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Holiday Guests, Anxious Paws: Helping Dogs Feel Safe When the House Gets Busy
Allen Rippy, Veterinarian, Author
Dec 16, 2025
6 min read
The holiday season is meant to feel warm, joyful, and connected, yet for many dogs it can feel confusing and even frightening. Visitors arrive suddenly. Familiar routines dissolve. People appear, disappear, and reappear without explanation. To a dog, this can feel almost mystical, loved humans vanish behind doors, strange voices echo through the house, and personal space shrinks. Without the ability to understand calendars or social customs, dogs often interpret these changes as uncertainty or threat.
Research in veterinary medicine and behavioral psychology shows that dogs thrive on predictability. Sudden disruptions in environment and social structure raise cortisol levels, increase vigilance, and can trigger anxiety-driven behaviors like pacing, barking, hiding, or gastrointestinal upset. Surveys of pet owners consistently show spikes in stress-related complaints during holidays, fireworks seasons, and family gatherings. This stress is not emotional weakness, it is biology responding to unpredictability.
Fortunately, there are gentle, science-informed ways to help dogs stay calm and engaged rather than panicked. Hemp seed oil, rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, supports neurologic balance and reduces inflammatory signaling that can amplify stress responses. Unlike THC products, properly formulated hemp seed oil does not intoxicate, it nourishes the nervous system, helping dogs settle into a calmer baseline.
Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone, plays a complementary role. In dogs, melatonin helps regulate circadian rhythms, promotes relaxation, and reduces anxiety linked to environmental change. Veterinary studies and decades of clinical use show that appropriate melatonin dosing can help dogs feel safe enough to rest, even when the house feels busy.
Together, these tools can transform the holiday experience. Instead of fear, dogs experience curiosity. Instead of panic, they feel grounded. With calm bodies and steady minds, dogs can join the celebration, reminding us to step away from our screens, slow our breathing, and enjoy the simple, real-world connection that makes the season meaningful.