Spending time with friends and family is one of the great joys of the holiday season. For those traveling out of town you should call Stable Hands Pet Care to take care of your pet sitting and dog walking needs, but if you’re staying in town and having family or friends over you might need some tips to navigate the situation with your pets.
In our time as pet people we have seen everything. My brother-in-law and my pastor both remove their dog from the equation when they have guests. Meanwhile when we had guests over we warned them about our crazy hound dog, all his anxieties, and to make sure they had one hand on their food at all times. Other people find a balance between the two extremes.
The first thing to do is to set a series of ground rules. Remember your guests are guests in your pets home and unless you want to hire us to walk the dog for the entirety of your event there is going to be some navigation required. Establishing the ground rules is important. Is your pet shy or nervous around children, are they a counter surfer, do they not like hard soled shoes, are they allowed on the furniture or not, do you allow them table scraps, and any other particulars are helpful to tell your guests up front.
The goal is to make this a comfortable experience for both your pet and your guests. The same can apply to cats. Our cat lives by no rules and several times I have ended up with a tail in my coffee cup. Cats are that way. They do tend to make their own rules, and when we have guests over our cat will stay far, far away. He might poke his head out to say hello but he isn’t going to be in any stranger’s face. Other cats are different and the establishment of ground rules is important here as well.
That is really it. Make sure your pets and guests are comfortable around each other and understand and respect the house rules. Manage the pet to a degree that they aren’t jumping on or terrorizing your guest and likewise manage your guests so they aren’t interfering with your pet’s routine. If that is done the gathering will be smooth sailing for all parties.
And if you are traveling out of town make sure to call Stable Hands Pet Care and Services for all your dog walking and pet sitting needs.