Keeping Decorating Fun for You and Your Dog

Christmas Tree Decorating Day can be more stress than you are willing to face. Many choose to make cookies, decorate the house and tree all while tripping over dogs, kids, boxes and such. Before you ban your kids and dogs from the festivities that you know will create lasting fond memories, try these ideas to ensure everyone has a part of the fun.

• If your dog loves to carry things for you, give him a job. Let them fetch and carry things such as unbreakable decorations, garland rolls, stockings, anything you think he’ll carry for you, let him!
• If your dog isn’t into carrying, work on some obedience commands such as heel, sit, down and wait. Or put his bed in a central but out of the way area and give him a bone, filled kong or favorite dog I.Q. hidden treat interactive game while you work!

• Don’t forget to take ‘play’ breaks for all of you. Go for a walk, maybe in the snow, after the tree is up and check to be sure you can see your tree through the window.  The time you spent decorating your tree is what will be remembered, not what was put on the tree so have fun and show it off to the world.

Be sure to take the fun outside to your agility course so you can invite friends over for a fun time playing on decorated equipment. Take all the extra lights and garland with you, you’ll need it!

• Try wrapping your jumps in lights and have a light-up agility course and do a “night light” run.
• If you can’t get electricity to your course, wrap your jumps in pretty garland
• Don’t forget your jump wings!  Put small Christmas trees or blow up snowmen in front of wings for a change.
• Decorate your dogwalk with Santa and his sleigh going up the side or under the center.  That’s something you don’t see every day!!!
• Scatter other large decorations around the course and use them as obstacles for your dog to go around.

After you’re done decorating indoors and out, run a course with your dog!  You both deserve to relax and have some fun now. And don’t forget to invite your friends over to try out your winter wonderland dog agility course as well. Oh, and remember not to allow your dog free access to your course after it’s decorated.