# Does your dog try to eat your Christmas tree?



## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

So, this is Saber's first Christmas with us and today we got our Christmas tree. It is a nice big fir tree, fresh cut. She was in her crate watching us get it in the tree stand. She was so excited when I let her out to check it out... and then she ran right over and started EATING the Christmas tree! I mean, not just a nibble but munching away! I called her away and told her to leave it, but it must be super tasty because when I go out of the room or am not looking, she tries to go back over and eat more branches. Seriously, no one told me this was a possibility! I knew she had food drive and eats just about anything, but a tree? She is like a deer trying to graze on it. I don't know how this is going to go, especially once we put ornaments on it! I think it is going to be a loooong few weeks. We will be spending winter break working on "leave it!"

Does your dog try to eat your tree or ornaments? Or do they ignore it?


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

I am not doing a tree this year... 3 dogs and 2 crates in the living room = no place for tree!

But yes, in previous years, my dogs have thought that I brought in sticks to just keep in the house for when they wanted to play with them. Pretty sure the bottom of my tree was bare by the time I took it down. 

I've heard of people setting up ex-pens around their tree to keep the dogs away from branches, ornaments and presents.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I think you need to change Sabers diet! Silly food driven pup!
My dogs ignore the tree....I was concerned the first year that Karlo would mark on it. Their wagging tails do a bit of damage/re-arrangement on the lower branches/ornaments so I don't have any too low.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

Komet v Wolfstraum visiting his sister Kyra's home....he was fascinated with the tree and really was after it!

Hopefully his new family is forewarned !! 

Lee


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## Twyla (Sep 18, 2011)

What we have done with Christmas trees is set up the small/short white picket fence type landscaping border around it. It's worked in all the years past with the dogs. Last year Woolf could only look through the fencing  so it worked, this year.... it will be an adventure. We'll know come this weekend


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## IllinoisGSD (Sep 21, 2011)

wolfstraum said:


> Komet v Wolfstraum visiting his sister Kyra's home....he was fascinated with the tree and really was after it!
> 
> Hopefully his new family is forewarned !!
> 
> Lee


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## DanielleOttoMom (May 11, 2010)

Nope no issues here.... They are 1.5 and 3 years old though. They sniffed it and that was about it. They only thing is with the tree is their tails hitting it. When they get to close and wag their tails bulbs fly off! Lol I'm lucky they don't try and pick them up.  I suggest a fence and start working on the "leave it" command.


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## Germanshepherdlova (Apr 16, 2011)

My dogs who are both 2 years old do not try to eat the tree or destroy the ornaments. If they knock an ornament off accidentally when running by the tree they will look all sheepish about it-like ooopps, sorry about that! We get a fresh tree and when we first bring it in they smell it and watch intently as we put the lights and decorations up but after that they don't pay any attention to it.


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## marielrowland (Jan 6, 2011)

My 13 month old Gertie hasn't tried that yet but she doesn't get alone time in the house out of the crate but I'm sure she would go crazy cause she loves sticks. I am bummed about not feeling secure to place my lovely wrapped presents under the tree. I know she wouldn't be able to resist.


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## Klamari (Aug 6, 2010)

I have a fake tree so mine probably doesn't taste (or smell) as good as yours  Rayne really hasn't taken much interest in the tree itself, but the ribbons we have wrapped around it this year.....the first time she investigated it she grabbed onto the end of the ribbon and pulled. The tree spun as she kept pulling the ribbon off, she almost knocked the whole thing over. Thankfully, we didn't have ornaments on it at that time. She seems to have lost interst since then though.


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## Josh's mom (Oct 30, 2010)

We got a new fake tree this year, Josh was interested when I first put it up, he smelled it and tried to bite a pinecone but after the first day he's left it alone. The cats are another story, they like to lay under it and mess up my tree skirt.


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## LukasGSD (May 18, 2011)

Lukas is a grinch! I left him out while at work (He's the good dog, or so we thought) . We have a fake pre-lit tree and he killed the bottom half of our lite by eating the wire. :/ At least it doesn't look too bad. I didn't even notice it at first..


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Beau ( 5 months) is absolutely fascinated with the lights so I really have to watch him.

This year we put the tree on the floor. Next year I am making my husband reassemble the table we have used in the past and paint it to look like a giant plywood gift. To get the base of the tree above tail height. We have really tall ceilings so that works.


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## RocketDog (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm lucky so far. Rocket could care less about any of our Christmas decorations, including the tree, with the exception of one wire angel from Pier 1 that he's tried to carry around a few times, LOL.

He went with us when we went to cut it down, maybe that's why.


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

update: I have spent ALL evening picking pine needles out of Saber's mouth. Every time she gets in the room she runs over for a mouthful. She thinks it is a giant dog treat. I just put a leash on her and have her tethered to me for now!

I always said she would eat a bowl of pebbles for her dinner if I gave it to her. I wasn't kidding.


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## abby (Mar 13, 2010)

I can't have a tree due to the cats they chew the light cords knock off decorations and chew them, hide them under stuff. So the youngster won't get a chance to see our small fake tree, sigh. Even our christmas cards have teeth marks in from the little kitty cherubs....


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

I got some bitter apple this afternoon and sprayed the whole bottom half of the tree with it. I will let her check it out soon and see if she still eats it.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

I'm very lucky with that. Zira could care less about anything that's not hers. She doesn't touch our tree, and she has never touched furniture either. Her only weak spot is sandals.... she has made her mark on a few of those so far. haha!


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I have a little 4' pre-lit tree that I put on a small corner table. It keeps the dogs off the tree................ok, they'd leave it alone, I'm just simply too lazy to put up the ole' big tree and lights and decorations etc. 

Hondo did nose punch a few of the bows on the presents to see if they squeaked. He was disappointed and hasn't messed with them since.


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## iBaman (Oct 25, 2011)

Nah. he sniffed it a little, and has tried to take off with a couple of the balls (shatter proof, for the win!!!!), but really doesn't mess with it =3


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## spidermilk (Mar 18, 2010)

Mine doesn't even act like he has noticed it. He and the cat did have some playtime with the ribbons on the presents though- and nothing was damaged


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## ShadowBandit (Oct 26, 2011)

Our pup tried eating a fake tree in the house so I was worried. She hasn't tried to eat it, but I found a gift tag sticker stuck to her paw. She more tries to drink the water, and we usually knock off an ornament during morning playtime


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Our boy is not crated at night and sleeps where he wants..he's good & does not get into anything UNTIL the x-mas tree was put up a few weeks ago. He doesn't try to eat the tree but likes to take ornaments off. We woke up to about 7 at the foot of our bed one morning. So until the tree comes down he sleeps in the room with us with the bedroom door closed


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## Scarlettsmom (Jul 12, 2011)

Scarlett has almost toppled the tree when she had the zoomies....but this is the first year she has opened gifts. If it contains food, even in sealed containers, she is into it! I'm thinking she would have made a good drug sniffing dog.  

She mouse-nibbled the corner of some peppermint bark yesterday. Now I have to replace that...She decided that she didn't really like peppermint bark afterall. Thankfully!


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## Oskar der Drachen (Oct 28, 2011)

Bear thinks he is a Beaver, so no tree this year  We're not even going to try.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

Stella is 6 months old and shows no interest in it, I do have a fence around it though, just in case. Don,t know what will happen once we put the train under it?!!!!


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