Board and train before holiday guests arrive

One week or two before the holidays?

If your dog is young or simply never learned house manners, the one-week Foundation stay covers place, impulse control, waiting at doors and household manners, which is most of what a holiday visit needs. It is also easier to schedule in a busy fall.

If your dog knows the cues but loses them completely when people arrive, the two-week Advanced stay is usually the better fit. Excitement around visitors is a distraction problem, and the extra week goes on proofing skills around more people and more activity, plus a second coaching lesson after you have practiced. Dogs whose doorbell barking comes from fear of strangers, rather than excitement, need that mentioned in the enquiry; our page on stranger reactivity and doorbell barking explains the difference.

Rehearse with friends before the big day

Set up a few practice visits in the weeks after the stay. Ask a friend to ring the doorbell, wait while you cue place, then come in and ignore your dog until it is calm. Repeat with different people, coats, bags and voices. Then sit down to a practice dinner and work on the long settle with a chew or lick mat.

Brief guests on the day with a simple script: do not greet the dog until it has four paws down, do not feed it from the table, and keep doors closed. Children in particular need to know the rules, because a dropped plate or a running toddler is the hardest test of all.

Rotate the helpers if you can. A dog that greets your neighbor politely may still lose its head for a teenage nephew who arrives at a run, so the more types of visitor your dog meets in rehearsal, the fewer surprises on the day. Our guide to setting household rules after board and train helps everyone at home agree on who does what.

Keep management in place on the day

Training and management work together. Even a well-trained dog has a limit, and a long day of guests, smells and noise can reach it. Plan breaks.

Holiday foods also bring real hazards. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center lists chocolate, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, and xylitol among common dangers, and cooked bones can splinter. Keep plates out of reach and bins closed.

• Use a gate or a quiet room when you cannot supervise
• Give your dog a long chew in its crate during the busiest hour
• Take it for a sniffy walk before guests arrive
• Watch for signs your dog has had enough: yawning, lip licking, turning away, hiding
• Let it retire to a quiet room early if it wants to