Coping with company: preparing your dog for guests

By Emily White

As summer barbeques, pool parties, and warm weather festivities draw near, you might be wondering how to keep your dog cool, calm, and collected as you prepare for guests. Pets are family and need to be considered just as much as young children or roommates when you have people over or go on outings.

Socialization is important for your dog’s behavioural health and cognitive development, no matter what stage of life they’re in. Your dog may experience anxiety. Or they may grow quickly excitable at the sight of guests. Maybe they don’t react at all. Whatever the case may be, it’s always recommended to prepare.

Here’s everything you need to know about why and how to prepare your dog for guests.

Why it’s important to prepare your dog for company

Before we establish how to prepare your dog for guests, it’s important to understand why. Dogs and visitors can be a stressful combo. You love your dog, and you may love the company coming over, but sometimes having people over can cause your dog to become too excited or anxious and fearful.

Dogs with anxiety and over-excited pups can greatly benefit from preparation. Walking your dog before company comes over can greatly relieve excess energy or anxiety and is essential for physical and behavioural health. In severe cases of anxiety, your veterinarian may recommend anxiety medication, like Fluoxetine or Clomipramine.

Additionally, preparing your dog for company provides a great opportunity for both dog training and dog socialization. It can help your dog practice good manners. The more they grow used to company, it may lessen their anxiety or excitement.

Work with your dog’s schedule

Now that we’ve established why it’s important to prepare your dog for guests, let’s dive into how to prepare your dog for guests. When it comes to calming your dog when company is over, it’s best to work with their schedule, so they feel more normal.

Dogs are creatures of habit, and they crave structure. Avoid completely forgoing their evening walk or pushing their dinner back drastically, as these routines can help prevent unnecessary anxiety. Try to stay as on the nose as possible with your dog’s schedule before having company over. Again, this will help them feel more normal and might make them less reactive to company. Remember, it’s their home too.

Make guests aware of potential allergies

Food and skin allergies can range in severity for dogs. Some might cause a light case of hives, while others can result in anaphylactic shock. If your dog has any sort of food or skin allergy, be sure to make your guests aware. For example, if your dog has a shellfish allergy, and you’re serving shrimp and cocktail sauce, you probably want to make them aware. Not only will this increase your dog’s comfort, but yours too.

Well-intentioned treats could cause severe consequences. Symptoms vary from diarrhea and vomiting to facial swelling and trouble breathing. If you don’t feel comfortable making your guests aware of your dog’s allergies, then advise them not to feed your dog any human food altogether. This can simplify things and alleviate any anxieties you may have. Either way, make sure your guests are aware of potential allergies and why it’s important for them to know.

Set up an area for your dog to retreat to

If your dog persistently barks at guests, or calming your dog has been a challenge, it might be time to set up an area for your pet to retreat to. Some dogs might just have a problem with having company over, and that’s okay. Keeping our dog calm and comfortable is beneficial for both of you. Not every dog needs to be a social butterfly.

Even the most social dogs need rest and relaxation to recharge, much like we do. Dogs are social creatures, and while socialization is important, an area with food, water, toys, and bedding that’s separate from the party can be very soothing to your dog.

Events outside the home require just as much preparation

Sometimes, an event outside the home can be more anxiety-provoking to your dog. Or, they may become so excitable that it’s hard for them to stay focused. Whether you’re taking your dog to a pool party or a friend’s birthday, preparation is essential to keeping your dog happy and comfortable.

Pack plenty of treats, water, and toys for the event to make sure your dog is comfortable. Also, allow them time and space to retreat if needed, as long as it’s safe to do so.

FAQ:

How do I prepare my dog for visitors?

It’s best to follow your dog’s regular schedule prior to having company over. Additionally, allowing them a space to retreat to can help lessen anxiety.

How do I make my dog friendly with guests?

Regular socialization, exposure, and training can help your dog be friendlier to guests.

How do I stop my dog from jumping up at visitors?

If your dog is jumping up at visitors, try to keep the greetings calm and lower energy. This can help lessen your dog’s over-excitement.

Do dogs remember visitors?

Much like humans, dogs remember visitors through smell. They also have a fairly good memory.

What should you not do when you first meet a dog?

Avoid overexcitement when greeting a dog. Keep first introductions calm, cool, and collected.

Keeping your dog calm, cool, and collected when visitors arrive is largely based on preparation. Proper socialization is great for a plethora of reasons, but it’s also important to allow them their own space to retreat to if they feel overwhelmed. Dog behaviour can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. With whiskerDocs, they provide 24/7 veterinary support to answer any burning questions you may have – including information about how to support your dog when you have company over! This 24/7 hotline is made possible with our Lifetime Protection Membership. At 24Petwatch, we believe a happy, healthy life starts by keeping your pets at home!