4 Ways for Calming Your Dog During a Party

There’s always something to celebrate, whether it be a birthday or a holiday. While you might find hosting parties and gatherings at your home very enjoyable, your dog might not feel the same way. Even if your pup gets along with other people, they may not love having crowds in their safe space for several hours. If your furry friend has anxiety or gets overly excited about guests, follow along to learn a few helpful ways for calming your dog during a party.

Consider Additional Exercise

It’s no secret that your dog is more likely to overreact to guests’ arrivals if they’re already full of energy. That said, you can keep their rambunctious jumps and barks at bay by providing them with additional play time before the party. Whether you go for an extra walk, play tug-of-war, throw a ball for them to fetch, or let them run in the yard, you might be able to wear your pup out before anyone arrives. If they’re asleep when guests get to your house, jumps and barks are much less likely.

Keep Them Busy

Unless your pup has something to do, they might pace the house, tear up guests’ items, or pee on the floor. However, you should consider using interactive toys to keep them busy throughout the event. Whether you choose a squeaker toy or one that you fill with tasty treats, you’ll soon find that a busy dog is much less distracting and destructive when it comes to gatherings. Although there’s nothing wrong with guests wanting to play with the pup, they shouldn’t feel obligated to entertain a needy dog.

Make Their Kennel a Safe Zone

While some dogs get overly excited about visitors, shy pups will want to hide away due to anxiety. If that’s the case for your four-legged friend, be sure to make their kennel a safe zone with all the right puppy crate accessories. If your dog wants to get away from the commotion of the party, put their kennel in another room, put a blanket and toys in it, and allow them access to it. This way, they can escape whenever they feel anxious.

Reward Them for Good Behavior

You probably already know that your dog is more likely to behave when you reward good behavior. Whether you give them their favorite toy or tasty treats, rewarding them throughout the event is an excellent way to make sure they continue acting the way you want. On the other hand, you should also punish bad behavior to encourage them to act better.

As you can see, there are many ways to calm your dog during a party. Even though every option won’t work for every pup, you might be able to combine strategies to create the best possible outcome. Having company over can be exciting and enjoyable for you and your dog, but they may need help when it comes to displaying proper manners.