Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year. The vibe is good and everyone is excited. Plus, it’s a pretty busy time too because there are a lot of arrangements that you need to take care of. In addition to this, you should also ensure that your ESA dog has a good day. This is important because having an emotional support animal in NY comes with a set of responsibilities.
In this festive time, it’s easy to lose track of your dog’s needs. Plus, you also need to be careful because there is an abundance of food everywhere. Most of the dishes are fatty which are suitable for any dog. Foods like chocolates, raisins, and onions are harmful to dogs. So, you just need to ensure that you keep your canine away from these. Thanksgiving is a festive time, so, you should invest some time in training to teach your dog about acceptable behavior during regular events and festivals.
Advice to Handle Your Dogs on Thanksgiving
Here’s what you can do to ensure your dog has a great day and avoids any unwanted behavior on the day of Thanksgiving.
Exercise
Exercise is very important for dogs to achieve the right mental state. So, make sure you give your canine a dose of heavy exercise in the morning. You might not find enough time to take your dog for a walk, run, or hike, but if you do that, you’ll see your dog in a relaxed state throughout the day. Boredom can make your dog behave weirdly. So, you need to ensure your dog has an interesting day. Exercise serves them as an escape that allows them to unwind and stay mentally stable.
Stimulation
Stock up some toys for your dog as you gear up for the big day of Thanksgiving festivities. So, while you treat your guests with delicious dishes, you can keep your dog busy and prevent it from getting tempted. A good idea is to stuff some kongs that will keep your dog occupied. You can even freeze the kongs to make them last longer. You can give them once when you’re cooking and later during the meal. This will just keep your dog busy. Just make sure you stuff the kongs with something appetizing so that it doesn’t feel left out while other guests enjoy the delicacies.
Separate Them
Ideally, you would not want your dog to enter the kitchen and dining room. So, a good idea is to create a barrier. If your dog can handle the separation and tolerate being away from for a while, it will make handling everything else a lot easier. So, just keep your dog in a separate room and proceed with your preparations. This works for a lot of dogs as it prevents them from begging for food or stealing it. You might think that this will make your dog feel abandoned but in general, it does not have any negative impact on the dog’s behavior. So, go ahead with this strategy and it will help in ensuring a peaceful time for you and your dog.
Clean Up
As soon as the Thanksgiving meal is over, wrap up the leftover food and toss it up in the fridge. You wouldn’t want to waste much time in keeping the food left open because it can tempt your dog. Obviously, you wouldn’t want that. All the hard work of keeping your dog away from food would go waste. Plus, don’t forget to dispose of your garbage. If your dog manages to grab a bite, it would not be good for its health.
Take Your Dog For a Walk
After a heavy Thanksgiving meal, a walk can be really soothing not only for you but for your dog too. In fact, the idea of stepping out after the meal can make dogs feel happy and give them a sense of freedom. This actually applies to most guest gatherings at home. It causes unwanted stress and a walk is the best thing that works. This also ensures that your dog sticks to a routine exercise that is an important part of its schedule.
Well, if your dog is your emotional support animal in NY, make sure you have the necessary documentation in place. An ESA letter serves as proof and can give strangers a fair idea of your mental health. A good idea is to get an emotional support vest, with an ESA badge. Your dog can wear the vest and it would give an instant signal that it’s an ESA and people won’t question its presence.