First Christmas with a dog

[BigWig78]

Just wondering what people with dogs do on Christmas morning? Quick pee for them then walk after present opening? Or walk first with a wait for presents? My “kids” are old enough to not mind waiting- in fact as teens I have been waiting for them to waken up these past two years I’m sure. But in planning the day, I just wondered when the walk might be.

Dog stocking or gifts? Food? Or just another day for the dog?

Number 1 tip is keep them away from chocolate advent calendars … and glass baubles.
when kids were teens we kept the dog in his normal routine …so if usually had a walk at 8am he did the same on Xmas day

Dog walk first (usually about 6am to avoid everyone else and their dogs) then presents once we’re all showered and changed. Dog walk again after presents. Then Christmas lunch. Then another dog walk about 7pm.

Dogs get their usual food and usual day. But they get some scraps. Honestly, it is just any other day for them minus the fact there’s usually 9 of us instead of four! Even when DDs were younger it wasn’t particularly ‘special’ for the dogs. Altogether my mother dresses her Cocker up as a reindeer…

We still have a 6 year old DD do presents are early! We've always done quick pee and breakfast for the dog. Then presents and he'll get walked at some point in the morning. He gets very excited at Christmas as he knows he gets presents too so he's happy to wait and play with his new toy. He's a chilled out dog though and doesn't have a set routine so won't cause havoc waiting for a walk.
Do you always have an early morning walk? Do you have a high energy dog?

Depends on your dog. Mine have always been pretty relaxed about not getting a walk until later in the day but DILs dog would be destructive if no walk immediately upon waking.
also lots of dogs will really enjoy the process of opening gifts, maybe getting a new toy themselves, and that is a nice activity for them anyway.
I’ve always done a couple of dog gifts personally and something a bit nicer for though I’m strict with food the rest of the year, so they get sick if I give them too much, so i do normal food plus a couple of treats, or maybe a slightly nicer but more exciting breakfast like some kibble and scrambled eggs and dinner would be their usual with a few bits of turkey and veggies thrown in. I also get them involved with family photos and normally get them some sort of Christmas accessory to wear but it never lasts more than 5mins

if you’ve got teens with lots of little bits of stuff like wires and batteries, and chocolate out, do be careful! DILs same dog also eats wrapping paper, and I imagine if allowed to do that much there would be quite a vet bill for the blockage. So just see what works for your dog and how involved they can be. Maybe their excitement will make dc feel a bit more magical too, sometimes that can go in the teen years!

I don’t have a routine with my dog , so he can be walked at any time during day , weather or my plans dependant.
As PPs have said will he be a pest if he doesn’t get taken out first thing ?

Depends on dog. If v young, will likely be up early so breakfast, early loo walk and back for a snooze while rest of house is waking up. Really the thing you should be most concerned with on Christmas Day is being vigilant vigilant vigilant. Stocking chocolate/foil/mince pies/turkey bones/clear the table/put lid on bin etc.

Walk the dog first, then you can relax and enjoy present opening time

We don’t have a set routine- it varies day to day with walks etc so Christmas morning I let d dog out to toilet, put Christmas light on in doors ready for the children, feed the cats- then when teens come do their presents, I watch them do theirs- then I’ll help d dog with her stocking- then dh and I would have our gifts! If she was a high energy or really routine based dog, I’d walk her early so she could relax Christmas morning.

Glad you posted this! It's our first year with a dog as well (a 3 year old rescue lurcher (saluki x ?) that we got in March).

Do people buy dogs gifts? My (just turned) 7 year old is desperate to get her some...

I let mine out on the garden for a wee - just as I do every morning. Walk then after the presents, which also is normal as it was either walk after dropping kids off at school/train or after breakfast on weekends. If the kids are old enough why don’t they walk them while you/DH get on with food preparation. Or if you’re an early bird you can take dug for walk before everyone else is up.
As for gifts yes a few treats and a new toy.

Yes! Mine love ripping and shredding the wrapping paper (though as I mentioned above my DILs eats it so you know your dog best and if that’s safe) and then finding the toys or treats inside. Mine spin around in excitement, I’m sure your dc would enjoy buying the gifts and seeing that Christmas morning. I just got a couple of cheap things usually like a Christmassy squeaker from PAH. And then maybe one nicer toy that would last. And maybe a long lasting chew to keep them busy a bit in the day. They’d normally only open one or two though before they got bored or were too into the new toy to care about anything else.

Apparently, greyhounds make GREAT reindeer so your lovely Saluki lurcher would be ideal .

( I was at work one day - visiting someone at home- and the bloke said "are you ok if the dog comes in?" . I had finished what I was doing and said yes. This beautiful vision sloped in. I knew she was greyhound cross but the Saluki gave her the edge . That dog was amazing)

Though I cannot encourage dressing animals up unless they like it 😉.
Our cats would have an utter shit fit if we tried to give them bat wings for Hallowe'en.

Your dog might like Reindeer Antlers For Dogs . Maybe not 😉

With adult kids I would stick to your normal walk in the morning, then pressies - thats what we do, our dog tends to get so involved in the excitement of the day- he defo knows something different is going on ! - hes normally knackered by tea time!

My absolute top tip though, buy the big Pets at home advent calendar, it's fab!!!

I open the back door and dog has a wee in the garden! Sometimes she has a run at the beach or a walk through a park, but not at a set time so we aren't tied to a timetable.

Friends use a baby, surround thing for their tree to stop their dog taking baubles. Our dog is absolutely ball obsessed, but had never tried to take baubles.

One year I took a wrapped, little gift of doggy treats to my in-laws and 'hid' it high in their tree. Their dog simply jumped up, tore it open and ate the lot!

You will find all manner of Christmas themed gifts, food and chews for dogs leading to Christmas. Some of the colourful chews (wreaths, candy cane shapes etc) are from dubious sources and I read an article one about the chemicals and colours in them- so I avoid. My dog can be sensitive to unknown treats, so I don't buy any Christmas themed food and would never consider doggy 'wine, beer, champagne etc' and yes, they sell it! Mine would be more than happy with some carrots and whatever meat we are eating.

Dog walk first. It's actually quite a lovely thing to do on Christmas morning. And definitely pressies for Ddog to open with everyone else. They love opening presents and you can get some amazing things for dogs these days. Also (unless your dog has health problems) don't forget to give them a Christmas dinner. But do be careful with leaving chocolates around or any on the tree because that way lies trouble.

Wow thank you all!
Im thinking that no one will be that fussy for an early start but this is my first year not working for ages (nurse) so I am quite excited for an early walk with a coffee in my travel mug and coming home to the lit up tree and wakening everyone else up for presents! Dog wouldn’t mind a quick pee walk round the block (doesn’t like to pee in the garden any more) if it’s rainy though!
Great tip re chocolate- though one teen is dairy free so doesn’t even get a chocolate orange. But in general I wouldn’t have remembered that in the festive period there could be a lot more access to chocolates around peoples houses etc. So we will be careful.
Im not sure what he’ll make of the tree, he’s not particularly into balls so the baubles sound survive but I don’t think I’ll leave presents u der the tree if he’s going to be alone in there. I think he will be most miffed that the tree will mean “his” seat in the bay window is not available for the month!!
I don’t think he’d like to dress up, but maybe accepting of a smart wee tartan or red bow tie for a photo or two! And will deffo get him a stocking of gifts to open 🤣🐾

My last dog would have a walk after the turkey was put in the oven, which was after we'd had breakfast and then opened presents. She never really had a set walk time, just one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening.
I don't remember her being a pain around the tree, but our puppy will be 11 months and I feel she won't be as easy around it. Thankfully the tree will be in the conservatory this year and we have a puppy gate to close it off.

I’ve always thought it important with my dogs that they get what they need, but the routine isn’t to rigid. You see dogs who’s days run like clockwork can get anxious when things change.

Thst said I love using my dog as an excuse some days- oh I must take dog out now- and it gets me a break.

We don’t have a rigid routine - always go into the garden first thing but their long walk can be any time of day. So at Christmas it’s normally DH taking them out while lunch is being made with whoever wants to join.

mine don’t get presents but they do get a portion of Christmas lunch

Our dog likes to open his presents before going on a long walk.

Ours too. My family already rejected my suggestion for a tabletop tree so that is going to be “fun” in an open plan house.

our routine is a quick morning run around the garden and a walk a bit later anyway so that isn’t an issue.

puppy is absolutely getting presents.

Every single dog I've ever had has enjoyed opening presents and eating xmas dinner and didn't mind the change in routine. Dogs were/are used to being let out in the garden for 'toilet' and a run around. Main walk after dinner. For anyone thinking that they don't know it's xmas, they know it's a special day. One year at my parents, we caught my dog pinching presents from their dog - literally walking over to DP's dog's small pile of wrapped presents and taking them over to his! As for presents, it's usually a new squeaky toy and dog treats.

Walks we don’t have a certain routine with, we’ll do at least one with ours though but just morning and later afternoon. My dog always has a stocking and presents! My children love seeing her “open” them, and she also has all the meats we have as well, the plain bits. Oh she also partakes in the matching pyjamas and has a Good Boy Ollie advent calendar that she has everyday when the children open theirs 😂 yes I am a loser and no I don’t care! 😀

I already posted but other things to keep out of reach are fruit cake, Christmas pudding, mince pies etc because raisins are also toxic to dogs.