December is well underway and Christmas is getting closer, which means many people are starting to put their decorations up for the festive period. As well as making your house look pretty, your decorations actually represent a hazard for your dog.

Bright colours, hanging baubles and flashing lights can be very tempting for your pooch, which could result in decorations getting broken and even worse, your dog getting injured. With this in mind, you should take steps to try and avoid your dog getting too excited this Christmas and taking an unhealthy interest in your decorations.

Keep an eye on them

The lure of decorations can be a bit much for some dogs so you should be sure to keep an eye on your pet. Stop them getting to close or attempting to play with decorations.

After being told off enough times, they should start to get the message and will likely leave the tree alone.

Don't leave them alone

Even if your dog doesn't seem to have any interest in your decorations, you shouldn't leave them alone with any large decorations that could cause damage to your home or pet, such as your Christmas tree.

While a bit of tinsel out of reach or an ornament on a shelf might not be an issue, you shouldn't leave them alone with anything they can reach.

Find all the pieces

If something does get broken, you should make sure you have all the pieces. This will stop your dog from getting hold of any pieces that could be sharp as well as ensure your dog hasn't already swallowed something.

If you suspect your dog has swallowed part of a decoration, you should get them checked out by your vet as soon as possible as it could lead to problems down the line.

Give them their own toy

It is a good idea to give something to your dog when you get the decorations out to put up in the first place. Providing them with their own toy alongside stopping them from going near any decorations will help reinforce the fact that your Christmas sparkles aren't theirs to play with.

A toy will also keep them occupied when putting the tree up, which is likely to stop them from getting under foot and make the process easier.

Written by: Hannah