Hosting overnight guests in your home can potentially be a stressful event for your dog, especially if they are visiting for a long period for time. Your dog is most likely used to a routine and schedule, and their rhythm is likely to be thrown off while company is in town. Consider using these tips to keep your dog comfortable when you have company staying at your home.
How to Keep Your Dog Comfortable When You Have Company Staying at Your Home
Maintain Your Routine
When you have company staying in your home, it’s imperative that you maintain your dog’s usual routine. Feed them at normal hours, commence with regular walking times, and keep on track with any other scheduled activities. Adhering to a routine is important for dogs, and sticking to it when you have overnight guests is absolutely necessary for a smooth experience. Strange people are in your home and breaking up your dog’s sense of normalcy. Anything you can do to keep your dog’s routine in order while you have company is important.
Give Them Extra Attention
You’re probably focusing a lot of your attention on your house guests, understandably so. But make sure to let Fido know you didn’t forget about him! Take time to enjoy walks just the two of you, or head into a quiet room for a game of fetch. Your dog may be getting attention from your company, but it’s important that he knows that he is still your number one!
Create a Safe Space
If your dog has a kennel or safe space that they like to retreat to, be sure it’s readily available when you have company staying at your home. The noise and potential chaos may be a lot for Fido to handle at times. If the kennel is in a high traffic area, consider moving it to a quiet place. This way your dog can enjoy some serenity if they need to escape the commotion.
Don’t Allow Your Guests to Feed the Dog…Too Much
I don’t know about you, but when I have guests (or take Wynston somewhere) everyone wants to give him treats and human food. For Wynston it’s fine to a certain extent, but I don’t want him to end up with an upset tummy. Be mindful of what your company is feeding him, or let them know up front not to feed him at all. It’s a great idea to lay out the rules when your guests arrive, or be sure to pay attention to how much he’s being fed. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of food in your house while company is in town, so pick up some dog-friendly human food to share, like watermelon and carrots, and encourage your guests to feed Fido those specific snacks.
Remind Your Guests to Close Doors and Gates
If you have an adventurer (or even if not) remind your company to make sure they shut any doors or gates behind them. You don’t want Fido to end up wandering away because someone wasn’t watching their feet. If your dog doesn’t wear a collar in the home, consider putting their collar on just in case.
Keep Them Calm
You may have a pup who gets anxious around new people. If that’s the case, consider keeping them calm with a natural agent such as lavender or hemp oil. I recommend HempMy Pet, as I’ve seen it work for Wynston. If you have a different calming treat or medication that works for your dog, use it if need be. It’s only fair to keep your dog as comfortable as possible if they may get anxiety among new people. Another way to keep them calm is to create that safe, quiet space that I mentioned above. You can even add some calming, classical music to the mix. Here are several great tips for keeping your dog calm under difficult circumstances.
Use Positive Reinforcement
Your dog may be new to the concept of guests in your house, or perhaps they are new to people in general. When Fido demonstrates good behavior around the company staying in your home, treat them accordingly. Use positive reinforcement methods of training to let your dog know that behaving around your overnight guests is a super great thing! Fido will soon associate guests in your home with positive rewards.
Hosting overnight guests in your home can be a fun experience for everyone involved. I bet your dog will love all of the attention, but it can become overwhelming. Put the above tips into play to keep your dog comfortable when you have company staying in your home.
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