Hey Woofa’s,

Well, *sigh* Christmas is over for another year!

Now we have New Years!

Whatever plans or non-plans you have, one thing I’d like to make sure of is that we all have a Safety Check-List for our dogs!

As much as we all love the pretty fireworks, for our dogs it can be utter torture and confusion.

Billy absolutely hates the fireworks.  As soon as he hears the loud bangs he’s up and running around barking non stop until they finish!!

Not only do we have local Council fireworks (at 9pm and 12pm) but we also have stupid people letting them off around the surrounding streets!!!

To say it’s annoying is an understatement.

I became a volunteer for Campbelltown Lost Found and Injured Pets this year, and we’re estimating that sadly it will be one of our busiest evenings, purely because of fireworks.

Dogs don’t like the loud noises and the smell!!  While some dogs might be fine, others are petrified and break out of their yards and houses and roam the streets in an anxious state.

Doesn’t sound worth it really does it?

Anyway, here’s a New Years Eve Safety Check -List for Your Dog!!

NEW YEARS EVE SAFETY CHECK LIST FOR YOUR DOG!

If you’re hosting a New Years Eve Party and your Dog is not social and it hates fireworks!

• Make sure your dog has somewhere safe to stay for the evening –  away from guests.  It needs to be in a well ventilated area or room with someone checking on them.  With food and water also available to them.
• If possible, you could send them to someone else’s place for the evening, preferably someone who is staying at home for the night.
• The importance here is that your dog feels safe.  Your dog may want to get patted for a while and then take off to it’s safe area away from people.
• Guests tend to ignore that the dog isn’t social and still may try to pat them!!  If your dog doesn’t want this but people insist on patting them, then unfortunate incidents could occur!  Your goal is to avoid this.
• If your dog isn’t use to being around screaming yelling kids, or kids hitting them, pulling tails etc then your dog could react in a way to get them to stop.  To avoid this, separate the kids from the dog by putting the dog in a safe place away from the chaos.
• Come fireworks time, make sure someone is with your dog.  Designate someone to look after your dog for the duration of the party and the duration of the fireworks.
• The most important thing is to keep everyone safe, including your dog.

When you’re hosting a New Years Eve party & your Dog is overly social but hates fireworks!

• If your dog is overly social and your guests don’t really like that, then have somewhere your fur baby can retreat to.
• Bring your dog out on a lead to say hello to everyone, and give them a sniff.  Then put them in an area so people can eat and celebrate and not have to worry about your dog jumping all over them.
• It’s also a good way for guests not to overfeed your dog while they’re eating.
• Your dog might be fine with your kids, but other kids are a different story.  Your dog doesn’t know them as well.  Other kids don’t know your dog either, and this is where things can go wrong if people aren’t watching them both interact.
• Again, come fireworks time if you know your dog hates them, make sure someone (if not you) is with your dog when they go off.  Put someone in charge of them for the duration of the celebrations.

If you’re hosting New Years Eve & Your Dog is fine with people and fireworks!

• The next thing on the list is, if your dog is wandering around your guests looking all cute, that they don’t over feed them.
• Your dog could end up sick, so make it clear to everyone not to over feed your fur baby, no matter how cute they look.
• If your dog is in a no child home and people are coming over with kids, stay on the look out, always have someone in charge of watching the kids and the dog.
• Read the dog’s body language and make sure the kids aren’t tormenting the dog.
• Just in case it does all get too much for your dog make sure the dog can escape the noise and people, by giving them somewhere safe to go.
• Always check on your dog, with people coming and going gates and doors can be open and not closed and our dogs may escape.
• It’s safe to have someone in charge of the dog for the duration of the celebrations.

When you’re hosting and someone else wants to bring their dog!

• If the dogs already know each other and have interacted before and are fine, then by all means!
• However, if they haven’t met before, throwing them together amongst a party is not the best way to introduce them.
• It’d be better to have had an introduction before the party.  Take them for a walk together first, then try them at the house the celebrations will be held in.  If your dog isn’t use to another dog coming into their territory it could get ugly if not handled properly.  This is the last thing you want to be dealing with on New Years Eve.
• If you’re asked this question, make sure measures can be put in place so EVERYONE can have a good and safe evening.  Is there somewhere seperate each dog can go so they’re not in each others face the whole time?  Are they food aggressive, you don’t want to be feeding dogs around each other if they are.
• Ask the question about their dog’s reaction to fireworks!  The last thing you want is two dogs going off at fireworks all evening!!!
• When there’s two dogs or more, make sure each dog has someone taking care of it, looking after it for the evening, especially when the fireworks go off.
• If one dog is good with fireworks and the other is not, then the one who isn’t good with them may set off the one who is good with them!
• Before YOU do the asking to take your dog to someone elses place, make sure you’re aware of the situation you’re putting both dogs in.  Discuss it with the owner of the other dog before just turning up with your dog.

If you’re leaving your fur baby at home for New Years Eve!

• This goes without saying, make sure they are safe, have plenty of food, water and shelter from harsh weather.
• If your dog is not good with fireworks, make sure someone is home for them during the times the fireworks go off.  Or ask a neighbour who is staying home to check on them for you.
• If there’s local fireworks going off and your dog is generally ok and you know you won’t be back, make sure your dog has a safe haven to retreat to.
• The last thing you want is your dog roaming the streets because they’re scared of the fireworks.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

While most of us love watching the fireworks go off for New Years Eve, most dogs don’t!

We want to keep our dogs as safe as possible during these times.

Follow the safety check list to make sure your dog is safe and secure this New Years Eve!

We always stay home with Billy, well actually we don’t mind staying at home at all.  Maybe sometimes we use him as an excuse to not have to go out lol!!!

FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS, WE HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LOVE TO KNOW – WHAT YOU’RE DOING FOR NEW YEARS!