Puppies and Christmas Trees!

[Whatevertheweather]

Just thinking ahead to Christmas….our Boxer pup will be 11 months old by then, am I totally unrealistic thinking we can have a Christmas Tree in the lounge as usual?? 🙈

First year I didn't bother as he was still only a few months old but I think some people put theirs inside a playpen which seemed sensible.

Second year he watched me put the tree up and totally ignored it. However I stupidly used an old box to wrap a present in and put that under the tree. One shredded present later I realised that box had delivered some dog food in it . He never did attack anything else.

Our pup was only 6 months at Christmas. He wasn't fussed by the tree at all.

My ddogs have never bothered...
Just don't hang any edible decorations on it!

First year I put a smaller tree in a zinc bucket on top of an old bedside table in the bay window just to 'set him up for success'. Will try proper one this year, could go either way (VanPup is stick boi ...).
Actual Xmas Day he enjoyed so much! He got to open a wrapped up pigs ear when we did out presents.

We use a playpen round the tree. We have several dogs and it's easier this way.

Ours never bothered but we didn’t put food presents under there

It never crossed my mind to not have a tree when ours was a pup , he was about 7/ 8 months at Christmas and he’s always been fine with them . We don’t leave any presents out though because he will unwrap anything left to his own devices as he thinks all presents are for him . We also have an artificial tree so not sure if that makes a difference .

Mine was 8 months for their first Xmas and didn't even appear to notice.

Snooppup was only 15 weeks last Christmas. He destroyed a lovely Santa decoration, chewed the tree branches and there was mass murder in the manger! Hoping for a calmer time this year.

Right you have all given me hope it’s definitely worth a go…..playpen not really an option space wise so may have to wing it and hope for the best! He does love to steal forbidden things so will just have to put the best ornaments at the top of the tree!! DC will be relieved, their faces were very sad when I said it might not work!

We had a beautiful adult rescue lurcher. He had never been inside in his life and we got him a few months before Xmas. Bless him he took one look at the Xmas tree and pissed on it. Our own fault and I just remember it so fondly as he was so lovely and really enjoyed his comforts of living with us he just genuinely thought we had provided an indoor toilet for him. This was the dog we moved onto a very cramped boat with and it wasn't until our friends came round and pointed out how much space he had, and his bed right next to the fire we realised how much we spoilt him. He deserved all of it though, such a gentle soul but not very clever and was bullied by the cat.

DDog was completely unbothered by the Christmas tree and left it alone, thank goodness.

But we didn't leave her alone with it, just in case, and didn't put presents underneath it until Christmas morning (just in case anyone had given us chocolates or other indigestibles) to reduce the time a potential hazard was in place

Our pup was 6 months old for her first christmas and she wasn't at all interested in the tree!

Christmas is saved!!

Just be extra vigilant with DC and things like chocolate coins and other choc treats/stocking fillers because the emergency vet is not where you want to spend christmas day!!!

My boy (cocker spaniel) was approx 5 months old for his first Christmas. He sniffed the tree a couple of times and attempted to take a bauble but we just told him no and he was fine. I do have a jingly bauble which I usually put at the bottom of the tree so I can hear if he's 'investigating' the tree. He's 10 now and I still put the jingly bauble on just in case.

Love the jingly bauble idea! Totally going to try that!

Depends SO much on the dog. We have no breakables below tail wagging height, for the lab who has always ignored rawhide candy canes and the Christmas teddy (unwrapped under tree because pretty and festive). The spaniel was very keen on baubles for a few days, but quickly learnt they weren’t as much fun as approved toys. Terrier eyes it warily and mostly avoids apart from during the odd game of “cannonballs” with puppy. The current pup has shredded a few felt decorations, and tried to remove tinsel. We won’t be having edible decorations for the foreseeable future! I had jingle bells all round the base this year, but the small ones - thank God not the lab - all drank the tree water, so it got a bit noisy. They trampled everything underneath to get at it, too.