Should I skip the Christmas Tree this year?

[kiya]

Hopefully this worked.

[Peter.]

I suppose we could just try it out, and if it becomes too much a problem, just move it into another room, or take it down!

[Mrs.P]

My husband and I had the same concern with our 6 month old (we have a fake tree also). We decided that we were going to put it up anyways and just teach him as if it were just another piece of furniture that isn't to be chewed on, which I believe is easier to begin when they're young. It's been up since thanksgiving(undecorated at first and now decorated) and he hasn't done much more than gone up and sniffed it a few times and walked away. That being said, he is always supervised and I wouldn't let it get beyond a sniff. I mean we think of it as a tree but considering it is fake and does not have the scent of 'outside' and such I can't imagine that it's more interesting than say an end table or a coat rack to my pup. As someone else said I'm more concerned about his wagging tail but we've learned after the coffee table has been cleared off a few times Good luck!


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[Liesje]

I put an ex-pen around mine if there's a puppy

[Bear GSD]

Peter, I love the picture and the caption, it should be your Christmas
card
I'm facing the same dilemma. My pup last year was about 9-10 weeks old when we had our Christmas tree up and he barely fit under the tree, now he is a very active 13 month old and we'll have to see how it goes.

I guess I'm going to chalk it up as an opportunity to do some training.

[pyratemom]

Originally Posted by Peter.

Thanks for the comments.. this leads me to another question..

Would it be better, easier, to teach him the tree is off limits NOW as a pup.. or a year or two from now when he's older and not as interested in chewing everything?

The more you can teach at a young age the better. They can learn to leave stuff alone. I just put the breakable ornaments higher up on the tree and the wooden and cloth ornaments lower so the tail can't do much damage. You really have to keep an eye on the puppy until it learns though and don't put ice cycle tinsel on your tree because eating those shiny strings of stuff can cause real trouble and even death.

[Peter.]

Originally Posted by Bear GSD

Peter, I love the picture and the caption, it should be your Christmas
card

haha.. thanks!

Originally Posted by Liesje

I put an ex-pen around mine if there's a puppy

Not a bad idea! We have one, but then we wouldn't have anywhere to stash him if we needed a break from constant supervision.

[jocoyn]

We just made a box (you can make one to look like a present even). I don't have any recent pictures of one because the dogs don't go in the room with the tree right now.
Oh gosh no time to find a picture but imagine a 2 foot high plywood box to set the tree stand on. Allows you to get a shorter tree also and have it look good. you can also permenantly set a train to go around the tree on the lid.

[Quinnsmom]

We have always had a real Christmas tree while raising 3 kids and multiple pups/dogs and cats. As Pyratemom said, the unbreakable ornaments go on the bottom and tinsel icycles are a no-no. One thing we always do is tie the tree to a couple of eyelets permanently screwed in the doorframe and window right in the corner where the tree sits. We use clear fishing line, nothing shows and the tree is safe from accidental knockdowns.

[Peter.]

Originally Posted by jocoyn

imagine a 2 foot high plywood box to set the tree stand on. Allows you to get a shorter tree also and have it look good. you can also permenantly set a train to go around the tree on the lid.

That's a neat idea.. though can't help to think my dog would be thinking..
"Why chew the tree, when I can chase a toy train!"

haha