Why behaviour support requests increase over the holidays and what helps most
- Believe in Magic Dog Training & Behaviour
- Dec 14, 2025
- 2 min read
Every year, without fail, enquiries increase during the holiday period. Owners often tell me their dog has suddenly become more reactive, restless, snappy, withdrawn, or unable to cope in ways they had not seen before. What looks like a sudden behaviour change is very rarely sudden. The holidays create a perfect storm where overwhelm, pain, and reduced coping capacity finally become visible.
Routines collapse. Sleep is disrupted. Homes are busier and noisier. Walks happen at different times, on different surfaces, often in the dark or cold. Dogs are asked to tolerate visitors, changes to space, different resting areas, and increased handling. At the same time, colder weather and reduced movement can exacerbate underlying pain or stiffness. When a dog’s physical comfort drops and their nervous system is under sustained load, behaviour is often the first place this shows.
Importantly, many dogs cope until they cannot. The holidays remove the buffers that normally keep behaviour manageable. That is why calls increase now, not because dogs are being difficult, but because their capacity has been exceeded.
Top tips that genuinely help during the holiday period
Prioritise rest and predictability. Protect sleep and downtime as much as possible. Quiet, undisturbed rest is not a luxury, it is regulation.
Watch movement closely. Shortened stride, stiffness after rest, reluctance to move, pacing, or changes in posture are all information. Behaviour does not exist separately from the body.
Lower expectations. This is not the time to push training goals, social exposure, or “being good for guests”. Stability matters more than progress right now.
Reduce social pressure. Tolerance is not enjoyment. Give dogs choice about interaction, space away from visitors, and freedom from being handled for photos or greetings.
Be cautious with walks. More walking is not always better. Choose quality over quantity and aim for decompression rather than stimulation.
Do not add more enrichment to fix overwhelm. A dysregulated nervous system does not need more input. It needs safety, predictability, and recovery.
Seek support early. Behaviour that appears during the holidays is often a signal that something has been brewing underneath. Early assessment, including physical comfort and emotional load, prevents escalation later.
If there is one message I would want owners and professionals to hold at this time of year, it is this. Holiday behaviour changes deserve curiosity, not correction. They are often the clearest communication a dog has that something is too much.
If this post has made you look differently at how your dog is moving, resting, or coping right now, The Way They Move will help you learn what to observe, what changes matter, and how movement links to behaviour long before problems escalate.
If you are a trainer or behaviour professional noticing these patterns and feeling unsure how to respond ethically or confidently, mentoring offers a space to reflect, integrate knowledge, and make decisions without holding the complexity alone. Find out more about our mentoring support.
If behaviour changes have appeared recently or suddenly, especially during the colder months, a veterinary check to rule out pain or physical discomfort is an important first step. You can book in your consultation with Eryn below.
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