Sticks! (branches) Balls! (ornaments) Bowl of water! (tree stand)
No wonder your pup wants nothing more than to play with your Christmas tree!
Here are our favorite tips to best dog-proof your Christmas tree.
We skip ornament balls altogether. They are just too similar to our pups' favorite toys and are just asking for trouble. IF I were to hang some, I'd make sure they were not glass, unbreakable plastic, and hung high.
Artificial trees are much less enticing. They don't have a bowl of water at the bottom and don't have the tempting scents of fresh branches.
We skip the metal ornament hooks. Those can be big trouble if swallowed! Instead, we use ribbons or yarn.
Tie it down! For enthusiastic rompers, we have secured our tree with extra string and hooks. Think of how you would secure an inflatable lawn decoration- that's how we do it!
Make the presents less interesting. We never leave wrapped gifts of food under the tree. We also skip leaving small gifts wrapped under the tree or loose ribbons.
Skip the tinsel. We are a house divided on tinsel. Chris loves it and I (Corinne) am a hard pass. The dogs made this decision easy for us. Tinsel can be very dangerous for dogs if ingested, causing a blockage or wrapping around the intestines.
And remember, if all else fails, there's always a baby gate!
