1 min 47 sec
The holiday PSA
Worth sending to anyone bringing children to your house this season.
Part of the free SAFE program
Keeping dogs and kids safe over the holidays
Christmas, Hanukkah and the whole winter stretch bring visitors, decorations, a tree that wasn’t there last week, and presents your dog would very much like to open. All of it is fun for the family and confusing for the dog.
4.5Mpeople bitten by dogs in the US every year
Halfof all dog-related injuries involve children
2.8Mdogs entering US shelters and rescues each year
320Kof those dogs are euthanized
Bite figures: American Veterinary Medical Association. Shelter figures: ASPCA, 2025 data from Shelter Animals Count.
Keep your dog calm, cool and collected over the holidays.
Dog bites can be prevented
Most bites to children come from the family dog, or from a dog the child already knows — and more than half of all dog-related injuries in the US involve children. Almost all of it is preventable with a few small changes that make your dog less frightened and less crowded over the holidays.
Christmas, Hanukkah and other winter celebrations are fun for the family, but new people in the house, decorations, trees and presents all cause stress for your dog. A few helpful habits keep the season free of anxiety for them.
Our Be SAFE for the Holidays videos can help you be safe and merry with your dogs and your family.
Watch together
Two short videos for the holidays
Both under two minutes. Watch them with your children, and send the PSA to whoever is coming over.
1 min 52 sec
Tips and tricks for the holidays
Trees, presents, candles and a doorbell that rings all day.
Simple steps that make a difference
What to do to keep children and dogs safe over the holidays
Post a sign on your door
If your dog is bothered by the doorbell or by knocking, put a sign up, or step outside to greet guests yourself.
Keep your dog away from the front door
With the door opening and closing all day, settle your dog in another room with a food-dispensing toy and soft music to mask the noise.
Be careful with photos
Make sure your dog is comfortable with children and cameras before you start — and find out how they feel about antlers and hats before you put any on them.
Keep wrapping paper away from dogs
Gift wrap and some decorations cause intestinal blockages when eaten. Clear them as you go.
Candles can be dangerous
Christmas candles and menorahs are a fire risk if a dog knocks them over.
Some foods are toxic to dogs
Chocolate, bacon and alcohol can all do real harm. If you want to give your dog a treat, give them a dog treat.
Keep decorations out of reach
Inside and outside the house, within reach means within chewing range.
With a few simple precautions, and knowing what stresses your dog out, you can make the holidays an enjoyable day for the whole family.
Thanks to Cathy Reisfield of Dependable Dogs for these tips.
The rest of the year
SAFE is not just for the holidays
The same four steps work on an ordinary Tuesday. The free SAFE program teaches children what to do with a dog they live with, and what to do with a dog they have never met.
The free SAFE programBoth videos, the four steps, and a free kit
of children’s eBooks, wall charts and coloring pages.
SAFE around a dog you knowYour own dog, grandma’s dog, the
dog at the sleepover — where most bites to young children happen.
SAFE around a dog you don’t knowWhat to teach a child to
do with their body when an unfamiliar dog comes toward them.
Dog body language posterThe Go / Caution / Stop signals chart,
printed for a wall where your children will actually see it.
Dog body language postcardsThe same chart as a pack of 50
double-sided postcards, for handing out.
Dog Smart card game108 cards, 27 ways
to play. Children learn to read a dog without being lectured at.
Why this matters
Take a stand against dog bites
Dog safety education for adults and children is the whole job.
Any dog can bite — whatever their age or breed, however long you have had your furry friend, however well you think you know him. Many dog bites end with a dog being surrendered to an animal shelter, and according to the ASPCA, about 2.8 million dogs entered US shelters and rescues last year. Roughly 320,000 of them were euthanized.
Help stop the growing number of dog bites, and the number of dogs left at shelters because of them. Teach yourself and your children how to behave around dogs, how to greet a dog, and how to respect a dog’s body and a dog’s space.
Get the free SAFE kit for kids
Children’s eBooks, printable wall charts and coloring pages, plus both SAFE videos. Nothing to buy — it works over the holidays and every other day of the year.
