Christmas tree with b's

[red and white furever]

I'm all eyes and ears on this topic - I haven't put up a Christmas tree since I became a dog owner for fear of my sanity and the safety of the Christmas tree! Besides, Stormie's much too big to be a tree topper, though I know he'd try to scoot his butt up there! :rolleyes:

[tanza]

@luvsmy2bs:

Hello all,

As the holidays are approaching my DH and I have been contimplating the damage that is going to be done to our Christmas tree. Anyone have any suggestions for how to keep our tree as intact as possible?

We do not decorate our tree the last 1/4 to the bottom…. or you can put a little fence around it... we have done that too when we have had pups...

[tanza]

And they really don't bother it.. other then the sometimes B 500 around it.. you need to be careful of the cords if you have lights and make sure they can get over/around them…. if you don't do something like a fence.... never had a problem with my boys wanting to pee on it.. so that has never been a concern... also make sure that your decorations are secure on the tree.... and watch the watch reserve.. they will want to drink from that

[sharronhurlbut]

We get a small tree and put it up on a table.
We have never had any issues with this.

[youngandtired]

Sahara was very good last year with my tree, she did try to inspect a few ornaments, but once I said No she stayed away for the most part. She was only 9 mos. old then, so I am wondering what this year will hold with the tree. She gets into more things now, she is much taller this year, and wants to check everything out. I will be guarding my tree with water bottle in hand, she hates that bottle. Most times I only have to pick it up and she moves, faster than a speeding bullet. haha!!!! I will not let her stop me from having my tree up, I love a Christmas tree, and enjoy decorating the house inside and out. So I will keep you all posted, it will be very interesting this year. By the way, I put her in my den when I leave the house with the door to my living room (where the tree is) closed.

[tanza]

Like I said, make it easy on yourselves… only decorate 3/4 of the way down....

[basenji3]

We too don't decorate the bottom. The two of them have been pretty good with that. A NO ususally stops tree surfing. There is a whole new issue once
presents go under the tree. All that pretty paper! So tempting to a basenji.
You must have done that for me to rip up is their thought process. Their
Santa presents can't go under the tree till christmas eve night after they have gone to bed. Just like when our kids were little.

[BasenjiDiva]

Wow! I hadn't thought about the tree yet beyond what my 22 month old grandson might want to grab! I guess I'll tier it - good stuff on top; unbreakables at toddler level; nothing at Basenji level. Fortunately, I gave up on tinsel years ago. I also collect nativity scenes but I put a plastic toy one down at the lowest level for grandbabies to handle. The rest already go up fairly high. Christmas decorating may be scant this year until I see what Cory zeros in on. Our Chocolate Lab ate a few ornaments so I'm already partially trained for the season.

Pat

[lvoss]

Most of my Christmas ornaments are non-breakables. I place the few breakables toward the top of the tree. For the most part the dogs ignore the tree and ornaments. It is the cats who bat them off the tree. We don't put the tree up though until I am off for Christmas break and the dogs will be getting lots of attention and are less likely to feel bored. We also don't put the gifts out until Christmas since unwrapping gifts is their biggest temptation.

[sharronhurlbut]

When we had cats, before basenji, my husband use to tie fishing line around the top of the tree and tack it on the walls, so when the cats when tree climbing, it wouldn't fall over.
Sure did look sad toward the end of the holiday season, however.
Grin.

[tanza]

Oh and presents.. they are NOT under the tree….gggg... we have a table that the present go on... way to much temptation....gggg

[wizard]

I was just thinking about this the other day when I was moving some boxes in the storeroom and EL D spied the christmas stuff and grabbed for the garland. It reminded me not the decorate the bottom of the tree but good points about the water reservoir and cords - I probably wouldn't have thought about those.

[elena86]

When I got Senji, he was 5 1/2, and it was summer. He always slept in his crate, and I put the crate in the corner of the living room. I always put the Christmas tree in the same corner where his crate was located. I took apart his crate and let Senji sleep on the couch "temporarily" while the tree was up. After the holidays, he didn't want to sleep in his crate anymore. He got used to sleeping on the couch. (DUH!) Even now, I think he sometimes misses his crate. He'll frequently go in the corner and lie down. When I have the tree up, he likes to lay under the tree. He's a good boy and doesn't damage the tree. :p

[WBL]

We have a little 36" fiber optic tree, and all our ornaments are from Ikea (god I love that place, lol) and they are all actually plastic but look like glass. We got them that way because of the cat. So I'm not worried about anything breaking, we also do put it up on a little table and have squirt bottles in hand if Tiggy tries to "taste test" it

[dash]

I haven't put up a tree in years. I never get into the holiday spirit. Presents go on the table. We only buy for my son anyway. I can't imagine Dash around a tree. Way to much temptation.

[jys1011]

We had our tree up last year & just put an expen around it…when company came the dogs went into their crates & the expen could be taken off for pleasant viewing

And presents didn't appear until X-mas day!

[porsh]

You could also supervise them when they are in the room with the christmas tree, or put up baby gates if there that bad and block off the room to them

[JazzysMom]

Jazzy has never bothered the tree –- well, this will only be the 3rd Christmas with her, but she never bothers anything.

We'll be bringing our tree in tonight and I am concerned about Keoki. I KNOW the ornaments won't be able to be hung too low, I am a little worried about the tree skirt, and I FEAR he will pee on it. After all.... it IS a tree.

Dh has proclaimed, "He'd better not!!" As if that's gonna stop him, LOL.
I'll just have the wood floor cleaner handy for the next day or so until I am sure that the tree is safe.

[tanza]

@JazzysMom:

Jazzy has never bothered the tree –- well, this will only be the 3rd Christmas with her, but she never bothers anything.

We'll be bringing our tree in tonight and I am concerned about Keoki. I KNOW the ornaments won't be able to be hung too low, I am a little worried about the tree skirt, and I FEAR he will pee on it. After all.... it IS a tree.

Dh has proclaimed, "He'd better not!!" As if that's gonna stop him, LOL.
I'll just have the wood floor cleaner handy for the next day or so until I am sure that the tree is safe.

It is funny, none of my male have ever even thought about peeing on the tree… we do watch them when we first bring in the tree... but after that we have never had to worry about it....

[Quercus]

Same here…we have never had that problem. We do tie it to the wall in the back, to make SURE they don't knock it over...but that has more to do with the human child, than the Bs