With Christmas being just around the corner and having promised my daughter we could put up the tree next weekend, I have just had a terrible though - how do you keep the puppy away from the Christmas tree??

Toby is fianlly turning into a well-behaved (if he feels like it!) pup, but I'm worried that the tree will prove too tempting! Short of putting the tree (or Toby!) in a playpen or hanging it from the ceiling :-) do you have any ideas???

We don't have a problem with our dogs and xmas tree (the trouble makers just aren't allowed in the sitting room, only the nice well behaved ones :)). The only one we have a problem with if he is in one of his 'moods' is the cat, who at times is worse than all the dogs put together. He doesn't climb it like a cat we had years ago, he just plays about with the pressies and knocks the decorations off the bottom.

The tree proved irresistable for Loki last year. She would steal baubles from the tree even when you were looking! Luckily, as she has such a soft mouth, they didn't get broken - only if she left them on the floor and they got stood on! :)

The answer could be to watch him like a hawk. Or if he goes towards it, rattle a tin can with pebbles in, so that he thinks that if he goes for the tree, something scary will happen.

Or, invest in unbreakable baubles?

Behaviour specialists will give you better answers. (Which I'll put into practice this year I promise)

LOL... with Kai being the food thief around the house, I think that popcorn or cranberry strings will not be on our tree this year! I'm not reallly sure how I'm going to deal with a tree -- maybe put it on the middle of the desk and toss out the computer for a month (just kidding!). He loves to grab branches outside and yank on them, playing tuggles with the trees and bushes. Can't wait to see what he would do with a christmas tree. **sighing** hanging one from the ceiling may be the answer here!

when we had young childern and puppys this time of year,we put the tree in a playpen,dec the playpen and put the present round the tree in side the pen. no worrys with you telling the pup off,he cannot get inside and touch anything.

We are going to have the same trouble this year. I have decided to put the tree in a corner of the room on a table with the armchair in front of it. All our decorations are doggy friendly ie not glass. BUT im afraid no presents round the bottom of the tree I think that would be just too much of a temptation.

Longdog

Another dog list suggested to put an x-pen around the tree. Do you still have yours? I think this year we're just going for two small fibre-optics ones. Christmas kind of snuck up on us and I'm not sure I want to go through all the decorating and undecorating. I'm usually planning it all from early November and all of a sudden it's December!!

Wendy

Hey Brie hope you let the tree out to play sometime :p

Hi, when my own children were younger and when I have crawling babies ( I childmind) I have always used a spare firegaurd for the tree, or put a smaller one on a low table. Don't know whether that's gonna work with my two westies this year cos they are a bit boisterous in the living room of an evening, they play tag and chase around the furniture when the minded children have gone home. Wendy

We have the same problem - BAnya will be 8 months and she is sooooo curious about things....we won't have a tree this year as I KNOW it will get wrecked, or maybe a tiny one just about the foot high, know the ones?

All our decorations will be high up on the walls and the pressies kept in a cupboard until the last minute.

I guess it may be an idea ot invest in a dog/baby gate as then the youngster can be shut away with a nice chew but not feel left out whilst pressie opening etc is going on.

Our christmas tree is kept in our conservitory (which the dogs arent allowed in, in theory) so that it can still be seen in the rest of the house but the dogs can be shut off from it, the only problems we have had are with wagging tails knocking things off the tree. we thought last year we were going to have problems with a 9month crazy pup but it wasnt to bad - all the brakable decorations get put high up on the tree as do the candy canes and chocolates whilst all the nonbrakable things are lower down the tree so it dosnt matter to much if they do get knocked off or taken (last year our pup found one decoration that each time he got near the tree he had to pinch and carry it round and present it to us.
the only problem we have had is with our bichon who one year found a present with chocolate in under the tree and ever since small/smelly presents are very very interesting so presents are never put down untill the last minute
the dogs are very interested when it first goes up but once they find that if they go two close (we have a real one) the get prodded by all these spikey things they do tend to think twice (or the more sensitive ones do - the pup didnt give a toss)

Anyone with males get any leg cocking :D

My two haven't a clue how to cock their legs. If it wasn't for the fact I've watched Jasper do the deed - I'd be convinced they thought they were girls!!! So our tree will be safe from that - however - the 7 month old has educated the 15 month old in the art of eating anything remotely woody and shrubby - so I guess they'll try and eat it this year!!! Yum
:D

Pam n the very mad boys

Hi, we have our 4' artificial tree up on a sideboard, with presents around it, so there is NO way that dogs or visiting toddlers can reach it. Famous last words!!! The dogs are "banned" from the living room during the manic present opening in the morning, till all the papers etc are tidied up. They have a rask or some other time consuming treat to keep them happy.

can't say I've ever had trouble with dogs and chrissy trees - just tel 'em " No ! " , in no uncertain terms and we've always managed to have a floor to ceiling tree - once the putting of decorations up is over they do tend to not bother the rest of the time - thankfully mabe I've been lucky - my male dax recently piddled up my kitchen doorframe , so we'll see eh !!?...whatever, I couldn't care less - looking forward to crimbo - already in the christmas spirit with wine and ' rollies ' - mmmm loverly !

The only trouble I've had with Christmas trees and dogs is that they pinch all the choccies off the tree - but do you know what? The clever creatures hang the reshaped foils back on the tree!!! Well - that's what Big Dave tells me anyway <G>

Ooh eck Brainless I'd forgot all about males and their leg cocking I've got a 10mth male who is just learning to cock his leg, bless him :rolleyes: and I was thinking that when my bitch was a puppy she never bothered the tree so hopefully my boy won't either but I'd completely forgot about other things they can do !!

Mind you I had considered not even having a Christmas Tree this year. We always get a real one cos I love the smell but we've just moved house and everything is up side down plus we're usually away for most of Christmas - maybe leg cocking has just made my mind up for me ;-)

Heck I can't imagine not having a tree though

AHHHHHHHHHHH christmas I will have a 10week old pup at christmas and all my dogs are allowed the free roam of my house I am not looking foward to what is going to happen to the tree!!!!!!!!!!! but the pup will not be allowed in the front room alone{in case it chews the lights ect} as for chocolate decorations I can't have them as I know my lot will pull the tree down to get them!!!!!!!!!!

Just a thought, we always have a 7 foot tree so cannot stand it on anything however I invested in lots of bell decorations (they must jingle) hence an immediate alarm whenever a furry lodger goes near it. Even if you can't see the tree you can hear when they are investigating! I always put them on the lower branches and put all the other decorations high up. Works wonders and the look on their faces when you catch them (god how did she know we were at the tree when it's behind her) is a picture. :)

Thought I would update you on the Christmas Tree situation. I put some pennies in a tin can and had it ready for when he first saw the tree. I've had to rattle the can a total of three times since last Sunday, other than those three times he ignores the tree. Thank you so much for the great advice:-)
Helen