How to protect your christmas presents from your dogs

Dogs are an incredibly important part of the family.

Our four-legged friends are loyal companions, by your side through thick and thin. Therefore they are sure to be around during your Christmas time festivities.

While it’s important to include your pets over the holidays, there are some special measures that may need to be taken to keep them safe… and your Christmas gifts intact!

Beautiful bows and chompable tags can easily become targets for curious noses and playful paws.

If you are looking for ways to keep your presents in one piece – and stress at bay – while still including your pets in all the fun, read on for some tips and tricks on how to do just that:

Don’t keep presents under the tree

While it may be a tradition to keep your Christmas gifts under the tree, this makes them a much easier target for dogs on the hunt for something to chew.

Along with this, pets may already feel inclined to play with, or attack, a Christmas tree. Therefore, adding more items of interest around this area may encourage such actions.

This can be an issue as not only are Christmas trees toxic to pets, but they are often covered in breakable decorations and hazardous tinsel and lights.

This is why you might want to puppy-proof your Christmas tree!

Keeping your presents on a raised surface, out of reach, or in a strong container of some kind, will help to avoid accidents and keep your precious presents safe.

A pet gate

If keeping your presents out of reach or locked away isn’t an option, or you truly don’t want to break tradition, then putting a pet barrier between prying paws and gifts can be the next best thing.

Purchasing a pet gate to act as a barrier to your Christmas tree will mean that you still get to display your gift-wrapping handiwork to family and friends, without risking disaster from chewing, tearing or the tree itself being knocked over.

There are many different sizes of pet barrier available, meaning that regardless of the size of your canine, your home can easily be doggy-proofed.

Get them their own present

This means that your pets will be getting involved with the excitement in a safe way, and will not need to pay attention to your gifts.

There are plenty of safe Christmas gifts for dogs available these days, some which you can even make for yourself if you have a tight budget!

Making sure that your pet has something to chew on, or play with, while you open your gifts and enjoy the festivities, will reduce unwanted behaviour and mean that your pet feels pampered and cared for.

Another great way to make sure that your pets are safe this Christmas is to have dog insurance to ensure they are covered in case of any unforeseen accidents, so you can have peace of mind this festive season.