Why Less Is More for Dogs Over the Holidays

The holidays are often well-intentioned chaos for our dogs.

• More people.

• More outings.

• More stimulation.

• More interaction.

• More excitement.

• More disruption to routine.

And because it all looks positive on the surface, it’s easy to assume more is better. More enrichment. More social time. More novelty. More “fun”.

But for most dogs, especially sensitive ones, less is often far more supportive.

Your Dog’s Cup Is Already Filling Faster

Every dog has a finite capacity to cope with stimulation — emotional, physical, social, and environmental. I often describe this as their cup.

During the holidays, that cup fills far quicker than usual:

• changes in routine

• visitors coming and going

• unfamiliar people in their space

• extra walks or outings

• social expectations

• noise, movement, unpredictability

• well-meaning people interacting with them

None of these things are necessarily bad in isolation. But they stack.

And when a dog’s cup fills faster than it empties, their tolerance drops.

Lower Tolerance = Less Predictable Behaviour

When a dog’s nervous system is overloaded:

• their threshold for frustration drops

• their ability to regulate emotions decreases

• their responses become bigger, faster, and less predictable

• behaviours you “normally wouldn’t see” suddenly appear

This is when people often say things like:

“He’s never done that before.”
“She’s usually fine.”
“I don’t know what got into him.”

Nothing got into them.

Their system just couldn’t hold any more.

And It’s Not Just Your Dog That’s Less Predictable

Here’s an important piece people often miss:

When your dog’s tolerance is low, everyone else becomes less predictable too — from your dog’s perspective.

People behave differently over the holidays.

They move faster.
They speak louder.
They interact more freely.
They don’t always read a dog’s signals well.

So your dog isn’t just coping with more — they’re coping with less certainty.

And uncertainty is one of the biggest drivers of stress.

More Isn’t Always Filling the Cup in a Helpful Way

A common trap over the holidays is trying to “balance it out” by adding even more:

• extra exercise

• extra play

• extra social exposure

• extra enrichment

But if a dog is already emotionally full, adding more stimulation — even “good” stimulation — doesn’t calm the system.

It keeps it activated. That’s when we see dogs who look busy, wired, restless, or “on edge” rather than relaxed.

What Actually Helps Over the Holidays

For most dogs, what helps most at this time of year is not more — it’s space, predictability, and permission to do less.

That looks like:

• protecting rest and sleep

• creating quiet, predictable routines where possible

• reducing social expectations

• allowing your dog to opt out

• shortening interactions rather than stretching them

• choosing calm over novelty

• prioritising recovery time

This isn’t being boring. It’s being protective of their nervous system.

Less Now Prevents More Later

One of the hardest but most valuable shifts is realising that:

Supporting your dog before things go wrong is far easier than fixing behaviour after the fact.

If you notice your dog becoming more reactive, less tolerant, more clingy, more restless, or quicker to escalate — that’s information.

• Not disobedience.

• Not regression.

• Not them being “naughty”.

It’s your cue to reduce load, not add to it.

The Takeaway

The holidays don’t need to be about doing everything with your dog.

They need to be about helping your dog cope with a very different world for a short period of time.

• Less stimulation.

• More safety.

• Less expectation.

• More recovery.

Because when we help our dogs feel safe and regulated now, we prevent problems from showing up later.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for your dog over the holidays is not include them in everything — but make sure they feel secure in the background of it all.

Want Support Through the Holiday Period?

If you’re unsure how much is too much for your dog — or you’re already noticing signs of stress or dysregulation — you don’t have to guess.

Inside Canine Caregivers, we help you read these signs early, adjust proactively, and support your dog emotionally through high-stimulus periods like the holidays.

If you’re in Sydney and want personalised support, you can also get in touch for 1:1 guidance.

👉 Join Canine Caregivers
📞 Or get in touch for 1:1 help in Sydney

— Ian
Bondi Behaviourist

“A healthy dog is a happy dog and a happy dog is great to live with”.