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InFocus

Christmas arrangements can inadvertently stress pets

Francesca Riccomini discusses the issues brought about by the festive season, how pets cope and react with signs of discomfort, anxiety and fear, and how making alternative arrangements can be best.

CHRISTMAS is nearly upon us, people are busy, plans are being made.

When recently I asked an acquaintance where he would spend the festive season his answer was swift: “With my daughter down south.”

“What,” I enquired, “about your dog?” – his only live-in companion since his wife died. “Oh, he’s coming too” – then rather endearingly, “otherwise I wouldn’t go.”

“But doesn’t she have a dog?”

“Yes, they get on fine,” was the unequivocal reply, which set me thinking.

Pleasant as he is, this chap has upset a number of other people in the organisation to which we both belong. Some of them have been deeply offended.

He has been entirely oblivious but over a prolonged period has cut a swathe through one section of the group after another, spectacularly failing to notice all the indicators that he was behaving inappropriately, had said the wrong thing or been incredibly tactless handling one situation after another.

In fact, so bad had things become that recently when something was gently drawn to his attention, the toys well and truly came out of the pram and he was off, spitting tacks, leaving a number of exhausted and disgruntled others in his wake. So what has this to do with companion animal behaviour?

Well, let’s ponder for a moment his Christmas plans. This actually quite kind and well-motivated man just happens to be pretty hopeless at “reading” other members of his own species.

Subtle or even overt language clues simply pass him by, while non-verbal indicators of another’s emotional state may as well not exist where he is concerned. Neither does he appear to be capable of much in the way of sensitivity or self-awareness.

Are we then confident that this person is really capable of knowing whether or not his beloved pet is coping with any novel, unusual or highly arousing event? If others of his own kind prove such a challenge, what are the chances he will be able to interpret how his dog is feeling in any potentially tricky situation, or possibly even during everyday encounters with people and/or their pets?

The risks of misunderstanding or miscalculation will also surely be increased when the alternative to joining his family for the holiday period would be spending a notoriously stressful public holiday alone.

Unfortunately, this dog’s owner is not alone in finding social relationships perplexing, whichever species is concerned.

Unskilled at interpretation

Many people appear to be remarkably unskilled at interpreting what their canine companion is quite clearly indicating in the way of emotional discomfort, anxiety or even sometimes blatant fear.

The educated outsider may well be agitated when observing a dog’s lip-licking, blinking and face-turning signals that are being completely overlooked by owners – let alone the pawing that many find so charming, and misinterpret, not understanding that in the circumstances in which the animal finds itself, far from the “wanting to introduce oneself” of human society, this is a signal of arousal and anxiety.

Most of us can understand backing away – so long as this strategy is physically available to the leashed dog, surrounded by other people and pets – then of course we need to act speedily and appropriately to defuse the rising tension, which is another area where owners often slip-up.

Urging dogs that are obviously not coping with the situation to “make friends”, share their toys and/or the attention of people that they prize so highly is frequently a recipe for disaster on either this occasion or the next when similar circumstances are replicated.

Things may be bad enough for the visiting pooch knowingly encroaching on another’s space, but spare a thought for the dog whose home – his or her core area which should be a sanctuary of security – is invaded by another, which may or may not be familiar.

Familiar here is not necessarily though, as many owners mistakenly assume, equivalent to liked or valued as a companion.

Range of reactions to sharing domain

So sharing one’s domain with others, whether known or completely novel, can from the “host” pet’s point of view range from a mildly arousing and stressful but potentially positive experience, to a complete nightmare.

The latter is often compounded by limited space, frenetic households and human expectations of dogs that are radically unrealistic. It can, after all, be upsetting for people who are fond of each other to accept that their pets do not feel the same way.

Intentionally or not, in such situations pressure is often brought to bear upon the hapless creatures in circumstances over which the animals have no control.

Who the visitors are, when they arrive, how introductions are effected – in an outside neutral space, giving time for adjustment and tentative relationship-building, for example, or straight into the house without anyone thinking to remove potential sources of competition and conflict, such as food, toys and favoured resting places – are all determined by humans.

Humans who may or may not understand canine behaviour have the sensitivity to correctly interpret dogs’ social signals or know how to act appropriately if things get tense.

Not as ideal

“Obvious” arrangements may not be as ideal as they seem. When pets are truly part of the family or someone’s main companion in life, holiday arrangements can be a major challenge. It’s a fairly natural assumption that taking the dog along too is the best solution, while for many owners it’s the strategy that feels most comfortable for them.

And for sure, when dogs do genuinely get on well, such visits, especially if handled with awareness and care, can be entirely positive. Even when accompanied by the high arousal of Christmas, excited humans, unpredictable noises – crackers exploding, corks popping and reworks booming – everyone is happy, arrangements are flexible and life from the human perspective is straightforward.

As the post New Year surge in behaviourists’ workloads frequently attests, however, it can also often be a costly mistake, both financially and emotionally, for owners to cling to the belief that the best and only way to deal with public holidays is by taking their pets along wherever they go.

Sometimes from the dog’s perspective – no matter how well bonded they may be to a holidaying owner – a comfortable stay with a familiar friend or neighbour or in a well-run kennel, managed by knowledgeable and caring professionals, may well be a very much more attractive and less problematic prospect.

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