Even Dogs Get the Blues at Holiday Time

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DALLAS - The strain of the holidays can become too much for family dogs and when they get the Christmas blues, they may bite back.

According to Kent Robertson, manager of Animal Services for the city of Dallas, pet bites go up by about 10 percent during the holiday season as dogs overwhelmed by a flood of visitors and new activity around the house may mark the holidays by biting.

"I suspect everywhere around the United States, there is an increase in dog bite activity. Families are getting together and you have active youngsters running around, and they may often provoke dogs to bite," Robertson said.

He said children under age 15 were the most-common victims of bites. Robertson recommends keeping dogs away from the fray when the house is full of holiday revelers.

The holidays are just not a good time for the family dog. There are the dangers of poisonous plants such as the poinsettias and mistletoe, and the possibility of knocking over the tree, destroying ornaments and perhaps setting off a fire. Dr. Katherine Houpt, the director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine said that she had not seen figures on increased dog bites during the holidays, but she agreed the family dog was likely to find itself off-kilter around the end of the year.

"The dogs are seeing all these new people in the house and their owners do not have time to walk them. There is a change in their owners' attitude and schedule," Houpt said.