Anyone who has had a puppy or a young dog during the Christmas season will know the havoc that ensues when the puppy first ‘meets’ the fully-decorated tree. Around here tails are the worst offenders – both Callen’s and the older dogs’ tails sweep ornaments off the lower branches with great regularity.
Inquisitive puppy noses and their innate desire to ‘taste’ everything are of great concern for two reasons – 1) I don’t want my decorations redecorated with tooth marks and, 2) I don’t want to have to pay for a surgical removal of said decorations from a puppy gut. After having Riley with me thru his first Christmas season, I learned that the tree needs to be in the living room so it’s not in an area where the dogs are constantly, and most of all that an ex-pen in front of and around the tree is a must.
Three years ago the shortest ex-pen I had was 24″ tall and it looked like the tree was in prison. I tended to take it down because I didn’t like the way it looked and of course then Riley would knock something off or try to eat an ornament. This year I have an ex-pen that was made for small animals (guinea pigs, rabbits, etc). It is only 12″ tall and is coated with blue and green plastic – not too unattractive. The height is the best as it gives the dogs a visual barrier but doesn’t hide the tree.
Now it doesn’t prevent the dogs’ tails from sweeping ornaments off the tree, nor does it stop Callen from reaching over and snagging an ornament. But it does give them a physical reminder to stay away from the tree. We made sure not to hang anything too tempting at nose level and the living room is gated off when we’re not in there so constant supervision isn’t required. And the longer the tree is up the less ‘new’ it is and Callen’s curiosity will diminish.
Mike did hang a small metal bell on a branch that sticks out near the ex-pen. After showing it to Callen and ringing it, he hung it on the tree. A bit later Callen was sniffing the tree and her nosing made the bell ring. We didn’t say anything but she backed off from the tree. During the evening she would go by and ‘ring’ the bell – touching it with her nose just enough to make it tinkle.
Callen't bell
It was pretty cute and on the plus side, it was the only ornament she bothered as it apparently has piqued her interest.
