Last Updated: 07/05/2025
How to Celebrate Christmas with your Dog
Read on for our list of fun and safe activities for you and your dog to celebrate Christmas together.
Author: Dr Michelle Wong BVSc
Reading Time: 31 minutes - long read
Christmas is a heartwarming time of the year where we gather together and appreciate all the wonderful things we have in our lives. Like our amazing dogs. While our human celebrations include reunions with family and endless feasting, or popping champagne with our closest friends, we can enjoy the Christmas holidays a little differently with our canine companions.
This is a time to cherish the furry unconditional love that fills your home with the true spirit of the season. Below is our list of fun and safe activities for you and your dog to celebrate Christmas together.
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1. Cozy Christmas movie night
There is nothing better than settling in for a cosy movie night at home with your family. So grab some popcorn, lay out some blankets and cushions on the floor, and relax with your dog. Laugh along at festive comedies or get swept away by holiday romance drama.
Here are our top 5 paw-some Christmas movies to watch with your pooch:
A Dog named Christmas
Based on the book by Greg Kincaid, this is a story that will touch your soul. Todd has a learning disability but that doesnât stop him from embarking on a passionate mission to help the dogs at the local animal shelter find a home for Christmas.
Beethoven's Christmas Adventure
After a mishap with a Christmas elf and Santa's sleigh, the magical bag of toys is lost! Luckily, Beethoven is on the job. He bounds to the rescue and is on a quest to help the elf recover Santaâs bag from sneaky crooks, but will they save Christmas in time?
The Grinch by Dr Seuss
The Grinch doesn't get why the entire town of Whoville is so annoyingly cheerful about Christmas. They've even decided to triple the celebrations this year! Whoville has overdone it now. The Grinch has got to settle this ridiculous-ness by stealing their beloved Christmas away. Max, his loyal pooch and best friend, is there to support him every step of the way
Nightmare before Christmas
An oldie but a classic by Tim Burton. It's a movie you can watch time and time again, from Halloween to Christmas. The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, Jack, stumbles upon Christmas Town and is astonished at his discovery. He decides that he shall 'improve' Christmas. Zero is Jack's loyal ghost dog who, interestingly, has a glowing pumpkin nose just like Rudolph's bright red nose, and he helps to guide Jack's sleigh as he carries out his devilish plan to steal Christmas.
Puppy For Christmas
The holiday movie for rom-com lovers! Noelle has the picture perfect life with a successful career and a gorgeous boyfriend. Until she decides to adopt a puppy for Christmas. Noelleâs beautiful world soon unravels after the new arrival, leaving her devastated and alone just before the holidays. But a surprising invitation from a co-worker may just turn things back around.
2. Paint your pet!
Whip out your paint-brushes and blank canvases to create a fabulous Christmas themed portrait of your dog! This is a great activity for the whole family. See who has the most artistic flair and talent. Paint your pet dressed up in their Christmas gear, or alternatively have a colourful and festive background. Take inspiration from Van Gogh and have a starry night with candy canes shooting across the sky. Or draw on your inner Picasso to paint a unique abstract portrait. The possibilities are endless.
Set the scene
3. Decorate their spaces
Decorate your dog's living and sleeping areas with some festive cheer! Place stockings outside their kennel or on their crate, arrange Christmas toys around their bed such as this Deck the Halls plush toy, and hide seasonal treats around the room for them to find for a fun-tastic doggy scavenger hunt.
Keep tinsel and foil up high on the ceilings in your dog's living space. When putting up the Christmas tree, be careful with the usual ornaments and if your dog may be interested in playing, a barrier could prove essential in protecting the tree. Christmas baubles should be out of reach in case. Broken plastic or glass ornaments in their mouths could cause injuries.
Deck the kennels
4. Christmas play date
Organise a doggy Christmas party day with all their friends from the park and daycare! Spread the joy by gifting each furry guest their own special bag of treats. Put together a woof-approved tasty charcuterie board for snacks between playtimes. Keep the fun going with a selection of toys - frisbees and balls for fetching games, rope toys for a hearty tug-of-war, treat dispensers and squeaky toys.
5. Spoil your dog
Whatâs Christmas without a Christmas gift? Throw in an Advent calendar too and countdown the days to December 25th. For passionate lovers of food, select from a range of lip-smacking, paw-approved delicious dog treats.
For energetic dogs that want to play, give them a brand new toy for more games of fetch or tug-of-war. A refreshing pet pool for them to splash about could be the perfect gift for the summer! Keeping them cool while providing entertainment.
6. Bake a treat
The best way to your dog's heart is through their stomach! Give them Christmas themed baked treats this year to make it extra special, homemade with love from you to your pet.
We have found an easy recipe to get you started, you can also find more ideas in our dog treats guide.
Christmas dog treats
Ingredients
- 150g Plain or Wholemeal Flour
- 85g Doggylicious Peanut Butter
- 1 Medium Banana, chopped
- 4 tablespoons hot water
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Add the xylitol-free peanut butter and hot water to a bowl, and give it a good mix.
- Add the banana to the bowl and blend until smooth using a hand blender.
- Add the flour to the bowl and bring together with your hands to form a dough.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to about 1cm thick. Use Christmas themed cookie cutters to cut out your preferred shapes.
- Place the biscuits on a lined baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. When they are thoroughly cooked through, remove them from the oven and leave to cool completely.
*These treats are not complete and balanced, and should only be fed occasionally. Check with your vet first to ensure that these treats are suitable for your pet. More information on what to feed your pet can be found on our Discover Page.
7. Enjoy the Christmas Lights
Bring your pooch along with the family to marvel at Christmas light decorations for a fun and relaxing way to unwind in the evening. If there are ones close enough for you to walk to, this is a great opportunity for a post-dinner feast stroll.
Be mindful that some of these places may get crowded and noisy, it may be best to stay on the street and appreciate the lights from a distance. If you do enter, keep your dog close on a leash and make sure to remove them if things get too overwhelming or excitable. Watch out for the decorations and try to avoid any accidents.
Find out where to see Christmas lights near you.
8. The Gift of Giving
Volunteer for or donate to a local charity in your dog's name such as RSPCA or a smaller non-profit like Story Dogs, where children can read to registered volunteer dogs. Story Dogs helps children with their reading and it comforts them to have a support animal quietly listening beside them. This is also a great activity to do at home with your children if they would like to read a xmas story to their furry friend. Here are our top 5 dog-themed christmas story books for young readers:
- A Charlie Brown Christmas (Peanuts) - It's Christmas time and the festivities are in full swing everywhere! Lights, carols, and sparkly decorated trees. But Charlie Brown just canât seem to get into the Christmas spirit. Can the Peanuts crew help him discover the joy and meaning of Christmas?
- Bluey: 12 Days of Christmas - Join Bluey as she counts down the twelve days of Christmas.
- I am Max! - Max tells his version of the story when the Grinch almost stole Christmas. This book is written in simple rhymed verses and is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.
- Pig the Elf (Pig the Pug) - Pig the Pug is overly excited for his Christmas gifts and decides to stay up all night to wait for Santa. But when Santa arrived with his bag of presents, Pig was disappointed and things quickly got out of hand.
- Biscuit's Christmas Eve - Biscuit is an adorable puppy who has a very busy day preparing for Christmas!
Below are some rescue groups and non-profit organisations by state. For more rescue organisations, you can check out Pet Rescueâs Directory.
| State | Rescue Groups and Non-profit Charities |
|---|---|
QLD |
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NSW |
|
VIC |
|
WA |
|
TAS |
Further Reading
Want to know more? Check out our Discover Page for more tips on keeping your pets happy and healthy.
