Are real Christmas trees safe to have with a new puppy?

[Coffeeeeee]

I was really hoping that we would be able to stick to our tradition of having a large, real Christmas in the living room this year. We have a new puppy who is 11 weeks old, I have just heard from a work colleague that pine needles are really dangerous for puppies especially if eaten. Does anybody who has a dog/puppy have a real tree or is it better to buy an artificial one? Thanks xx

www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/christmas-plants-and-safety-around-dogs.html

You should be fine - just don't let him chew the lights!

'Most species of Christmas tree are of low toxicity, but oils from the needles may be irritating to the mouth and stomach, causing excessive salivation, vomiting and diarrhoea if chewed. Needles from these trees are sharp and can cause physical injury.'

A young dog like that will need supervision around the tree and removing from the room when no one is available to supervise. But this is much like a turning else with a pup that age - active supervision or being put somewhere safe.

At that age I would expect constant supervision anyway around anything that could be chewed.