Doodles and Christmas Trees!

[Jodie Marie O'Neill]

Hi there, 

Im new to this website/forum so nice to meet everybody:). I was just curious as to how peoples doodles react to the christmas tree. It is going to be our first christmas with Fozzy who is 4 months old now. Can anybody give me any advice please? We don't want to have to forego the christmas tree but we are a bit concerned that Fozzy may take a liking to it and either 1: destroy the ornaments and branches 2: be scared of it or 3: pull it down just for fun!. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated x

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Our guys never bothered the tree itself, but they were interested in what was under it.  We learned that we just couldn't keep presents out.  I think since they were sitting on the floor they assumed that they were some new toys and that they needed to open them.  LOL  Now that they're older I think we'd only have to tell them "no" once or twice and they would just not go near them.

[Janice Hammond]

We really didn't have a problem with Sadie being attracted to the tree too much.She was kind of excited when the lights first came on .Once she had a good sniff she was basically bored with it.

The presents under the tree were of more interest to her and we had to watch carefully .Of course if treats were wrapped for her they had to be put away until it was time to open them or we hung them in her stocking.

[Adina P]

Mine nosed it a few times but never took a huge interest in it.  My greatest fear is my adult male would think it was something work peeing on.  He didn't.  I think I wrapped ours in an expen too but then found we didn't need it.  I would maybe keep the ornaments a littler higher up than normal.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

This will be our second Christmas and we too will have the small jailed tree!  My girls still eat ANYTHING they can get their teeth against (including the wallpaper)!   I don't want to take a chance of them getting sick, injured or loosing one of our treasured ornaments we collected on all our RV roadtrips across the states with my mom after my dad had passed away.  Three cherished summer getaways with my mom and daughter (oh, and the dog/cat/guinea pig)!  Only five states left to visit!!!! 

Last year we set up the tree only for a few days to see what they did, you could maybe start there?  Ours tried dragging it out the doggy door so back up on the table with a gate surrounding it went with only ribbons for ornaments for safety.  It was a sad looking tree but survived the holidays. 

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

Ours were both fine with trees too. Bella is the eater/chewer and even she left it alone. We are surprised as she loves eating branches on all the hedges out back, and we always have a real tree. We just put most valuable ornaments up high, just in case. I think the first year we secured it to the wall somehow, in case she decided to munch and it fall on her. This year Murphy lifts his leg for every bush, so we might have other issues to deal with. Lol

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

Murphy, my angel, was perfect around the tree his first year. My DH was worried and actually nailed, yes nailed, our tree to the floor. Murph had no interest. Last year Wilson was just 6 months old and he was so BAD that we decided not to do a tree. We are doing a tree this year and I am VERY worried! Once they get the zoomies it could be the death of our tree. Was going to put dog gates around it until I realized I had already offered my gates to a friend getting a new doodle puppy next week. I will keep you posted....

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

NAILED the tree to the floor. OMD!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'm laughing right now.  My DH never nailed the tree to the floor but he did put those hooks in the walls of our old house and tie the tree to the wall using brown twine (so attractive).  This was before G & M so I'm assuming it was due to our DS who was a toddler at the time and the "non Doodle" dogs.

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

Someone was telling me how proud they were of their dog for not taking down ornaments from their Christmas tree - my response:

 

Just yesterday morning Bill shook his head at me after Stanlee came RUNNING down the hall and into our room throwing and tossing something into the air. When we realized it was one of Bill's kids' stockings I got that "uh oh" look on my face and laid the blame on myself. He turned to me calmly and said "I'm gonna be pi$$ed at Stanlee and you're gonna be pi$$ed at me for being pi$$ed at Stanlee so I don't think this is going to be a very happy holiday.”

So far Stan has eaten three holiday decorative sprigs, a small blanket of fake snow, and tossed around a stocking and I’m not even close to being done decorating; it looks like Christmas threw up at our house.

At lunch today I went to Lowe’s and bought a roll of white picket fencing to put around our Christmas tree.

I give it 2 hours and 36 minutes before he snatches an ornament from the tree and eats it in three bites or less.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Oh wow....this will be an interesting holiday this year.

[Judi, David & Maddie Irishdoodle]

Maddie has always been good around the tree and the first year we made sure to decorate the lower branches with unbreakable decorations just in case.

Also, just want to remind folks that they shouldn't put boxes of chocolates or those plastic candy canes full of M&M'x under the tree.  Also don't hang candy canes on the branches and that way you dog won't be tempted to jump up to get them.

We once had a beagle that hoovered the chocolate candy from one of those large plastic canes under the tree and had no ill effects.  That same beagle ate the Easter bunny trail to our baskets of chocolate eggs the next year.  She lived to be a good old age and seemed to have a cast iron stomach.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

About 10 years ago we gave up having live trees as our dogs at that time thought we had put up a special water bowl just for them.  We have an artificial and the doodle sisters are totally disinterested in it.