How to have a Safe Thanksgiving with your Dog

Written By The Mom Pop

Thanksgiving is around the corner!

If you’re the kind of person that has 101 things to do for Thanksgiving, you may not be too happy if I give you even more things to add to your list. Hopefully this will come to you in time to start early, and not add more things to your Thanksgiving day. Though we understand Thanksgiving may not look the same this year, there are still great ways to celebrate that include your dog.

We want to help you plan for a happy, safe, and healthy Thanksgiving with your dog. The holidays bring a new kind of hustle and bustle that can be stressful to our canine friends, so the earlier you can prepare, the better! We’ve got some tips for how to safely road trip, plan a feast, and appreciate some of the simple aspects of the notoriously busy Turkey Day.

Traveling with your dog

If you plan to take a covid-friendly road trip to family for Thanksgiving, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, you should check with your host early to ensure it is alright for you to bring your dog. If you plan to bring your dog with you, be sure to check out our last blog, Traveling with Fido.

Quick Tips for Bringing your Dog:

  1. Exercise your dog before you leave: this will make the road trip easier, and reduce stress when you arrive

  2. Practice short car rides before your trip

  3. Plan for pit-stops on the road

  4. Bring busy toys or chew toys to help distract your dog from more enticing smells (i.e. the feast)

  5. Groom your pup: To be courteous to your host, brush and bathe your dog before arriving

  6. Identify a “safe place” with your pet and your host. This way if things get too overwhelming for your dog, they can have a quiet place to go with comforts from home (like blankets or a crate)

What to Pack for your Dog:

  1. Leash, collar, and ID tags

  2. Prescription medications

  3. Vaccine records and veterinarian phone number

  4. Long line to tie-out your pup

  5. Water and Food bowls (bring some kibble for dinner too)

  6. Treats

  7. Travel Crate and Blanket from home

  8. Doggy first aid kit

  9. Towel and Accident cleaner

Sharing Thanksgiving with your dog

While Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for health and family, you can also be grateful to your dog for all the comfort and support they provide you. If you were thinking about sharing some of your feast, there are a few things to keep in mind. Primarily, which food your dog can and cannot eat.

Keep in mind if your dog normally only eats kibble, too much human food can cause an upset stomach.

The AKC has an extensive list of holiday foods your dog can eat.

Foods your Dog CAN Eat:

  • Plain Cooked Turkey: no gravy or bones

  • Mashed Potatoes: without garlic or onions

  • Cranberry Sauce: preferably without sugar

  • Green Beans: Raw or cooked without the creamy white sauce

  • Plain Sweet Potatoes: no marshmallows or sugar

  • Apples: no seeds or core

  • Pumpkin Puree: not the pie (Pumpkin is like a super food for dogs, so this is a great option!)

  • Turkey Liver and Heart: If you or your host has the “extras,” your dog can eat them raw. If that seems gross to you go ahead and cook it, either way your dog will LOVE the treat!

Foods to AVOID Giving your Dog:

  • Fatty or Greasy foods: like gravy

  • Onions and Garlic: Small amounts can cause an upset stomach, large amounts can be toxic.

  • Ham: too fatty and salty

  • Pumpkin Pie: there is too much sugar, pumpkin puree is much better

  • Grapes or Raisins

  • Artificial Sweeteners: like Xylitol

  • Chocolate or Sugary Baked Goods

  • Alcohol

Festive Ideas Besides Human Food

If you think it’s best not to share the feast with your pup, there are still ways to be festive with your dog without human food!

If you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, that is a great time to snuggle up with your pup before you get busy cooking. Grab a hot ‘cup-o-yo favorite,’ a comfy blanket, and enjoy the quiet morning.

If it’s tradition to play football in the yard, let your dog play outside with your family. A game of tug will make your dog nice and tired (and happy!)

It’s always fun to dress your dog up in a festive bandana, sweater or costume for the corresponding holiday. Everyone gets so excited to see the pups being spirited, and the dogs LOVE the attention they get for it!

Try giving your dog a Thanksgiving themed toy, like a stuffed turkey plushy, or a feast flavored chew toy.

For dinner, you could spruce up their meal with a Thanksgiving feast flavored canned dog food, or add some pumpkin puree to their dinner. You can even give them a dessert with yogurt and blueberries. Check out our blog about Homemade Dog Treats.

After Dinner Tradition

After the feast, every family has a tradition. Do you watch The Godfather, the football game, or do coffee and conversation? Maybe even a combination of those.

Well here’s an idea to add a new tradition into the mix: take a walk with your family and your dog. Your dog will love that all their people are with them for this evening adventure, and it helps with digestion for humans and dogs to get a little activity in after eating a big meal! No need to get moving super fast (you're probably tired from cooking all day); take it easy, enjoy some of the Christmas decorations your neighbors have put up, and have a nice conversation with your family members.

Thanksgiving is full of traditions, and every family has their own quirky way of celebrating that makes it even more fun. This year I’ll be having a “Zoom-giving" with my family, but we are excited to see if this year can bring out new traditions for us! What are some of yours? Let us know how you like to incorporate your dog into your celebrations!

If you would like to read more tips about a fun, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving for your dog, check out the sources below.

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Written By: Gabby St.Martin

Gabby is a dog walker and writer for Dog Tired Adventures. She loves being active, the great outdoors, and loving on her Doberman.

The Mom Pop
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