Christmas Day and your dog

[Updated November 2023]

 

There are a million and one reasons why Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. From festive decorations and jolly jingles to plenty of presents and spending time with the family. But where does your dog fit into this? Do they know it’s Christmas time?

In a fun and festive twist, we’ve come up with what (we imagine) Christmas looks like through your dog’s eyes, as well as the seasonal traditions they do, and don’t, look forward to each year…

What are those socks doing on the fireplace?

And I wonder if there’s a way to get them down… they look like they’d be fun to chew! And speaking of weird things in the home, why is there a tree inside? I thought they belonged outside. Am I allowed to sniff it? Can I eat it? I’m kind of scared… oh wait, there are toys on this tree. Why did you put balls on there? I want to play with them! Oh, my human’s giving me ‘that look’… I guess not, then.

All these presents? For me?

These smell an awful lot like they should belong to me. In fact, they look like they can’t wait to be chewed on. Are you unwrapping them now? I can help with that, I’m an expert!

I think I’ve heard this song before…

Who is this ‘Santa’ you keep speaking of, and why is he coming to town?! And why do you keep watching the same things on the TV? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet swap houses about 12 times already…

Something smells nice!

Why’s there so much food, but nobody’s letting me have any? Oh well, I guess I’ll just sit here and watch you eat!

One minute you’re busy, the next you’re all over me. I can’t keep up!

You’ve been preparing a turkey for hours, and you’re too busy saying hello to all of these strangers to pay attention to me! If you don’t give me belly rubs in the next five minutes, I’ll throw a doggy tantrum to rival the toddler!

Oh, wait, you’re giving me lots of love now. And so are these strangers! Let me just cuddle up by your feet with the King’s Christmas speech on in the background.

An expensive toy? I’d rather have the wrapping!

What’s this? A new collar? Tasty joint supplements? A Christmas bandana? No thanks, just give me that brightly coloured wrapping paper instead. Oh, alright, I’ll take the YuMOVE Joint Care, too.

My humans are acting a bit weird

I know it’s important to stay hydrated, but I’m not convinced that’s water you’re drinking! Whatever it is, it’s making you behave oddly…

Who put a white blanket in the garden, and why is it cold?

There’s too much going on in the house today, and I want to explore the garden for a bit. But there’s this strange white blanket covering the grass. And it feels really chilly on my little paws. I don’t like it!

So… do they know it’s Christmas time at all?

The short answer is… we’re not sure, but we’re pretty confident that our pups can get into the Christmas spirit nonetheless! Dogs do understand patterns and become familiar with seasonal changes and repetitions. And even if they don’t, all the attention, toys and food are enough to make up for the chaos of Christmas.

But, at the same time, some dogs really don’t like Christmas. For those dogs it can seem like a loud, stressful period where unexpected and unfamiliar things keep happening. If your dog is prone to feeling anxious, or if they get stressed out around new people and loud noises, you could consider giving them YuMOVE Calming Care for Dogs 4-6 weeks before Christmas. Calming Care has been developed for nervous, stressed, and senior dogs, and helps to ease anxiety, reduce stress and support calm behaviour.

What our office dogs get up to on Christmas

Did you know that at Lintbells | Home of YuMOVE, our office contains almost as many canine companions as people? On any given day you’ll see dozens of fluffy ‘employees’ running around. But what do they get up to when they’re not going viral on TikTok, inspiring new products, or modelling for photos? We asked the pet parents of some of our furry associates to describe their dog’s typical Christmas Day… 

“For us, Christmas Day begins early. Our Chocolate Labrador, Ollie (pictured above), is well aware by now that his presents are all waiting for him in a cute reindeer stocking. One by one (he usually gets about 10 or more, believe it or not!), we take his presents out and he unwraps them excitedly. He then helps the rest of us open our gifts and he always makes us laugh – especially since he’s often more intrigued by the unwrapping process than the contents of the gift!” – Rebecca Thomas, Digital Graduate 

“Lucas (Springador – part Springer Spaniel and part Black Labrador) and I always go on a Christmas walk with other townsfolk and their dogs! When the pubs are open, we’ll have a drink by the fire before opening prezzies and having a bit of Christmas dinner back at home. At the end of the day there’s always time for some Christmas dancing! And lots of cuddles, too.” – Liz Leigh-Firbank, Product Development Manager 

“Larry and Olive – both Golden Retrievers – get their own presents, perfectly wrapped just for them. We watch them attempt to open them, which is VERY amusing! They also steal all the wrapping paper from everyone’s presents and tear it up, like personal shredding machines. Afterwards, we all go for a Christmas morning dog walk.” – Tash Svenson, Junior National Account Manager

“Milo (pictured above) has his birthday on Christmas Day, so he typically wears a hat – and of course gets a gift of his own. Pets play a big part in birthdays and Christmas. They always buy us presents and sit around the tree in the morning to help with unwrapping.” – Kerry Doble, Innovation Director

Fancy sharing some of your own festive photos? Tag us in your snaps on Facebook and Instagram – we’d love to see them!