Certified professional dog trainer Rhea Northcut and other experts say dogs give clear signals when they do not want to be at a holiday party. These signals matter because crowded, noisy gatherings can push a dog from mild discomfort into intense stress; common stressors during social events include loud noises, crowded or unfamiliar environments, and unpredictable interactions with guests, particularly children and strangers.

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Northcut, who is identified as a certified professional dog trainer and resident separation anxiety expert at Wiggle Butt Academy, points to avoidance as a primary warning. “Avoiding interaction and ducking their head away from reaching hands are big indicators that the dog is not comfortable,” she said, noting that dogs will sometimes remove themselves from social areas to seek quiet. It’s worth noting that a Harris Poll survey found a substantial share of dog owners reporting signs of anxiety or fear in their pets during holiday events; the exact percentage should be confirmed from the original survey data before citing a specific figure.

Body language provides early cues that escalation is possible. Northcut warned that “if they are ‘not settling and pacing around more than normal, especially with a stiff body, it can indicate the dog is overwhelmed.'” These signals resonate well with generally recognized stress indicators, such as stiff body posture, tucked tails, and flat ears, while relaxed body language usually marks comfort. Pet owners should also be aware of pacing, trembling, or wide ‘whale’ eyes as signs of anxiety, applicable not only during gatherings but in various situations.

Trainers also list behaviors that can be misread as simply high energy. Ali Smith, a dog trainer with Rebarkable, said that “being loud or barky, jumping up, being mouthy when it’s not their normal, and yawning, these are all signs of overwhelm.” That pattern can look like excitement to guests but, according to the experts, often represents a coping response to overstimulation. Dogs might also experience anxiety due to their owners’ own elevated stress levels during the holidays, adding another layer to the problem.

Emergency veterinarian and founder Dr. Ezra Ameis explained the physiological side of that stress. “Overstimulation leads to physiologic stress, including increases in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, body temperature, and the release of stress hormones,” he said, adding that those responses can raise medical risks in susceptible animals.

Ameis also offered a practical mitigation point: “A calm sitter and stable environment can prevent stress-related medical events and protect your dog from food, alcohol, and household hazards.” That line of advice aligns with guidance from established pet-health resources that recommend monitoring body language and providing a quiet refuge during gatherings; see organizations such as the AKC for related guidance on recognizing anxiety in dogs.

Experts emphasize that some stress signs are subtle and precede more obvious behaviors. Owners who notice repeated room-leaving, hypervigilance, pacing, or a stiff posture should act before the dog escalates to barking, destructive chewing, or accidents indoors. Background pieces about common social stressors for dogs also point to loud noises and crowded, unfamiliar environments as common triggers; Socialwork summarizes research on how environmental changes can affect canine stress levels.

The practical suggestion running through the experts’ advice is straightforward: if a dog is showing sustained signs of discomfort, removing them from the situation or arranging alternative care reduces the risk of escalation. For some dogs that means a quiet room inside the house; for others, it may mean hiring a sitter or leaving the dog at home entirely, as the article recommends.

The guidance is aimed at keeping animals physiologically and behaviorally steady during holiday activity peaks and preventing avoidable medical or behavioral incidents.

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Original reporting: view the original article.