Puppies and Christmas trees?????
My adult kids are really giving me a hard time about this because of the grandkids, so I am really torn. Most of my ornaments are very special and unless I go out a buy the red satin balls...yuck! I don't know what to put on it. 
Someone suggested anchoring the tree but there is no where to anchor it in the great room. Any other thoughts???? (Heart is beginning to counter surf and grab things on ANY table AND she is getting tall enough to get to things she shouldn't --since I can't watch her ALL the time and she is sneaky and quick, she does get away with alot...  ..) |
|
|
Personally, I would never NOT put up a tree b/c of a dog especially if it meant so much to everyone else as it sounds. 
Just put your tree in a corner and make a natural fence around it with furniture/chairs ........or get a gate like most of us. Or you could wait and see how your dogs react as they may not be interested at all combined with not leaving them home alone with the tree and the many presents up for grabs. |
| we just kept the pups out of the room unless we were present - for their safety more than anything else. As a well known dog persn says, "you pay the mortgage and buy the food - they need to live by your rules." |
I didn't put up a tree the past two years because I just felt like I'd be coming home every day and putting it back up. I am going to try it this year. I'm just hoping Beau doesn't decide to pee on it.  One year when the cats were only a few months old, I had to put the tree up five times and I eventually gave up on wrapping gifts as they unwrapped faster than I could wrap. |
| A few ideas....small tree on a high table?
upside down tree hanging from the ceiling? (Ive seen these advertised!) Decorate a big wreath and hang it on the wall Hang your cherished ornaments from the chandelier, or on a garland hung up HIGH 
Go ahead and just make the whole tree edible!  hang toys and dog bisquits, so if they DO get them....no harm! |
| As always, I recommend the Festivus pole. |
Quote: Go ahead and just make the whole tree edible! hang toys and dog bisquits, so if they DO get them....no harm!
Great idea............EXCEPT...my human kids think their mom is wacko already.....I could see me putting up a tree with dog things.... Oh! MY!!! Mom has gone off the deep end now!!!!!!!!!
Fistivus pole?????? for.................(my) C O S M O ?????
But seriously,,,great ideas...maybe a table tree---I did this one year a very, very long time ago when the kids were itty-bitty...put is up on Christmas Eve after they all went to sleep...the look on their faces Christmas morning when I told them Santa came and put it up....( taken down on Christmas night......) |
| I have a tree about 4 1/2 feet tall. I put it on my flat topped steamer trunk. Partly because of the dogs, partly because I don't have the floor space for my big tree in the room I want it in!
I use non-breakable ornaments these days. There are som real decent ones that are plastic, but look like glass. The fragile ones I really love I display in big glass bowls - the kind you put floating candles in. |
| I am fortunate enough to be able to close off the room that the tree with the "breakable" ornaments are on. But he will have access to the family room tree and it goes where his toy box usually sits. Last year he was crated while we were gone so it wasn't a problem. I think he is "grown up" enough this year to handle it. We will see.
My biggest problem is my dogs are oblivious to the tree and brush past it or lie under it as if it were a piece of furniture. One year the sheepie I had growing up wore an ornament outside and we found it 2 months later. 
I think you should put it up and keep her out of that room (locked up if necessary) unless she is supervised then she will treat it like "no big deal" in the years to come. |
Quote: But he will have access to the family room tree and it goes where his toy box usually sits
Judi--- (.....I assume you are referring to Prince Harry????  )
Unfortunately I cannot lock her out of the room, since that is where we stay all the time........BUT..............I think you are right....I have to give her a chance.......(to prove me wrong ) |
| One thing you could try too is to put the naked tree up and leave it that way for a day or two so Heart will get used to it being there. Plus, you'll get to know if she's gonna do anything to it. Maybe not use your most delicate ornaments and place it in as out of the way place as possible.
The only time my parents' dog Maggie would ever really come near the tree was if she was chasing the cat. And Barney I don't think even knows there's anything different when the tree is up |
"Festivus for the rest of us!!!!!!" Jill, we'll let Bear do the feats of strength...... 
Laurie and Oscar, another Festivus Miracle |
Quote: One thing you could try too is to put the naked tree up and leave it that way for a day or two so Heart will get used to it being there
GOSH!!!!! You guys have such GREAT ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  |
| einy has never had a problem with the christmas tree hes ran off with a few candy canes before but none of those for us this year as my son can't eat them
but we did have a house rabbit ( called jones) of how i loved that rabbit! he ate shristmas tree branches (real one of cousre) and ate through a set of lights he lived to tell the tale zoe and einy |
| I saw a picture on here where someone put up a fence around the tree. It looked nice maybe try that. I am doing the tree orning.on the table. It's just Obe and I so his presents wont show up until Christmas m |
sheepieshake wrote: Quote: But he will have access to the family room tree and it goes where his toy box usually sits Judi--- (.....I assume you are referring to Prince Harry???? )Who else Val? The clueless wonder.
Well today is the first day he is alone with the tree and decorations. We had a refresher course this morning as I took him around the room and told him "leave it" to the decorations. Plus his toys box is filled with all "new" toys as I put away the old ones and got out Christmas ones. Of course I am about 50% confident that he won't mess with something he shouldn't. The stockings on the mantle or the pillows on the couch are my guess for the first casualties. I will let you know if he passed the test - if we get through today we should be okay. |
| If you're not home block off the room some way (baby gate, etc.). Hang a couple of bells in the tree so that if you're out of the room you can hear if she touches the tree. |
| Last year Bingley was about 6 months old when we put up his first Christmas tree. We crated him in the same room with us while we put it up and by the time everything was done he didn't even bother with it when he was out of his crate. The only thing we need to watch out for is making sure the cats don't try and hide from him in it! THEN it becomes a danger.
I'm not sure if someone else already mentioned this, but we tie all of our ornaments on with red velvet ribbon. This way if an ornament does fall off (did I mention the cats climb the tree) at least they don't try and eat the little hooks. Good luck - I was absolutely astounded that Bingley ignored the tree last year so hopefully you'll be able to have one, too. |
| Thanks Emily---The ribbon is a great idea!!!!
I have my plan now................. We generally buy an 8-10 foot tree....NOT this year...I think this year, will be a Charlie Brown Tree...........small, not many branches I will put it up and leave it bare for a few days..see if the Heart is going to chew it...( I am thinking she will, since, whenever she goes outside she is always chewing on branches, leaves etc....and of course digging in the dirt with her nose...) IF, by some miracle, she leaves the tree alone...I will put my not so special ornaments on it with ribbon...... Finally.................I will give her 3 chances and then the tree will be OUT!!!!! ( and I mean OUT!!!). I will put as many blockades up as I possibly can!! And she will never be alone with the tree and hopefully, never out of my sight...(oh!yea!). I will update you guys after all this happens.......... |
| Update with a picture of Heart chewing the tree?
Izzie has always ignored ours. It is in the room we hang out in, but against a wall. Actually...I just remembered...the other day she did bury a bone in the tree skirt |
| Amanda P. wrote
Quote: Actually...I just remembered...the other day she did bury a bone in the tree skirt
Thanks for the words of encouragement................... |
| My tree skirt is made up of white sheets with white tulle on top. Izzie pushed a bone under the edge. She needed help to get it out. I honestly think she was afraid to get too close to the tree. |
| As I have said...Heart loves to grab branches, sticks and leaves from the yard and chomp on them....
In my mind here is the scene as we are bringing a fresh, beautiful Christmas Tree into the house........... Heart is sitting on her tuffet concentrating on one of her many bones...."Dad" is dragging the tree into the back door... places it in the tree stand, "Mom" (me) and Dad are admiring what a great tree we picked for this Christmas season...... Heart looks up.. and suddenly sees the tree, blinks in disbelief and thinks to herself: " "OMG...can it I pick 'em or can I pick 'em.....they LOVE me SO MUCH...they got me a tree for my very own...I don't even have to go out...just GRAB and JERK!!! This is the BESTEST Family in the whole word!!!!!  |
| Val, what about putting it up in your front room? you have the kid gate up to keep her out of that room.
or, open the exercise pen (one can be bought at petsmart etc.) and place around it................. I'm going to get a tree today afterall. Taking the kids nextdoor with me. I hadn't planned on one but guess i am............ |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|