Oh Christmas tree...

[L.M.]

So I am a Christmas fanatic...I'm 26...have only lived in my house for 2 years...and have already accumulated 4 Christmas trees of different shapes and sizes.  As my favorite time of year approaches, I have begun to worry about my Christmas ornament snatcher...AKA Seamus doodle.  He is a year and a half and is no longer crated.  On any normal day, he is a perfect angel when left alone.  Never has accidents or steals things or anything.  BUT do I trust my big man alone with my Christmas trees?  We attempted gating him in the kitchen and when we came home Houdini escaped, so the gate is a no go.  Deep down I think he'll be fine, but I'm just curious....Do you all trust your doodles alone with a tree and their super-tempting ornaments???   (My childhood dog...a chubby pug...used to lay in the village under the tree and steal the little village people and mini trees...I found it hilarious at the time....now it comes back to haunt me.)   =)  

[Linda and Murphy]

The Christmas tree was never an issue for Murphy. He never showed interest in it. The cat, on the other hand....

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

We really decorate our entire house from pot holders to bath towels, wreaths to bedspreads, and put our tree in the entry at the bottom of the stairway, so it can't be missed as we go about our daily business. Ned's first Xmas, we got a table top tree which I hated, hated, hated. Last year, I just decided that I would forgo the tree because to choose between the pathetic little table tree we got and a lush 8 foot tree was not a choice and it was my daughter's clumsy rescue lab's first Christmas and my DIL had an 8 month old whippet pup. I haven't decided about this year. All the dogs have matured but I don't know if Clancy might decide it is an outdoor bush to lift his leg on! I do have an ex-pen that I can experiment with. I need to decide soon!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Nancy, Go for it. Life is too short to skip putting your tree up :) Good luck!

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

Yeah...go for it. Next year your excuse will be that your new little grand daughter Evie is walking!!!!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I too am a Christmas fanatic. We always put our tree up the last weekend in October. Why, you ask? Well, I get a lot of company in November and also have a cookie party right after Thanksgiving. My husband is mortified, but I love it. He says his next wife is going to be Jewish. Anyways, we put up 5 trees (not counting little ones) and I have LOTS of treasured ornaments. Fudge does not bother the trees at all. This is Vern's Christmas and he too has shown no interest. The biggest problem is his size and the fact that he thinks he can squeeze in anywhere. I try and put the trees in places that do not get as much traffic. I would watch Seamus to see how he is when you are there with the tree. Or you could gate around the trees like others have said.

[Sam]

This has just made me think!!!! We let Ollie roam free last year (he was 18 months at the time) and only a couple of balls were taken which was kind of cute as it was only a couple but we have got a new dood this Christmas and I don't trust him at all............ Hadn't even crossed my mind until I read your discussion!!!!! One thing I did do last year though was not put up the kids "special" glass balls that they got for their first Christmas - stuck purely to plastic balls!!!! Good Luck.

[Kyoko]

I switched my tree to the table top ones, like Camilla. My frined's cat ate the tensil and had to put to sleep. That scared me.... Mt kids are much older, so it's OK for not having a full size tree...

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

But, Nancie, you don't have to worry that Gracie will think your tree is an outdoor bush!!! I pretty much think he would be ok, but I would hate he and Welby the Whippet to have a 'pee off' on the tree and gifts....

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

We did the ex-pen for Lucy and Sophie's 1st Christmas. I put it in a corner and just put the pen up around it. Their 2nd year we didn't put the ex-pen up and they didn't bother it. Just don't put anything yummy under it. My girls aren't thieves or chewers though so I wasn't too worried.

[Camilla and Darwin]

This is the picture I was looking for. Great idea.

[Martha & Cooper]

I am worried about this too! Cooper is getting better, but he still likes to get everything in his mouth and "investigate" it. I have been reading all the answers here and considering an xpen or not putting up a tree at all this year and just decorating our mantle etc. He has to learn though ......

[Melissa & Porter]

Last year Porter was 13 months at Christmas. He crushed a couple ball ornaments during the setup, but left the tree alone apart from that. As a precaution, I left the bottom foot of the tree bare except for lights. Low-dangling things seemed like asking for trouble. In general, Porter is not a sock-munching, stuffy-ripping kinda guy. He steals stuff to get our attention when he is bored and wants to be chased.