As the Mayflower journeyed to the new land, we know that there were at least two dogs that made the 66-day voyage from England to the New World, thanks to journals kept by the Pilgrims. Although we only have glimpses of the Mastiff and English Springer Spaniel in the journals, it’s still pretty paw-some to know that dogs were among the very first Thanksgiving! Although we don’t know they’re names or exactly why they were brought along with the pilgrims, we can assume it was to perform the traditional tasks of protection and hunting. So as you prepare your Thanksgiving day plans, don’t be a turkey and make this year pet friendly to show your four legged bestie how thankful you are for them! We’ve put together some tips for making the holiday more pet friendly so everyone, including those with four legs, can enjoy being thankful together.

The noise, smells and new faces can over excite your pet causing one energetic furry friend for your guests! So before the chaos and noise commences, first thing is first: tire your pet out! Set aside some time in the morning to play with your furry friend to make sure they are more mellow for friends and family that are coming over. Play fetch, take a nice long walk or just play chase with each other to help exert all the energy. Get them mentally and physically stimulated beforehand to help them be more polite to guests. Turkey Tip: Although the hardest part is moving after eating a Thanksgiving meal, make time for a post dinner walk to help your pet recharge and to help you get out of that ‘after dinner slump.’

Try to not expect more of your pet than they can handle. If your pet is used to spending a lot of the day alone, try to understand how overwhelming it can get for them with the noise, people and different scents of the house. Make sure your pets have a space to themselves to be able to decompress from everything and just relax. Turkey Tip: Make a space for your pet so they can recharge away from everyone with a favorite blanket or bed, some toys, treats and a fresh bowl of water.

This can also be a great space to use to help ‘prevent the escape!’ With multiple people coming and going and the volume of the noise spiking, keep an eye on your pets anxiety level. If they begin to act out, bark at people or try to escape through everyone’s legs out the door, use that separate room to help them relax and calm down. Turkey Tip: This is a great time to think about getting your pet microchipped on the chance that they do escape and begin wandering the outdoors.

Did you get stuck with cooking this year for Thanksgiving? While cooking and preparing food can be a full-time job come Thanksgiving Day, try keeping your pet in a separate room while you work your magic in the kitchen. This will help prevent Fido from swallowing something accidentally from a spill or using the counter to grab that scrap piece of food that is too close to the edge. If separating causes too much of an issue, try having a designated person(s) to look after your pet while you cook. This person can distract by giving some snuggles, playing with a toy with your pet or just walking them around the house to meet everyone! Turkey Tip: While preparing those delicious appetizers and dinner, remember to keep everything away from the edge of the counter so your pet doesn’t jump up and get something easily. Protect the prep!

Thanksgiving Feeding List.png — **Which brings us to the biggest problem for pets at Thanksgiving (and really with any holiday): FOOD.** Knowing what your pet *can* and *cannot* have during big gatherings can be stressful for pet parents; as well as seeing guests feeding Fido everything (and anything) off of plates! But don’t worry, we have a solution to your worrisome situation: a Do-Not-Feed-List! Since most Thanksgiving foods are made for human consumption and you cannot possibly watch every single person who sneaks food to Fido, why not make up a list ahead of time to showcase to guests to show what your pet can and cannot have?! This can prevent pet parents from having anxiety during the day and it also allows guests the opportunity to feed Fido the good things instead of just everything. Check out our checklist of Thanksgiving day food selections that are safe and healthy for your pet to have!

To prevent that dinner begging from your furry companion, follow this simple tip: when you eat, they eat. While you enjoy your well deserved Thanksgiving dinner, let Fido enjoy his at the same time. This can help prevent begging and whining towards your guests and will let pet parents have some peace and quiet while eating. If Fido seems to inhale the meal within seconds, try slowing them down with a puzzle bowl to make them work for their food. Check out Pet Supplies Plus in Lancaster for some fun bowls and treat toys to slow down your pets feeding. Turkey Tip: You can cut down on your pets portions of regular food when you know they’ll be snacking on people food throughout the day.

While we know that no one wants to clean up after everyone has just stuffed their bellies full of homemade food, cleaning up right away can be a huge preventative step towards your pet getting a turkey bone or another bite of food that is highly toxic to them. Make sure you take all the plates, especially the ones with half-eaten food, straight to the sink to keep everything out of reach. Make sure your trash cans that are inside are securely closed and cannot be knocked over or opened by your pet - because if they can knock it over, it will be a field day for all four legged friends! Turkey Tip: Place all inedible leftover food into plastic bags and throw them out right away to prevent any scraps from hitting Fido’s mouth.

Heading out and can’t take your pet with you on Thanksgiving? You can still set aside time to play with your furry friend before departing. Remember, there is a lot to be thankful about when it comes to your pet, so make sure you spend some quality time with them before heading out for a couple hours. It also never hurts to ask your hostess if they are pet friendly so Fido can tag along for a car ride, keeping in mind all the tips and tricks we provided for you to help have a more pet friendly holiday! Remember, every four legged friend enjoys when their hoomans bring back a doggie bag of safe and healthy treats from a homemade dinner!

Going away for the Thanksgiving holiday and wondering what to do with Fido? Contact Going Mutts Pet Services to help give your pup the attention they need while you are visiting friends and family. We offer dog walking and cat check-ins! We only have a few spaces left on Thanksgiving so don’t delay! Let us help you have some peace of mind while being away from Fido and contact us today for a free Meet ‘n Greet!

Sources:

https://www.pethub.com/article/how-make-yummy-safe-thanksgiving-feast-your-pets