Paws-itive Perspectives: Seasonal challenges for your dog

By Angel Dumoulin on November 20, 2025.

The Holiday Season is upon us! For many humans, autumn is the best time of year, they get to snuggle into a warm sweater with their pumpkin spice, shopping and parties in preparation for the Christmas season.

It’s predictably stressful for everyone involved. Having company in your house, different and sometimes extravagant foods, gift items and wrapping paper and decorations make being stuck inside not only bearable but bright and festive. It’s too dark and chilly to really enjoy being outside so much so we turn the heat up a couple of notches and settle in for the crazy or cozy season.

You know who doesn’t understand the joy this season brings? Your dog, that’s who!

Instead of long walks and outdoor games, they are expected to lay around and watch as people come into their home and eat foods that are sometimes left within easy reach for a dog, but they aren’t allowed to touch it.

The fun outdoor play and games that used to exercise their brain and body have been replaced with a quick walk around the block and a serious talking to about not jumping on the guests or licking the plates.

In the summer they were allowed to pee on a tree or rip a little branch off occasionally to chew it. Now you’ve brought a tree into your house and when they pee or chew on it, they get a severe reprimand and sent to bed. They, like us, are getting much less exercise, but unlike us, their enrichment has seriously declined.

They feel all the stress of the season, but without any of the fun. On behalf of dogs everywhere, I’d like to remind owners that you decided to get a pet to share your life and home with. Dogs are not seasonal, they are life-long, but not your whole life. Their life is much shorter and as a pet in a confined urban home, it’s much more restrictive than yours.

Help them enjoy their time with you by including them when possible and making arrangements ahead of time for when they can’t be included in festivities.

If you have a dog who just can’t cope and you don’t know how to help them, call a dog trainer! Any of us should be able to help you set up management and training strategies to help you and your dog to enjoy the Holiday Season together.

Angel Dumoulin of Funny Farm Canine is a positive reinforcement trainer with 20+ years of experience, dedicated to humane, science-based methods that build trust, cooperation, and joy. Emphasizing compassion and respect, she fosters a partnership between dogs and owners without fear or force – only motivation, play, and clear communication. Her philosophy, “dominion over domination,” champions empathy and understanding, allowing each dog’s unique personality to shine. Play. Learn. Wag!

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