Every year, around the second week of December, my phone fills up with calls from people who've just realised they need a dog sitter over Christmas and have discovered, too late, that everyone they'd want to book has been fully booked since October. I take as many as I can, but there's a limit to how many homes one person can stay in simultaneously. The ones who booked in October or early November are sorted. The ones who call on December 20th are facing a much harder search.
This post is your prompt to deal with Christmas dog care now, not in six weeks when the panic sets in. Whether you're going away for the holiday or just need cover for a few days while you visit family, the advice below covers when to book, what to ask, and how to make sure your dog has a good Christmas while you're gone. I've written previously about choosing between sitting, boarding, and kennels and how to find a sitter you trust. This post builds on both, with the Christmas-specific details that make the difference.
If you're looking for in-home sitting in Taunton over the Christmas period, I offer dog sitting across the town and surrounding villages. But I book up early, so get in touch sooner rather than later.
1. Why you should book Christmas sitting now, not in December
The best sitters, kennels, and boarders book up for Christmas by early November, sometimes earlier. Christmas is the single busiest period of the year for pet care; more people travel, for longer, than at any other time. And unlike summer, where demand spreads across June, July, and August, Christmas demand concentrates on a specific ten-day window between roughly December 20th and January 2nd. Christmas dog boarding and sitting options across Taunton fill up fast, so the earlier you enquire, the more choice you'll have.
If you're reading this in late October or early November, you're in good time. Start making enquiries now. Have conversations with two or three potential sitters. Do the meet and greet. Do a trial evening. Get it sorted before the festive season takes over your diary, because once December arrives, your time and energy for organising dog care evaporate into the general chaos of Christmas.
2. What Christmas dog sitting looks like
For an in-home sitter, Christmas sitting is not very different from any other sitting; and that's the point. From your dog's perspective, the goal is for nothing to change. Same bed, same walks, same food at the same times. The sitter's job is to slot into your dog's routine, not to disrupt it. The only difference at Christmas is that the sitter is likely to be spending more time in the house (because it's Christmas, and there's nowhere to go), which most dogs consider an upgrade.
A professional Christmas sitter will maintain your dog's normal walk schedule throughout the holiday, including Christmas Day. They'll send you daily updates with photos so you can see your dog is relaxed and happy. They'll keep the house secure, bring in the post, water the plants, and leave everything as they found it. And on Christmas morning, your dog might get a little something extra from the sitter; I know I can't resist.
3. Questions to ask a Christmas sitter specifically
The general questions to ask any sitter are covered in the finding a sitter guide. At Christmas, add these: What are your own Christmas plans, and how do they fit around sitting for my dog? (A sitter who's going to be out at family gatherings for eight hours on Christmas Day is not providing what you're paying for.) What's your backup arrangement if you get ill over the holiday? (Christmas is harder for backup; fewer people are available, and vets operate reduced hours.) How many other commitments do you have over the Christmas period? (A sitter juggling multiple sits simultaneously may not be giving your dog the attention you're expecting.)
A professional sitter will have clear, reassuring answers to all of these. Someone who's figuring it out as they go along is not ready for the responsibility of Christmas care.
4. Christmas hazards in the home
Christmas fills your house with things that are dangerous to dogs. Some of them are obvious. Some aren't. If you have a sitter staying, they'll manage these risks. If your dog is staying elsewhere or you're hosting with a dog in the house, here's what to watch for:
Food hazards: Chocolate (theobromine is toxic to dogs; darker chocolate is worse), mince pies and Christmas pudding (raisins, currants, and sultanas can cause kidney failure), Christmas cake (same dried-fruit risk), onions and garlic (in stuffing, gravy, and leftovers; toxic to dogs), macadamia nuts, blue cheese, and anything containing xylitol (an artificial sweetener sometimes found in peanut butter and sugar-free products). The Christmas roast itself (plain turkey or chicken, plain vegetables, a small amount of potato) is fine in moderation. No cooked bones (they splinter and can cause life-threatening blockages), no skin, no fat — plain meat only. It's the trimmings that cause the problems.
Decoration hazards: Ribbon and tinsel (if swallowed, these can cause a life-threatening intestinal blockage requiring emergency surgery), fairy lights (chewed wires equal electric shock or burns), glass baubles (shattered glass in paws or mouth), chocolate tree decorations (see above), and Christmas plants: poinsettia (irritant), holly (toxic), mistletoe (toxic), and ivy (irritant to skin and stomach). A dog who's never shown interest in decorations before might surprise you. The combination of novelty, excitement, and changes to routine makes Christmas a peak period for foreign-body surgeries.
Other Christmas hazards: Candles (knocked over by a wagging tail), snow globes (some contain antifreeze; if one breaks, treat the spill as a veterinary emergency), batteries from new toys and gadgets (cause chemical burns if chewed and swallowed), and Christmas tree water (it can contain preservatives, fertilisers, and bacteria — keep your dog from drinking it, and cover the stand).
5. Preparing your dog's Christmas brief
Your sitter needs the same information you'd leave for any sit (feeding, walking, medical, routine) plus a few Christmas-specific additions. Your vet's Christmas and New Year opening hours (they will be reduced; know which days they're closed). The emergency out-of-hours vet contact. Whether your dog is okay being left while the sitter goes out for a few hours on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. And what's okay as a Christmas treat: a bit of plain turkey, a new chew, a special walk? Spell it out so the sitter isn't guessing.
6. The Christmas Day walk: where to go in Taunton
Christmas Day is one of the best days of the year for dog walking. The paths are empty, the world is quiet, and there's something special about being outside while everyone else is indoors. In Taunton, Vivary Park is open 365 days a year and is beautiful on Christmas morning: the trees bare, the paths empty, the light wintery and low. Longrun Meadow and the river path are open and walkable. The Quantocks are spectacular on a clear Christmas Day if you're up for a slightly longer drive.
If your sitter is handling the Christmas walk, they'll know these routes. If you're home with your dog, a Christmas morning walk before the cooking and chaos starts is good for everyone; it tires the dog out before guests arrive and gives you an hour's peace before the day gets busy.
7. New Year's Eve: fireworks, round two
New Year's Eve often involves fireworks, and for a dog who's firework-phobic, it's the same challenge as Bonfire Night with the added complication that you're probably not home. If you're going out for New Year and your dog is scared of fireworks, arrange for someone to stay with them. A sitter who's already with your dog over the holiday is ideally placed to handle New Year's Eve exactly as they'd handle November 5th: curtains closed, background noise on, safe den available, calm presence throughout.
I wrote a detailed guide to fireworks and dogs for Bonfire Night, and everything in it applies equally to New Year. The practical steps (walk early, close the curtains, background noise, stay calm) are the same. The only difference is that at New Year, you're more likely to be out, which makes having a sitter with your dog even more important.
8. What if you're hosting? Managing your dog around guests
If you're staying home for Christmas but having people over, your dog has a different set of challenges. A house full of guests is stimulating in ways that can tip over into overwhelming. People who don't have dogs don't know the rules: they'll feed the dog from their plate, leave chocolate within reach, leave the front door open, and ruffle the dog's ears when the dog is clearly asking to be left alone.
A few things help. Give your dog a quiet room they can retreat to, with their bed, water, and something absorbing to do (a frozen Kong, a long-lasting chew). Brief your guests on arrival: please don't feed the dog, please don't chase them if they walk away, please close the door behind you. Walk your dog before guests arrive; a tired dog handles the chaos better. And keep an eye on your dog's body language. Yawning, lip licking, moving away, and showing the whites of their eyes are all signs a dog is uncomfortable. If you see them, give your dog a break in their quiet room, guests or no guests. The indoor enrichment guide has activities that work well for giving a dog a calm focus in a busy house.
9. The benefit of a professional sitter vs asking family
Christmas is the time when people most often ask a family member or friend to look after their dog, and I understand why: everyone's off work, there's a sense of shared obligation, and it's free. It can work beautifully. It can also go wrong in ways that are hard to recover from. Your sister-in-law who "loves dogs" might not recognise the early signs of bloat. Your neighbour who's "happy to pop in" might not notice that your dog hasn't eaten for two days because they're stressed you're gone.
A professional sitter costs money, but what you're buying is certainty. Your dog is cared for by someone who's insured, experienced, and following your instructions exactly. There's no awkwardness if something goes wrong. There's no guilt about imposing on a family member's Christmas. And your dog gets the consistency and routine that family favours often don't provide. I've written more about the difference between professional sitting and family favours; the principles are the same at Christmas as any other time of year. If your dog struggles with being left at all, my guide to separation anxiety in dogs covers what to look for and how in-home sitting can be part of the solution.
10. Booking process and what to expect from Dogs and Fairy Tails Christmas sitting
If you'd like me to stay with your dog over Christmas, here's how it works. You get in touch; the earlier the better. We arrange a free meet and greet at your home, where I meet your dog, learn their routine, and answer any questions you have. If we're both happy, we book the dates. I'll ask you to leave a written brief covering the essentials (feeding, walking, medical, routines, quirks) and we'll agree exactly what's included. Over the holiday, I stay in your home with your dog, keep to their normal routine, and send you daily updates with photos. You come home to a calm, happy dog and a house exactly as you left it.
Christmas sitting books up fast. If you're interested, please don't wait until December. The conversation costs nothing, and even if we don't end up working together, I can point you towards other trusted sitters in the Taunton area.
Practical Tips for Dog Owners at Christmas
Christmas food toxicity quick-reference. Print this and put it on the fridge: Chocolate: NO (darker equals worse). Mince pies, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake: NO (dried fruit causes kidney failure). Onions, garlic, leeks, chives: NO (in stuffing, gravy, leftovers). Grapes and raisins: NO. Macadamia nuts: NO. Blue cheese: NO. Xylitol (sweetener): NO. Gravy: NO (contains onion). Stuffing: NO (contains onion/garlic). Alcohol: NO — even small amounts from leftover drinks can cause vomiting, disorientation, and in severe cases, respiratory failure. Plain turkey, plain veg, plain potato: fine in moderation. No cooked bones (they splinter and can cause life-threatening blockages), no skin, no fat — plain meat only. If your dog eats something on the NO list, call your vet immediately.
Know the emergency vet Christmas hours. Your regular vet will have reduced hours over Christmas and New Year. Find out now what they are, and save the out-of-hours emergency number in your phone. The last thing you want to be doing on Christmas Day is frantically Googling "emergency vet open today Taunton."
The Christmas walk is your secret weapon. A proper walk before the chaos of Christmas lunch (guests arriving, food cooking, children unwrapping things) sets your dog up to cope with the day. A tired dog handles stimulation better. A wired dog who hasn't been walked adds stress to an already busy day. Prioritise the morning walk.
Don't let the routine collapse entirely. Christmas disrupts every routine, and some disruption is fine. But a dog who's fed four hours late, skipped two walks, and hasn't had a proper toilet break is a dog who's going to struggle. Whatever else slides, keep the basics in place: food at roughly the right times, at least one proper walk, and regular toilet access.
Want your Christmas dog care sorted before December?
Hi, I'm Emma, the dog walker, sitter, and trainer behind Dogs and Fairy Tails, based in Taunton. I offer in-home dog sitting across Taunton and the surrounding villages over the Christmas period. Your dog stays in their own home, I stay with them, and their routine doesn't change. I'm BSc Animal Behaviour qualified, fully insured, DBS checked, and I compete at Crufts in Heelwork to Music and Agility. Christmas sitting books up fast, so if you're interested, let's talk now rather than in December.
Book a free meet and greet and let's get your dog's Christmas sorted. Or if you'd like to know more about me first, here's the about page.