more) than letting your dog run wild! As for sections of “heel” between sniff breaks, add in “weird walking” and changes of pace, throw in a few tricks or commands every now and then and ask them to “wait” right next to you instead of diving to sniff. This will all help tired your dog out and get them in that mentally engaged mindset that we need to receive company calmly.

Simply too busy? I get that. Know thyself and start calling around now to your regular dog walker, neighbor friends, friends with dogs of their own or who are fans of your dog and find someone to help you out! Know that dog trainers and anyone who boards will likely be busy, but if you are a current/past client (shout out to dog owners who build a relationship with a trainer!) they may be able to help you out. Yes, it feels weird to ask someone to work on a holiday, but some of us don’t have family around, don’t celebrate for whatever reason and would be HAPPY for the chance to earn some extra cash. I’m a huge fan of local Buy Nothing groups and there may be someone in your ‘hood who loves dogs and could use some fresh air who can take yours out for an hour.

✈️ Are you traveling by car or plane? 

I start exercising any dog that is going to fly two days before the trip and make it a priority to get them out for double the amount of time I usually do at minimum. Is this a bit of an inconvenience? Yup! Is my dog’s comfort a priority? Also yes, so I’m happy to do it. Take breaks every 2-4 hours when driving, ideally at a park or trail so your dog can eliminate and stretch their legs. Be careful letting them drink as much water as they like because they are going to have to hold it again! This is another reason I don’t let dogs “run wild” to “get their energy out” at pit stops. 

When you land in a new place getting your dog out should be the first thing you do. (Pro tip: I make peeing a prerequisite to any new door opening when I’m taking my dog places. Only dogs with empty bladders get to enter new houses!) Your dog doesn’t know that you are excited to visit with whoever you came to see or tired from the journey. Drop your bags, tell mom to put on her shoes and catch up on a walk before you settle in for human time. If it’s dark when you arrive then make sure you have a reflective leash and vest for you and/or your dog or get an LED leash for night walks. This gear is readily available and removes the “it’s too dark” excuse. We gotta do right by our dogs and get our butts out there with them!

Make sure that your dog gets an extra special outing before any group gatherings. Being in a new place is exciting enough, but going somewhere new with a lot of people and other pets or being in a semi-new environment that becomes suddenly full one day will never not be exciting. Get them out for a good walk in the morning. Take them into the yard (go with them!) for potty and play breaks. Grab your favorite person and ask them to join you to dip out on a walk or hike for some 1-1 time. Check the meal timing with your host and plan your dog outing accordingly. Meeting your dog’s needs is one of the most important things you can do everyday, but especially on a holiday.

🏡 Boarding your dog or leaving them with a friend?

Your border -professional or not- will thank you for having a tired dog dropped off. Just because you are paying them doesn’t mean you can shirk dog care for that day. I always talked to clients and made sure they could drop their dog before my midday outing. Otherwise they knew they needed to get a walk in before dropping off. A dog whose exercise needs have been even moderately met is more likely to engage with a new environment and the humans or animals in it in a more thoughtful and less explosively excited way. You only have one chance to make a first impression and you can set your dog up for a crappy stay if they come in crazy. Owners are always say saying goodbye, even a temporary one, and a walk together on the day you are separating is really the best way to bond and share the present moment. (be sure to check out my article on proper “goodbye” etiquette before you drop your dog!)

Let your sitter know how much exercise your dog usually gets a day and BE HONEST! I have had so many owners lie up and tell me their aspirational level of activity instead of how much they really walk their dog. I figure out pretty quickly they fibbed when the dog is exhausted mid-outing, sore and losing weight, which is super unfair to both sitter and dog. Be honest about your normal routine of what kind of activity you do for how long and usually at what times of day. Give an honest range and let them know the minimum they can get away with before they can expect behavior problems. Even I get pretty annoying when I’m sitting around more than I’m used to! 

EVERY DOG SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE IN THE CRATE

This isn’t just one of those “dog trainer” things for no reason. The crate should be a comfortable and safe place for your dog because it’s almost inevitable that they will be in one at some point in their life whether you think it’s necessary or not. Let me explain why the crate is key this holiday season (and here is a guide to how to get them acclimated, which you should start ASAP)

If you don’t regularly use the crate you can’t just shove them in out of the blue. Start now and crate this week at bedtime, for midday naps and when you go out. Make the crate a “special treat” place and give them a bully stick or marrow bone or frozen kong that they can only have in the crate. Feed meals in there so it’s not just the room they get closed in. Drag the crate around the house and have them chill in the crate in your office while you work or in the living room while you watch tv at night.

🎉 Are you hosting this holiday?

You want to enjoy your day on top of the responsibilities of preparing the food, cleaning the house, getting your table instaworthy and making sure uncle Joe doesn’t drink too much or talk about politics. You already devoted an hour or two to getting your dog out and now people are starting to arrive, but there isn’t a spare adult who can be trusted to keep them on leash and ensure they are calm and polite to each new arrival. That makes the crate is the perfect place for them to be!!

Make sure the crate is in a quiet room that no one will go into. Print out a “Do not enter” sign for the door. Consider getting a white noise machine or setting up an old phone or your computer to jam those sweet white noise tunes for them. Consider purchasing a DAP adapter to bring those chill pheramones into the room. If your dog is tired they should have no problem taking a nap away from the hustle and bustle, especially if you disable your doorbell or hang a “come on in” sign on the front door.

Once you are on top of your party prep and ‘to do’s’ you can bring your dog out on leash for a quick potty break and some visiting, but consider putting them away again before the meal begins. Keep reading the rest of this article for more on that!

✈️ Are you traveling?

While I don’t crate in the car, many owners choose to and it can be a safe and relaxing space for a dog to ride (as long as the bedding you choose doesn’t make them too hot!). Any dog on a plane will need to be well acclimated to a crate or carrier and it’s not too late to start! I got Arrow the beach dog comfortable in a crate in less than two weeks and you can see how in my course Two Weeks To Trained. 

I always traveled with a crate for Harley because of her separation anxiety. It gave me huge peace of mind to know that she was somewhere familiar no matter where we went - her crate! The crate also kept her safe from getting into anything that could choke her, make her bleed, poison her or fall on her. It was a relief to know the house was safe from any potential chewing, clawing, peeing or pooing. Personally I would never leave a dog free in a house they weren’t acclimated to, which means 3-4 days of being with them 24/7. It’s much easier to bring home with you and travel with a fold up wire crate. 

Flying or don’t have room in the car? I got you! You can buy one wherever you go because they are almost always readily available and super cheap used on Craigslist or FB Marketplace. All it takes is a rag, some bleach water or all purpose cleaner and a few carabiners to double lock the latches for you to be crate ready! I also buy a sheet (not blanket!) to cover the crate and a few towels (not fuzzy blankets!) for bedding at Goodwill. You can be set up for dog safety for as little as $30.

I highly recommend against leaving your dog alone somewhere new without crating them. It’s just not worth the risk to their health and safety or a huge ass bill for damages the crate would have prevented.

🏡 Boarding your dog or leaving them with a friend?

I boarded dogs in my home and any dog who wasn’t crate trained was automatically a “board and train” and would cost 60% more per night. To be in a new environment AND be getting crate trained was stressful for everyone involved and eventually I stopped working with any dogs who hadn’t done training with me.

If you are leaving your dog at a facility they will likely be in a crate or kennel and not being conditioned to those containers will create a lot of added and unnecessary stress.

If you are boarding “in home” with someone who takes multiple dogs be VERY wary if they say they don’t crate as a selling point. That means that overnight or if they leave a group of dogs who don’t know each other are loose and unattended, which, worse case scenario, can result in a death or trip to the emergency vet.

If you are leaving a dog with a friend who doesn’t have dogs, their house may not be dog proof, meaning that when they are out or sleeping your dog can get into something they shouldn’t. Their window set up may be different and your dog could claw at blinds to get a better view of a passer-by out front or squirrel out back. They could have food where they thought it was out of reach, but your dog decides they want to try jumping on a counter for the first time. Maybe their door doesn’t latch the same and your dog figures out how to paw the handle and gets out. Why worry about the “what ifs” when you can just send your pup with their crate from home and enjoy your trip?

If your friend does have a dog, even one who your dog knows well, two dogs is different than one and the unexpected should be considered. A fight could break out over food if the new dog decides a trash can looks tippable. The dogs could egg each other on and have a BLAST dissecting a couch or chair. The host dog could get possessive over a toy or water bowl or bone that got buried or forgotten under a couch. A dog doesn’t need a history of these behaviors - it only takes one time for it to happen for the first time. You can ask that your dog be crated in a room with a closed door when no one is home. Let them know ahead of time and set up the crate yourself so it’s no hassle to them. They also may not have considered these potential dangers. After having watched HUNDREDS of dogs in my home I’ve seen it all so please heed my ‘worst case scenario’ warnings and just crate for dog’s sake!

LEASHES WORK INDOORS, TOO

Are you unsure how your dog is going to respond? Worried they will be nervous or over excited? The leash is one of the most underutilized tools because people think of it only being used for outside. Keep that baby on! At least until your dog is super chill and you feel confident about their being comfortable and making good choices.

I keep dogs on leash until they are dead calm and totally used to the environment. You may have your dog on leash next to you all night. You may decide to crate them instead of letting them free. You may let them off and put them back on again. You could leash them for the meal and make sure you sit on the corner seat so they can sit next to you. Maybe you tether them to a heavy piece of furniture at least 15’ from the table (just make sure you can stop them from barking or whining!). You might grab the leash when the kids start playing or if they can’t help themselves from getting underfoot during the post-meal football scrimmage. 

If your dog is nervous, leash them.

Too excited? Leash.

Not listening? On the leash!

🎉 Are you hosting this holiday? 

80% of your guests don’t want to be jumped on or listen to you yell at your dog in the first .02 seconds they are in your home and the other 20% are silly. Jumping isn’t a compliment and while your sister may love it, your toddler nephew, injured aunt or elderly neighbor can be hurt or traumatized and have their day ruined. Read my article on greeting guests and schedule a ‘dog training cocktail party’ this weekend. All you have to do is buy two bottles of wine, leash your well exercised dog and follow the instructions in the article. 

Even if you just use the leash day of you can help your dog learn that they can greet guests only when all four feet are on the ground and they aren’t barking or frantically pulling towards them. If they can’t figure that out, call me the Monday after Thanksgiving! There is a simple fix.

✈️ Are you traveling?

Make sure your tired and pottied dog stays on the leash when you enter someone’s house. The same way you shouldn’t run from room to room inspecting your host’s possessions that is TOTALLY unnecessary for your dog to do, too. Have your dog sit next to you when you come in and ask people not to greet them until they are calm. Take them on leash into the backyard to sniff around before letting them off, especially if you have a boy dog and your host has outdoor furniture. 

If your host has a dog, introduce them by going for a short walk together instead of in the doorway, living room or backyard. Dog Dating: How to Pick the Right Playmate If they have a cat, keep your dog on leash the whole time. Whether or not they are ‘cat friendly’ a new cat can not translate as a friend and no one wants to have a cat funeral this holiday.

Leashing your dog isn’t cruel. After all, you already read the beginning of this article and your dog is going to be dead tired. It can be really loving to keep them on leash and let them know where and how to be. Then they get to rest next to you knowing that if you move they will feel the leash jingle and wake up. Truly!! Your dog will rest easier on leash. 

🏡 Boarding your dog or leaving them with a friend?

Don’t let them bomb into a new house and frantically smell all the smells. Let the new environment play second fiddle to the clear guidance you are giving them to sit, stay close, but not too close and wait next to you without pulling on leash. A calm introduction into a new place will set everyone there up for success. You want to pass the leash off to the new handler, not make them chase your dog down the moment you close the door.

FOOD CAN CAUSE FIGHTS

For real, food is one of the biggest danger zones for dogs. Not only does it totally change the dog dynamic and cause fights, it can lead to dogs jumping on or nipping at kids, choking on bones, pushing a chocolate cake off the counter then eating it along with the shards of broken glass from the pan it was in so you need to spend the rest of your day force feeding your dog cotton balls covered in peanut butter and looking for signs of intestinal punctures or poisoning. Yup, that’s a true story (and luckily not mine!).

No matter your holiday plans, it’s good practice everyday of the year to:

• Never feed a dog off your plate or while you are eating

• Ask your dog to stay “out” of your personal space and not bark, whine or stare into your soul so deeply they can see every meal your past lives have had while you eat

• Teach the “place” or “go to your bed” command so you can send them away if they are annoying you

• Be able to separate dogs who seem to be competing for closeness to that precious resource

• Have a “no dogs under the chair or table” rule, especially if there are more than one of them

Don’t forget that eating food outside of their regular diet because it’s a special occasion can cause some especially gross poos and a festive trip to the emergency vet, which will be busy because not everyone will have read this article and costs exponentially more than a regular vet if you haven’t been. 

Foods that are fatty (like the turkey skin you pushed to the edge of your plate) salty (like, well, everything) or sweet (everything else) can be dangerous for your dog. Cooked bones can splinter and puncture a dog’s intestines or choke them. Bread, nuts, nutmeg, alcohol, garlic, onion and dairy are all no-no’s. If you’d like to BYO can of pumpkin or green beans or peas to add something special to your dog’s food then go for it! Once it has oil, butter or salt on it, it’s a no go.

🎉 Are you hosting this holiday?

Your tired dog who isn’t on leash or crated should be able to respond to the “out” command from the kitchen, serving area, dining table or lap of person eating a cheese cracker on the couch instantly. If they can’t, then they need to be on leash or crated. Think how much more you will enjoy your meal and guests if you aren’t worried about where your dog is or what they are doing?

Remember that dog training is handler specific so even though your dog doesn’t jump on you or beg you for food, the same won’t be true of a child or your guest who already gave them excessive attention. 

Also remember that humans are harder to train and even though you ask them not to feed your dog, they don’t see the harm in sneaking them a few bites of food. Crating your dog or having them on leash next to you ensures a merry meal for all!

✈️ Are you traveling? 

As a good house guests you may choose to leave your dog crated where you are staying or in a quiet room. Since they are exhausted they won’t mind and won’t know what they are missing. If you really want your dog with you and don’t think they’d mind the crowds, be mindful of the space, other animals and be very realistic about their food manners. You may think it’s cute when they slither up the couch to steal the kernel of popcorn from your fingers but if you don’t know the guestlist where you are going chances are someone there won’t find their bite stealing as charming.

If you are visiting a home with another dog, ask their owner to make sure that all food bowls, treats, bone and special toys are picked up and put away before you get there. My dog would ignore a bully stick for weeks then run to it the moment another dog came over to get it before they could and trot off with it or happily start munching it in front of them, tauntingly till I took it away and put it on top of the fridge (a super spot for dog safety). All it takes is ONE first time incident for a dog to be a resource guarder so I have learned it’s better to have no resources to be guarded.

🏡 Boarding your dog or leaving them with a friend?

Ask that your friend not feed them human food and if there is more than one dog present then send them this article. When I would eat with a house full of dogs I would make sure they were all 5-10’ from me and a few feet apart from each other. I never left anything on a coffee table if I was leaving the room and I never let any of them think they had any sort of seniority when it came to special resources. I would feed dogs one at a time in the kitchen or put bowls down in crates or in separate rooms and watch them while they ate, then pick up all the bowls immediately.

Your friend may be used to their dog never inspecting human plates on the coffee table, but having a second dog present can change things quickly. It’s best for us humans to make sure we are practicing good food manners as we ask dogs to practice them, too.

THE BEST OWNERS HAVE BOUNDARIES

I think part of the reason so many of us struggle with dogs is that we are uncomfortable being clear. We don’t want to tell someone when their dog is making us or our dog uncomfortable. We don’t want to be seen as fussy when we give a stranger or friend, guest or family member instructions on our training protocol. On top of that, people don’t take well to receiving instruction and are likely to snap or ignore us, which brings up a secondary conversation about respecting boundaries.

I say LEAN IN. Relationships need to be based on honesty - us being honest about who we are, how we feel and what we want. If someone thinks you are fussy for asking for things to be a certain way with your dog, text them a link to this article or learn to shrug it off. You have an obligation to advocate for your dog. That may mean not bringing them to a certain place, around a certain person, or deciding when it’s time to put them up.

If you can ask people to help you with some (reasonable) training tasks in your effort to create the best dog possible, most will be willing to, but know your audience and come up with some elegant excuses.

I find the most important thing in sharing feedback is to be non-emotional and matter of fact. No one is psychic and knows what you want them to do or not do! Don’t assume anyone knows anything about dogs or your training protocol and is doing something intentionally to undermine you. I like to share tips or requests, cleanly and clearly. 

“Oh hey, could you…”

“Actually I’m training my dog to…”

Or a favorite “My trainer insisted….” Throw me on under that bus, folks. I don’t mind!

The first step of having boundaries is being VERY clear on what’s important to you. What is your ideal situation? Play it out step by step. The more clearly you can visualize it and the more details you can think through the better. What are your “hell no’s”? Those are important to know, too! If it’s not a yes or a no then it’s in the gray area and can easily move into the yes or no pile depending how things are going.

I may request that company not to pet, talk to or stare at my dog when they first come in if they dog is jumping or excited. I definitely don’t want anyone feeding the dog, especially if there is more than one around. I may put a sign on the door that says to come in without ringing the bell or knocking. A  “Do not enter” sign on the guestroom or laundry room helps prevent guests from disturbing your sleeping pup. You can ask your niece not to wrestle with your dog and ask your company with kids not to let the kids pet or play with the dog unless you are there watching.

For me, my “hell no’s” are jumping, whining, barking, pawing, zooming, knocking into people, furniture, not stopping what they are doing when asked, playing inside and taking what isn’t theirs. Again, having a tired dog on leash or in the crate is an easy win, but if you want to get jiggy with it and let your dog free, at least have a clear vision you can use to draw lines for your dog, the space, and the humans around you.

🎉 Are you hosting this holiday? 

Don’t be afraid to put a note in the invitation/reminder email, a sign on the door or give guests a few instructions depending on what your dog needs, what will be most difficult for them, or what you are working on in your training. We can’t ask toooo much of our company, but we can ask a bit, particularly if something guests typically do typically goes badly for your dog.

Aside from general guidelines you may share to prevent issues, boundaries may also need to be expressed verbally and in the moment. Think about requests you have had to make in the past and practice some scripts in your imagination or with someone who won’t tease you about it.

“Turkey is relaxing on his bed right now. Let’s let him rest and you can play with him later when he gets up.”

“Sweet Potato is getting a little too excited. Let’s take a break from rough housing for a while. I don’t want her to keep playing and have something accidentally go wrong.”

“I think Gravy needs a break from the festivities. I’m going to put her in her crate for a nap.”

“Pumpkin seems a little restless, who wants to take a walk with us?”

“I’m not sure Stuffing is enjoying this type of play. Can you call Green Bean over to you so I can put her away for a little while?”

“Dumbstick wasn’t listening so he is going to sit next to me on the leash for a little while. You can pet him later though!”

✈️ Are you traveling?

Even if you are a guest in someone’s house you still have the right to ask them to engage with your dog in a way that prioritizes the dog’s comfort, reinforces a calm and cooperative mentality and doesn’t undermine your training. However, know your audience! If your parents won’t listen and even after a direct conversation are constantly undermining your dog-boundaries then consider staying somewhere else or leaving your dog at home.

If there are too many unknowns, leave your tired dog in a crate. If you bring them out of the crate, enlist the help of others before you do so. “I’m going to see if I can get Yam out to join us for a bit. Would y’all mind just not trying to greet her until she is calm? It might take her a minute so I’ll let you know a good time to say hi. Thank you for helping me!”

If you and your dog are a guest in someone’s home it’s great to have a quick chat about their preferences and boundaries before you arrive. Do they prefer to have no dogs on the furniture? That is something you should start practicing asap. Are they going to be sensitive to dog hair? Bring your grooming gloves and use them every day starting the week before you leave. Where do they want poo bags to go? Are they okay with your dog sleeping in the bed? Do they have room for a crate? Do a quick check in when you make the plans so you can be sure that you are on the same page and bringing your dog will be festive for everyone

🏡 Boarding your dog or leaving them with a friend?

Especially if the dog care is free, we can only ask so much. As long as your dog is safe and in good company we can be glad they are having a good time and pick up training when we get home. If you are paying a professional then you can raise your expectations slightly, but there are plenty of people in the dog care industry who you will know more about dogs than after just having read this article. 

Think about what is most important for your dog’s safety. Do they dart out of open doors? (You should really work on that after this trip!) Can they open gates or have they dug under a fence? Are they safe off leash? Is it maybe safer to just send a long line and ask the sitter to keep them on leash for this week? Have they ever been possessive over a toy or bone or their food bowl? Let your sitter know to keep all of those picked up if there is more than one dog around.

A sitter doesn’t need to follow all of your good training protocol and giving them a full download of the eCourse at drop off will likely overwhelm them. It will be amazing how fast you can get it back when you come home! Pick what is most important for their safety and maybe one or two good training boundaries. If you use a tool like the eCollar or Slip Lead then consider having a few pre-board training walks together to get them used to it or throwing on a harness they can’t slip out of to protect your dog’s neck from unskilled hands who haven’t developed the kind of sensitivity to pressure that yours have and that the slip lead requires.

Remember that the holidays are not an ideal time to sign your dog up for Board and Train because it’s highly likely your trainer will have other clients’ dogs boarding when they travel. If you are signing up for training during this time, be sure that your trainer knows your top 3 complaints or goals so they can focus on troubleshooting that for you and getting in the reps.

ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY, DOG EXPERT!

I hope this article has not only given you some game changing tools for this holiday season, but a deeper understanding of how dogs think and how we can be good owners and advocates for them.

Tire them out.

Let them miss the party.

Keep them on leash.

Be careful around food, it changes the game.

Tell people what you need and know when to call it.

Remember, your dog doesn’t know what a holiday is and they won’t be sad to miss the party if attending could lead to someone, anyone, having a not so good time because of it. I always vote for a good, long hike in the morning then a nice nappy nap. Plus if uncle Joe does get into politics, your dog waiting for you at home is the perfect excuse to bail!

Zoomies can be deadly

The two questions that I always ask when my dog is excited or activated, especially when the have the roomies: 

-Are you mentally engaged enough stop, come, or sit when I ask? 

-Are you mentally engaged enough to respect boundaries like staying out of my personal space, off the furniture, in my ‘bubble’ if they are off leash and interact politely with other dogs?

If the answer isn’t an unequivocal yes, allowing zoomies undo the mindset that I work in every interaction to build and reinforce. Zoomies can even put a dog’s life at risk. I’m deadly serious about that.

There is such a thing as “too much fun”

I love dogs having fun. I try to make every day fun. I am also legitimately afraid of the kind of fun that can lead to an injury or dog getting lost or dying. Every time a dog flips into an overly excited mindset, a neural pathway is being paved or reinforced. The more we allow it the more a dog will do it. Since being overly excited is a self rewarding behavior, it’s our job as handlers to encourage dogs to sit in a different seat within themselves, one that is mentally engaged, tuned in, respectful, and, most importantly, safe.

Being respectful, having situational awareness, and maintaining self control isn’t the antithesis to happiness. I can be completely elated & full of joy without crashing my car, slamming into another person, or running into traffic. I can be absolutely elated without getting into an energy that is out of control or behaving like I'm in a mosh pit. Hopefully the people who love to party that way do so in spaces where everyone agrees that that behavior is acceptable. If they didn’t it would be extremely antisocial to the point of possibly getting them arrested. Adults can decide if they want to do this, but across the board we encourage children not to.

Who hates zoomies? Healthy dogs

It’s “natural” for a dog to live in their animal or instinctive brain. Because most owners don’t know part of their job is to work to counteract this mindset and the ensuing behaviors, we are at the point where it is so common that it appears “normal.” I can assure you is isn’t. Guess who taught me that? Dogs.

In the pack of dogs I hiked everyday for almost a decade, when a dog got the zoomies to the point where their thinking brain shut off, my healthy, balanced dogs HATED it. When a dog looses access to their thinking brain they become a danger to the pack. The dogs with more leadership energy do what they have to do to shut it down. I don’t proclaim to know everything about the ways dogs think and interact, not at all, but I do trust dogs. If they aren’t okay with that energy then I support the dogs I trust and also work to discourage it.

When I see owners encouraging zoomies it makes my stomach sink. This isn’t just bad manners, it’s dangerous. You know the old fashioned saying “you kids better calm down before someone looses an eye?” That is zoomies.

What is natural, anyway?

It’s “natural” for kids to do certain things that we discourage in order for them to have healthy social lives and grow into adults that aren’t ostracized or in and out of prison. It’s natural for children to hit or shriek when they are angry or frustrated. It’s natural for them to say whatever they are thinking, even if it’s insulting or even cruel, like the common example of asking someone if they are pregnant when it’s clear to an adult they are not. It’s natural for kids to tease each other in a mean way. It’s up to parents to guide them and show them where the lines are.

Zoomies make a dog’s ears shut off

That is a cute phrase to express a more complex concept. Dogs don’t communicate with each other in spoken language. We can teach dogs a lot of commands and that is amazing, but they will never learn to speak a language. What is happening is that they learn to associate certain sounds with actions or behaviors. 

If you have learned a language you know how much mental exertion it takes to hear sounds, especially when they sound like others sounds, and dig into your brain for the meaning of that sound. It can be exhausting, especially when you are learning. 

Now imagine a time when you truly loose yourself - maybe dancing, doing yoga or another sport, cheering at a sports game or having sex. If someone spoke to you in a second language, it would take you a few leaps to get back into your thinking brain that could hear, understand and translate those sounds into meaning. The speed of your understanding and ability to respond would be highly dependent on how much practice you have. 

The moments that don’t matter matter the most

When we don’t regularly ask our dogs to regulate from an excited energy to a calm energy - even in the house or yard where danger is limited or nonexistent, your dog will definitely not be able to do it outside of the house, around other dogs or when their prey drive is triggered. If I lose verbal control of my dog and don’t have some means of physical control, like a leash, longline or eCollar, they could run off, run into traffic, run into a cactus, off a cliff, into another dog, perhaps a smaller, older, or injured dog that could be hurt or killed, or even a smaller, older, or injured person. My dog could knock into me when I’m carrying hot tea and get burned. They could eat something that could lead to surgery. If they are in Austin playing near Town Lake they could run into the water and die within minutes if the toxic algae is blooming. 

You care about your dog having fun. I care about keeping them safe. There is a lot of fun to be had my way and a lot of danger your way. I promise you, your dog would be happy to regulate themselves if they understood what was at risk, especially if they are “good."

A dangerous mindset

If you know anything about the way I work, I talk a lot about mindset. Owners often focus on “fixing” the behaviors they don’t like, but behaviors don’t exist in isolation. They arise out of certain energy states or mindsets. When owners complain their dog plays too rough, instead of focusing on correcting the undesirable behaviors, I ask owners to learn to recognize when a dog is building towards the energy level or mindset in which those behavior occur and redirect a dog before the behavior happens.

My outward behavior is often dictated by my mindset, too. When I am run down or frustrated I’m more likely to snap at someone. When I’m feeling sensitive or sad, my feelings are more likely to be hurt by something that may not bother me at another time. When someone steps on a trigger of mine I’m less likely to respond like my healthy adult self and more likely to react in a way that does damage. I do work to avoid certain behaviors, but I also work to maintain a calm, balanced, healthy mindset that the behaviors I aspire to can arise from.

In the zoomies mindset my dog is likely to lose the good manners I spend every day asking for and insisting on. If an owner accidentally anthropomorphizes, they will code behaviors as loving and affectionate that I know to be bad manners that will lead to antisocial behaviors.

You are always training or untraining your dog

At a baseline with every dog I encounter, I insist that they stay out of my personal space, off the furniture, refrain from following me, wait in front of doorways, avoid pulling on the leash or barking and lunging at other dogs. At the bare minimum my dog shouldn’t be so activated, distracted or excited that they can’t do these things. By insisting dogs always maintain enough awareness to respect these boundaries I’m ensuring that my dog always has a foothold in their thinking brain. 

By asking my dog to respect and act in accordance with these good, respectful behaviors I’m helping them shift back into their thinking brain. The more I ask them to figure out how to get from excited, stimulated, nervous, etc to calm and thoughtful, the more opportunities they have to navigate their internal landscape. They learn the path back to home base so well that they can get there quickly when needed.

Dog park dangers

Zoomies are part of the reason I avoid dog parks. Dog parks are usually full of dogs who don’t get enough exercise. Owners who “love” their dogs drive them to the fenced dog park and let them zoom around while they doom scroll. These dogs haven’t been trained to be safe off leash. They probably pull on the leash, which is why they aren’t getting walked. They use play and a fenced area as their only outlet for physical and mental stimulation. As we learned in quarantine, being locked up makes us more likely to take full advantage of the times we get to get out. The dog park is a breeding ground for an overly stimulated mindset, overly enthusiastic to the point of being dangerous play and inattentive owners.

The dogs I feel the worst about at dog parks are healthy dogs. Since most owners think zoomies are happy and healthy, the dog that steps in trying to stop the zoomies is often the one getting fussed at. Imagine booing the bouncer when they try to break up a bar fight. Healthy dogs are the dogs who get yelled at and disregulated dogs are the ones who get encouraged and rewarded. No wonder we have a dog problem in our culture.

A dog with leadership energy who takes on responsibility for the environment and the safety of the dogs in it will try to shut down an overly excited energy because it’s a disregulated and unsafe mindset. They do this by doing all the behaviors I discourage in play. They will race to cut the other dog off, body check them, try to pin them on the ground and stand over them, snapping at the dog till they regulate out of that dangerous and antisocial energy. It was absolutely incredible to see the dogs in my pack who would give this correction use the perfect pressure and timing and know exactly when the mindset had shifted back. Both dogs would shake it off and our enjoyable hike would continue.

A dog in a zoomies mindset is more likely to bodyslam, bite, bark at, hump, pin, stand over and overcorrect another dog inappropriately. If I felt someone grab my butt from behind, I may use my arms to push them away as I turn around to see what is going on. If I punched someone I wouldn't necessarily be wrong. I would be in an activated mindset - even a survival mindset. This isn’t an ideal response, but I wouldn't be wrong. Not only is a dog in a zoomies mindset likely to engage in a behavior another dog wouldn’t be wrong to correct them for, they are more likely to operate on instinct and overcorrect another dog. This could lead to a fight or a bite that could be easily avoided if both dogs were calm enough to be in a thinking mindset.

There is truly no harm in discouraging zoomies

My dogs don’t have less fun because of the bar I set for them, they get to have more. When my dogs are in public they are less likely to charge other dogs or play in a way that could start a fight. Because my dog knows they have to stay tuned in to me no matter how excited they get or what is going on around us, they are safe to take off leash and into stimulating environments. This means they get to enjoy more of the world, which is what truly makes for a good life. 

Not only that, but my dog gets to be a force of good in the world. Instead of harassing other dogs to the point of potentially traumatizing them because they think it’s “fun” or are too activated to read the room (and the dog’s energy and body language), my dog gets to be a healing presence - and she was.  If you think you have a “good” dog, if they are truly good in their heart, do you think they would rather be a negative energy that harms others emotionally or physically or a safe and healing force in the world? I think the latter, but they need our help!

Scout’s story

Sometimes a dog’s owner would join our hiking pack to learn how we manage their dog off leash and because seeing 7-20 dogs calmly hiking off leash was honestly a sight to behold. My other trainer and I always encouraged good manners and upheld healthy boundaries, especially around our personal space. Not only was this important for us keeping the dog (and the rest of the pack) safe and to reinforce good manners, but if a dog was so excited that they ran into us it could potentially break our leg, jeopardizing our livelihood.

When the dogs would play we wanted to keep the energy in long and low wavelengths. If the energy became short and steep (ie zoomies) we would say a calm “eaasy” or a slightly stronger “eh-eh” and start directing energy towards the dog with our body language. If they didn’t listen to a polite request we would move towards them, raising our voice, amplifying our body language, increasing the intensity of our energy and commands until we got the dog into a sit so they could reregulate or putting them back on leash. There was always a consequence for ignoring our commands.

When the dogs would play, if they got too close to us we would do a move I call “marching band knees.” Without moving my feet I raise my knees and the movement makes me less attractive as a space to get close to. If a dog did knock into us, we would have a large energetic response that would be memorable enough for the dog to maintain enough mental control when they were having fun to avoid us, which was a win/win.

When Scout’s owner joined us, Scout was very excited to find out that we knew each other since most of the dog’s never saw us and their owners at the same time! She was more amped than usual and when we stopped at the top of the trail to let the dogs play she flipped into an excited mindset. Because we had always set and maintained personal space boundaries, Scout kept track of where we were and used her breaks to avoid us. Her owner, who likely didn’t have the same consistent boundaries around personal space, didn’t get the same consideration. Scout the mini Aussie crashed into her owner with such force that it knocked her down. 

This shows that Scout was in her thinking brain enough to avoid the trainers and the consequence we would surely provide if she didn’t, but she didn’t care enough about her owner to do the same. This is why it’s so important to ask for the boundaries and respect we Need in excited moments in the calm moments where it isn’t essential to that interaction. 

Just because it’s common doesn’t make it normal

When I see videos of zoomies on instagram I see an owner who doesn’t understand dogs. I see an owner advertising that they are encouraging a potentially dangerous and antisocial behavior. I see an owner taking a clip out of what could be an otherwise calm life and pandering to other owners who don’t understand dogs for the positive reinforcement they get every time someone “likes” it. It makes me sad and it makes me worried. It makes the world unsafe for the dogs and humans that that dog encounters and for that dog themselves. 

Now that you know all this, pivot your perspective on zoomies and respond to them appropriately: 

-Learn to read your dog’s mindset and energy so you can step in and ask them to regulate before they get out of control

-Always test to see if your dog can pause or stop when you ask nicely

-Practice the good manners your dog needs in the moments that don’t matter so they will have access to them in the moments that they do

-Call your dog away from another dog with the zoomies - whether they are joining in or trying to correct, that dog zooming with no breaks is dangerous and their energy is contagious

-Practice having safe fun and incorporate pauses into your play

-spread the good word and send this article to the dog owners in your life to help me change the world and make it a better, safer place for dogs

If it ain't workin', stop doing it!

I get calls from a lot of owners who are struggling in some area of their life with their dog.

"I keep going to the dog park and my dog is having problems"

"I keep letting my dog off leash and they don't listen"

"I keep having people over and my dog always jumps on them"

I feel like a big part of my job is saying things that people respond to with "oh, that seems so obvious now that you've said it." Here is my gift to you: if it isn't working, stop doing it. 

If I keep having a problem it's a sign that I have over-faced my dog and I need to step back, regroup and re-approach. It's not enough to stop doing the thing (which you should, for now, if you keep getting the same bad result). In order to change the outcome, you need to address the underlying causes outside of the high intensity situation.

That's where a good trainer comes in! While you are researching trainers or waiting for your appointment, stop doing the troublesome activity or avoid the tough situation. I love to advise my clients on what changes they can make in their behavior and the way they relate to their dog that will have exponential effects on the way that their dog views the world and conducts themselves in it. 

For now, if it ain't working, it’s best to take a break (and get a trainer on the phone!).