How to Include Your Dog in Your Christmas Traditions
Updated: 4 days ago
Christmas changes everything at home. The tree goes up, visitors come and go, the house smells of baking and the routine goes out the window. Your dog notices all of it, often before December has even started. Some dogs love the buzz. Others find it confusing or a bit much. Including your dog in your traditions is a lovely way to share the season, and it can also help them feel settled while so much is changing. You don't need expensive outfits or complicated plans. Here are simple, safe ways to make your dog part of Christmas, from the countdown to the quiet days afterwards. A sniffy walk, a new chew and a quiet nap while the telly's on count as Christmas to most dogs.
THE SHORT ANSWER
The best way to include your dog in Christmas is through small, calm rituals rather than big events. Let them sniff the decorations as you put them up, and give them a cosy spot near the tree. Make a simple homemade advent countdown with treats or quick games. Bake a batch of dog-safe biscuits while you do your own baking. Give them their own present to open on Christmas morning before the busy part of the day, and a small plate of plain turkey and vegetables. Take them on your Christmas walk and let them settle beside you for the evening film. Keep their normal routine as much as you can, give them a quiet place to escape to and never push a worried dog to join in.
How Christmas feels to your dog
Dogs thrive on routine. Meals at the same time, regular walks and familiar sounds help them feel safe. Christmas changes much of that almost overnight.
Some dogs take it in their stride. Others get clingy, restless or unsettled. Small, predictable moments through the season give your dog something steady to hold on to. Even a quiet cuddle on the sofa before the day gets busy helps.
Putting up the decorations
To a dog, a box of decorations looks like a box of new toys. Let your dog sniff the safe items before you start, so their curiosity is satisfied early.
Let them watch while the tree goes up, rather than walking in to a finished, sparkly room. Keep fragile, edible and dangling decorations off the lower branches, and think about a low barrier around the base. Once it's done, give your dog a cosy blanket near the tree, so they can enjoy the lights with you. Read Christmas tree safety tips.
A countdown for your dog
A homemade advent countdown is easy and cheap. Use 24 small envelopes, paper bags or an egg box, and keep it somewhere your dog can't reach.
Each day, open one together. It might be a small treat, a note for a sniffing game or a new trick to try. Ask for a sit or a calm wait first, and it becomes a little daily training moment too. If your dog has a sensitive tummy, use games instead of food. Read advent calendars for dogs.
Baking together
If you bake at Christmas, make a small batch of dog biscuits at the same time. Plain flour or oats with mashed banana, or peanut butter without xylitol, is all you need.
Set up a bed or mat in the corner of the kitchen. Drop a treat on it now and then while you work, so your dog learns that lying calmly in the kitchen pays. When the biscuits have cooled, share one together. Read festive dog treat recipes.
Christmas morning
Christmas morning can get hectic fast. Paper everywhere, children excited and everyone opening presents at once. Give your dog their own moment first.
Wrap a toy or chew loosely, and let your dog open it before the rest of the family starts. Give their breakfast before the busy part of the day too, perhaps with a few blueberries or a spoon of plain yoghurt on top if it suits them. Then hand them a long-lasting chew in their safe spot while the wrapping paper flies. Read Christmas morning with dogs.
Family traditions
Many family traditions are easy to share with your dog. They don't need to understand the film or join the board game. They just need to be close by. A few ideas to try:
the Christmas walk: pick a quieter route and let your dog sniff as much as they like
film night: give your dog a blanket next to you on the sofa
visiting family: take their bed, bowl and a favourite toy, so somewhere new feels familiar
a festive photo: take the same photo each year, like your dog by the tree
Busy Christmas markets and crowded events are best skipped for most dogs. If your dog finds crowds hard, it's kinder to leave them at home somewhere quiet and warm.
Food and the dinner table
Food is a big part of Christmas, and dogs notice. Prepare a small plate of dog-safe food before you cook, like plain turkey with no skin or bones and a few plain vegetables.
Give it during a calm moment, or put it in a food toy while you eat. Ask guests not to feed your dog from the table, and keep your dog's usual mealtime spot the same. Read what not to feed your dog at Christmas dinner.
A calm evening wind-down
By the evening, many dogs are tired without realising it. A short, sniffy walk after dinner helps them let off steam.
Back home, dim the lights and give your dog their favourite blanket and a long-lasting chew. Chewing helps dogs relax. Let them doze near you while you enjoy the rest of the evening.
If your dog finds Christmas hard
Not every dog enjoys the festive season. Visitors, noise and change can be a lot. For a worried dog, small, steady routines matter even more.
Set up a quiet retreat, like a crate with the door open or a spare room behind a gate. Let visitors know your dog may want space, and let your dog choose whether to say hello. Keep walks, meals and bedtime as normal as you can. Read how to prepare your dog for holiday visitors.
After Christmas
When the decorations come down, let your dog sniff things as you pack them away. Then spend extra time outdoors in the first days of January.
A few long, sniffy walks help your dog settle back into normal life after all the excitement. It's a lovely, quiet way to finish the season together.
RENEE'S TIP
Start one small tradition this year that's just for you and your dog. It might be a walk on Christmas Eve morning, a photo by the tree or opening their present together before anyone else wakes up. Repeat it every year. Your dog will learn to expect it, and you'll have a lovely set of memories to look back on.
QUICK CHECK
ā Let your dog sniff decorations and watch the tree go up
ā Make a simple countdown with treats or quick games
ā Give your dog their own present before the busy part of the day
ā Prepare a plate of plain, dog-safe food in advance
ā Keep a quiet retreat and their normal routine
FREE DOWNLOAD FROM RENEE
Christmas with Your Dog
A free guide with the Christmas dangers to know about, a plan for the busy days and who to ring if your dog needs a vet on Christmas Day.
ONE-TO-ONE HELP
Help with a dog who struggles at Christmas
If your dog finds visitors, noise or the busy days hard, I can help you plan a calmer Christmas in an online Dog Behaviour Consultation from wherever you are.
Online on Teams, wherever you are. 30 or 60 minutes.
FAQs
How can I include my dog in Christmas?
Small rituals work best, like a daily countdown, their own present, a Christmas walk and a cosy spot by the tree.
Can my dog have Christmas dinner?
A small plate of plain turkey with no skin or bones and a few plain vegetables is fine for most dogs.
Should I buy my dog a Christmas present?
If you like. A new toy or chew, wrapped loosely, is a lovely way to include them.
How do I keep my dog calm at Christmas?
Keep their routine as normal as you can, give them a quiet retreat and let them take breaks.
Should my dog come to Christmas markets?
Most dogs find them too busy and loud. It's usually kinder to leave them at home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Renee Patience Ā· National Dog Trainer of the Year 2025
Founder and head trainer of Paws Academy, with more than 30 years training dogs and a Level 6 Diploma in Applied Canine Behaviour. Renee has competed in agility, obedience and heelwork to music across the UK, including at Crufts and Olympia, has appeared on CBBC, and is the author of the Modern Training Guides and the Modern Breed Handbook series. Pictured with her boxer, Kookie.
