A puppy’s first Christmas should be the most wonderful time of the year…but chaos and stress can sometimes make an appearance!
Puppies are curious beings that have no concept of what’s right or wrong. They’re beautiful, blank sheets who need time and training to help them navigate life…and Christmas is no different.
Alright! Grab a cup of hot chocolate, and snuggle into your seat as we prepare you for your puppy’s first Christmas.
In this article, we’ll show you how to set your puppy up for success over Christmas, everything you’ll need to know about having a puppy at Christmas like how to greet your guests and have a great, problem-free Christmas dinner.
We’ll also get into good “holiday” manners to teach your dog, our take on the perfect Christmas gift for a new puppy, and many more tips for how to make your puppy’s first Christmas special.
Download the Zigzag app if you’re getting a puppy for Christmas, or if it’s your dog’s first Christmas — it’s the best Christmas gift you can get yourself. You’ll receive full training programs designed for rescued or breeder dogs, as well as for young puppies, adolescent or adult dogs.
Whether you’re struggling on the typical puppy training frenzies or simply want to teach them some fun tricks, we’ve got everything you need — even a team of professional dog trainers who can give you a hand when you run across trouble 24/7.
Setting your puppy up for success this holiday season
To make your puppy’s first Christmas run smoothly, there’s a few things we recommend: Get them into a routine, teach them not to be afraid of strangers and guests coming over, and puppy-proof your house to make sure it’s safe for Christmas. Also remember that your puppy needs to sleep and rest a lot!
Sounds like a long list, we know. But you can totally manage. You can find everything you need to know in our guides to socialisation, and on how to dog proof your home at Christmas
What you’ll need to know this Christmas with your puppy
Your puppy’s first Christmas will come with a lot of ‘firsts’ for you, but also for them. You probably never thought about how to keep a puppy away from a Christmas tree, but now the concept feels all too real.
Here are some pointers to help you navigate through this time so that it’s easy on everyone:
Dog proof your home
Dogs are curious and like to get into everything; the tree, the gifts, the plants…but some of it really isn’t safe.
Here’s what you do: Manage the environment and dog proof your home so that it’s safe for your dog to roam free around the house at Christmas.
How your dog greets Christmas visitors
Teaching your puppy to greet people politely is an important life skill. Puppies love to jump up to express their booming friendliness, but also jump up from being overwhelmed. Therefore, it’s very important to understand their body language and teach them an appropriate greeting, so your guests’ Christmas outfits don’t get muddy paws on them.
Desensitising your dog to Christmas
Christmas only comes once a year, which means it can be full of things your puppy has never encountered before! If you can desensitise or get your puppy used to Christmas items like twinkling lights and giant blow-up Father Christmases, it will help calm their nerves.
- Puppy and the Christmas Tree — Introduce your puppy to the Christmas tree gradually. Start with an undecorated tree, allowing them to explore it while you supervise. Add a couple of decorations slowly over several days, redirecting any attempts they have to chew. Use positive reinforcement to encourage calm behaviour around the tree,
- Puppy and Christmas Presents — Curious puppies like to investigate these, after all, big ribbons and noisy wrapping paper can be irresistible! Having a Christmas table the first year instead of having them at the bottom of the tree can give your puppy a chance to remain untempted to rip them apart. This is an example of how management is often the easiest thing to do!
You can also teach your puppy that presents are off-limits. Practice the “leave it” cue with wrapped boxes that look like presents before there are actual gifts around, and give them chew toys as alternatives. During gift-opening time, give your puppy their own toy to keep them busy. - Puppy and Christmas stockings — Hang these up high, and avoid putting unsafe things like chocolate in them if you’re planning to leave your puppy unsupervised around them.
Giving your puppy space at Christmas
Puppies need a safe space to be away from all the Christmas hustle and bustle so that they get enough rest. Rest for puppies is a must — tired puppies get more bitey!
If it’s your puppy’s first Christmas, it’s worth crate training or teaching them to relax in their safe space like their bed away from your guests so that they get that much-needed peace and quiet.
To teach your puppy to go to their safe space to go to, try the following:
- Give them a comfortable bed with a blanket and some of their favourite toys
- Hide special treats or chews for your puppy to discover in it
- Practice brief separations from you, gradually increasing the time you’re apart so that your puppy is comfortable to stay there by themselves.
Christmas dinner with your dog
It’s your dog’s first Christmas — we totally understand that you want to include them in the fun and cook them an extra special dinner! You also want to teach your pup not to wait under the table hoping to nick food that accidentally falls to the floor, or cause your guests any trouble. We get it, some people find it difficult to resist puppy-eyes.
Safe Christmas foods for dogs:
- Plain, cooked turkey (no skin or bones)
- Steamed vegetables like carrots or green beans
- Small amounts of plain mashed potato (no butter or seasoning)
- Dog-safe fruits like apple slices or blueberries
Be aware of unsafe foods for your puppy like chocolate, grapes, onions, garlic, or anything with excessive fat or salt.
To make your Christmas dinner time go well:
- Practice “stay” and “leave it” cues before their meal
- Feed your puppy their special dinner in their safe space or confinement area
- Prevent your puppy begging by never feeding them food from the table
- Give them a long-lasting chew toy or stuffed Kong to keep them occupied during the Christmas meal
Like all types of dog training, consistency and positive reinforcement is key! These two combined will help you make sure your puppy navigates their first Christmas smoothly as ever.
Other tips for a successful first Christmas:
We’re going to be honest here — a dog’s first Christmas can be an exciting but still a potentially overwhelming experience. Here are some extra tips to ensure a safe holiday:
Use it as a training opportunity
Christmas holidays can be a good time to get some training sessions in if you have some time off work. It’s a great moment to build reliability in basic obedience cues like sit, stay and leave it.
Manage the overwhelm
Remember that Christmas is only one day, so be mindful of your stress levels and your puppy’s over the busy holiday period. Christmas is supposed to be jolly and magical anyway, so let’s keep worries to a minimum, shall we? Watch out for signs of overwhelm, stress or anxiety in your puppy, and take them and yourself out of situations which may be difficult for them to handle.
Keep your puppy safe
Whether you are getting a puppy for Christmas or it’s your dog’s first Christmas with you, puppy-proof the Christmas tree to make sure they can’t get into your ornaments. There are also toxic plants that tend to pop up around Christmas like Poinsettias or Mistletoe that you’ll need to keep out of reach for your puppy, or simply avoid having them at all.
Adjust your routine if necessary
Dogs are creatures of habit and enjoy a consistent schedule of feeding, nap times and walking, but they are also able to adjust their schedules when needed. However, if you’re toilet training your new puppy, then having a regular schedule will definitely help speed things up, so try not to go too off course.
Teaching your dog “holiday” manners
The Christmas holiday is a great time to strengthen all that great training you’ve been doing with your dog, getting them to become polite members of society.
Have a look at the following areas and see what you can work on:
- Threshold training so that your puppy doesn’t rush over to guests
- Preventing jumping up on guests and visitors
- Teaching your puppy to lie in their bed and respect people’s personal space. Not everyone wants to play with them, all the time!
- Not begging table scraps in the kitchen or from the Christmas dinner table
The perfect Christmas gift for a new puppy
We don’t mean to brag, but the perfect Christmas gift for a new puppy is the Zigzag puppy training app. For your puppy, it will help them gather the knowledge they need to thrive in the world, and for you, it will help you get peace of mind and set you up for a joyful life journey with your puppy. By helping you understand your puppy and show you how to go about their developmental milestones, you’ll learn everything you need to know and feel prepared for any hiccups that come your way.
But of course, you can always get actual presents for your puppy’s first Christmas holiday. We have loads of recommendations for toys or chews, or even snazzy collars or harnesses.
What’s the wait for? Download the Zigzag app to prepare your new pup for their first Christmas. With Zigzag’s training lessons, the holidays will go as smooth as gravy.
Making your puppy’s first Christmas special
To make your puppy’s first Christmas special and unique, we’ve come up with the following suggestions mixing safety, fun, and unforgettable experiences:
Have a puppy photo shoot
Reminder! This is not Halloween, so there’s no need to dress your puppy up unless they like that kind of thing. But do take nice photos of your puppy and add them to your own Christmas card — you’ll definitely want to remember your puppy’s first Christmas.
Bake Christmas Dog Treats
Baking homemade Christmas treats for your pup sounds too good. Choose a festive recipe (using dog-friendly ingredients, of course) or simply dehydrate some turkey meat to make some homemade Christmas dog treats.
You can learn more about making your own dog treats in our article on DIY dog food and treats.
Take part in Christmas Jumper Day
Okay, we must admit that, an ‘Ugly Christmas Jumper’ party could be a brilliant idea for your puppy’s first Christmas. Pups French Bulldogs or Chihuahuas enjoy wearing jumpers as they like to stay warm, but your active Labrador might feel like their social butterfly wings are being trapped in.
Use plenty of rewards and treats and make sure the jumper isn’t too tight, so your pup stays happy.
Choose some festive walks
Do you have a local Christmas walk or a route where you can see the twinkling decorations? Christmas light shows can be fun, though we’d say probably keep away from firework displays or things that might overwhelm your puppy.
Teach your puppy a Christmas trick
Let’s bring in the Christmas magic by teaching your puppy some party tricks to show your guests. Teaching them to take a bow, twirl, give you a kiss, or wave and say ‘bye’ will do the trick — your pup will enjoy the training process and your visitors will have an extra sweet memory to add to Christmas.
Learn more about tricks and clicker training in our articles.
There you have it! We hope that’s helped you figure out how to make your puppy’s first Christmas go without a hitch. Our article on puppy-proofing your home for Christmas has lots more to learn!Download the Zigzag app today, and treat yourself to our huge library of problem-solving solutions, lessons, and articles to get on the puppy training train smoothly. Any questions? Our certified dog trainers are happy to help 24/7 — yep, even on Christmas Day!
