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Giving your dog holiday presents is about more than the toys, treats, and accessories themselves. Ripping up the wrapping paper can be excellent canine enrichment: an activity that allows your pup to express their natural instincts! (Each year I get immense joy watching my shy blue heeler, Scout, enthusiastically tear open her gifts.)
Is letting your dog chew like this safe? What are the benefits? Are you really interested in cleaning up the mess afterward? Here's what to know.
Dogs know how to open presents?!
Well, yes and no. Many of our canine companions have an innate impulse to tear, shred, and chew (an instinct that comes from their ancestors' prey drive). These behaviors can lend themselves well to opening traditionally wrapped gifts—but you might need to show your pup how at first. If they don't understand there's something worth getting to inside (and why would they unless it's particularly smelly?) they might not be motivated to put in the work.
Scout required some encouragement before she opened her first present. We cheered her on and helped her claw at the wrapping. When she tore a hole, we pulled out the bag of treats and scattered some on the remaining paper. From then on she's asked to open every gift she comes across. (A strong "leave it" comes in handy here when we visit family for the holidays. Other gifts beneath the tree are not for my dog to destroy!)
Benefits of letting your dog unwrap their own gifts
- Chewing, shredding, and tearing are natural canine behaviors. Our dogs feel satisfied when they engage in these activities! Enrichment aficionado Taylor Finton, author of The Happiest Dog on the Block, says that "positive outlets can alleviate the need for your dog to seek out their own shredding enrichment by providing them with something safe and fun."
- The more fulfilled our pets are, the better they're able to handle stress (like the chaos that inevitably comes with holiday gatherings and disruptions to routine).
- Opening their own presents can help your pup release pent-up energy.
- It's a fun, simple way to include your dog in holiday festivities. Consider it enrichment for humans and canines: My niece finds it very entertaining to see my cattle dog opening presents.
Potential risks of letting your dog open presents
As much as we love the idea of canine present opening parties, not every pup is a good candidate for this type of enrichment. That's okay!
- Without clear communication, some dogs might see opening gifts as an invitation to start chewing and shredding other things you don't want them to. (We'd be remiss not to acknowledge this possibility—we also want to recognize it might not be as much of a problem as you think. Finton notes "one of the most common misconceptions with shredding enrichment is that these activities will provoke destruction around the house. Some studies have shown the opposite! If your dog begins destroying things you don't want them to, take a look at what cues you’re giving them. Are you removing the puzzle (or present wrapping) once the objective is finished? Sometimes the simplest steps make the biggest difference.")
- Overly enthusiastic pups might actually eat the wrapping paper.
- Speaking of ingesting things they shouldn't: Small parts (like hanging gift tags) can increase the odds of your dog choking or getting sick.
If these risks are particularly large for your individual pup or lifestyle, there are plenty of other ways to fulfill them this season. Check out our 101 Enrichment Ideas guide for a place to start.
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You might encourage your dog to open their gifts if...
- You want to give them their own holiday fun!
- Your dog loves to shred and tear, and unwrapping presents sounds like a good way to satisfy this instinct.
- You're able to closely supervise as they open each gift.
- The wrapped items aren't fragile or dangerous—so it's no big deal if your pup throws them around a little.
- Your dog has a strong "leave it" or other training to ensure they won't destroy anything more than they're supposed to.
- You encourage your dog to unwrap with a clear start cue so they understand there's a time and place for shredding.
You might not let your dog unwrap their presents if...
- They have a history of swallowing paper, cardboard, or other foreign objects.
- You're still working on teaching your pup when activities like shredding are and aren't okay.
- They struggle with overarousal, and opening gifts sounds like it might rev them up more than calm them down.
- Any of their presents are breakable.
- You simple aren't interested in the clean up afterward.
- You and your dog are satisfied with other enrichment activities.
Happy holidays!
However you enjoy this season, we hope you have a wonderful time with your loved ones—furry and two-legged. Happy holidays from our Juniper family to yours.