Thanksgiving Dog Safety: A Host’s Plan for the Kitchen, the Guests and the Leftovers

Thanksgiving dog safety comes down to three moves: tire your dog out before the house fills up, keep them out of the kitchen while you cook, and give them a job of their own while everyone eats. After the meal, get the carcass, bones and trash out of reach before anyone settles on the sofa.

Thanksgiving with a dog: the day at a glance

• The day before: set up the gate and your dog’s spot outside the kitchen, freeze a loaded lick mat and check the ID tag.
• Morning: a longer walk and a short tug game, finished an hour or two before guests arrive.
• While you cook: a gate or closed door at the kitchen, with a bed and a chew just outside.
• As guests arrive: your dog behind a gate or in a quiet room, and the leash by the door.
• During the meal: your dog’s usual dinner, served slowly in another room.
• After dinner: bones, carcass and wrappings bagged and taken outside, leftovers and desserts put away.

Thanksgiving dog safety starts in the morning: a long walk and a tug session

A dog who has walked, sniffed and played is more likely to doze through the busiest hours. Go farther than usual and let your dog sniff, which tires the brain too. If guests arrive at noon, aim to be home by about ten, so your dog has time to drink, settle and nap.

Then add five to ten minutes of tug before the doorbell starts. Start on a cue such as “take it”, let your dog win some rounds, and every minute or so hold the toy still and ask for “drop”, trading for a treat if needed. Stop while your dog can still listen. If tug winds your dog up, scatter kibble for a sniffing game instead.

A long, stuffing-free toy keeps hands away from teeth. The Fire Hose Crocodile Tough Dog Toy is about 26 inches long, made from real fire-hose material, with squeakers that keep squeaking after they are punctured. No toy is indestructible, so supervise tug and retire the toy once it wears through. For more on tough toys, see toys for dogs who destroy toys.

While you cook: gates, closed doors and a settled spot

On Thanksgiving the kitchen holds hot pans, dropped food, a turkey resting on the counter and people carrying dishes who can’t see their feet. The simplest way to keep your dog out of the kitchen on Thanksgiving is a barrier, rather than asking them to stay out all day.

1. Put a baby gate across the kitchen doorway, or close the door. A gate lets your dog see and hear you; pick one taller than your dog can jump.
2. Set up a spot just outside with your dog’s bed or crate, water and a familiar chew. Practice it the day before with a few treats.
3. Push the turkey, the butter and anything rising to the back of the counter, and never leave food unattended near a counter surfer.
4. If you can’t block the kitchen, move your dog to another room whenever the oven is open or hot dishes are moving.

The ASPCA’s Thanksgiving safety tips warn that raw yeast dough can expand in a pet’s stomach and that the alcohol it produces is absorbed into the body, so let rolls rise out of reach, such as on top of the fridge.

Briefing guests: the no-scraps rule and the front door

A line in the family group chat the week before saves you policing the table all afternoon.

The no-scraps rule

Keep it simple: nobody gives the dog people food. The AKC’s advice on dog begging at Thanksgiving makes the same point: a dog who gets the occasional bite from the table learns that begging works. Ask guests to:

• Skip the scraps, even a little piece of turkey.
• Leave bags and coats in a closed room, since pockets and purses can hold snacks and medications.
• Make friends with a sit and a few pieces of the dog’s own kibble, away from the table.
• Let the dog come to them, and leave the dog alone while they eat, chew or rest. An adult should watch whenever children are with the dog.

The front door

With guests coming and going, the front door is the likeliest escape route. Use the same door plan as our Halloween safety tips for dogs:

• Put your dog behind a gate or in a room before the first doorbell, and bring them out on leash once everyone is inside.
• Ask guests to shut the door behind them and never to let the dog out on their own.
• Check that your dog’s ID tag shows a phone number you’ll answer that day, and that the microchip details are current.
• Keep a quiet room open all day for your dog to retreat to.

During the meal: your dog’s own dinner, served slowly

Thanksgiving dinner with dogs in the house goes best when the dog has something better to do than watch you eat. Feed your dog in another room or behind a gate while people sit down. Use their regular food and amount; if your meal is hours from their usual dinnertime, serve part of the day’s food now and the rest later.

A slow feeder or a lick mat, like the puzzle toy the ASPCA suggests, turns a 30-second meal into a longer job:

• A deep slow feeder. The SodaPup Honeycomb Slow Feeder Dog Bowl spreads food across honeycomb ridges, so your dog works for each mouthful. It is deep enough for kibble, wet food or a frozen mix, made in the USA and dishwasher safe.
• A loaded lick mat. The SodaPup Jigsaw Enrichment Lick Mat holds soft food in its jigsaw texture. Press in wet food or soaked kibble, or fill it the night before and freeze it; for a big dog, use it for part of the meal. See what to put on a lick mat for spreads and cleaning.

Try the bowl or mat a week ahead so the holiday isn’t your dog’s first go, and allow time for delivery if you’re ordering (see our shipping details). If your dog bolts every meal, our guide on how to slow down a dog that eats too fast covers bowl patterns and spreading tricks. Pick up the empty mat, since it is not a chew toy.

After dinner: the trash, the bones and the leftovers

The ASPCA notes that poultry bones can be a major choking hazard and suggests emptying the trash throughout the day. It also warns about chocolate, desserts sweetened with xylitol, and onions and garlic, which often go into stuffing and gravy. Clear up in this order:

1. Once the turkey is carved, bag the carcass and bones, tie the bag and take it to a covered bin outside or behind a door your dog can’t open.
2. Add the string, foil, roasting bag and greasy paper towels, which smell of turkey too.
3. Put leftovers in the fridge or closed containers, and keep pies and chocolate on a high counter.
4. Clear plates from low tables, and keep the loaded dishwasher closed.
5. Empty the kitchen bin again before bed, even if it isn’t full.

If your dog raids the trash or swallows a bone, foil or string, call your veterinarian or an emergency clinic right away, even if your dog seems fine, and don’t make your dog vomit unless a veterinarian tells you to. For possible poisoning, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center answers 24 hours a day at (888) 426-4435; a consultation fee may apply.

If you’re the guest: bringing your dog to someone else’s Thanksgiving

Ask your host well ahead: they may have a cat, a guest with allergies or no room for a gate. If the answer is no, book a sitter or a familiar boarding place early.

If your dog is invited, pack their bed or crate, usual food, bowls, leash, poop bags, a towel for wet paws and a chew or lick mat for the meal. Walk your dog before you go in, keep them on leash at first and ask which room can be their quiet base. The no-scraps rule is yours to enforce, so feed your dog in that room while everyone eats.

Driving a long way? Keep your dog in the back seat, on a tether clipped to a harness or in a secured crate, so they can’t climb forward or jump out when a door opens. Our road trip with a dog checklist covers the stops and the night away.

Bringing a gift for a host with a dog? See our practical gifts for dog owners. More holiday planning is in our seasons and gifts guides.

Thanksgiving dog FAQ

Can I give my dog turkey on Thanksgiving?

A small taste at most. The ASPCA says any turkey you share should be boneless and fully cooked, since raw or undercooked turkey may carry salmonella. Keep it plain, with no skin, gravy or seasoning, serve it in your dog’s bowl rather than from the table, and ask your veterinarian first if your dog has a sensitive stomach or a special diet.

How do I stop my dog begging at Thanksgiving dinner?

Remove the chance: feed your dog in another room or behind a gate while people eat, and make sure every guest knows the no-scraps rule. If your dog comes to the table anyway, don’t respond to the begging at all, since the AKC notes that any attention, even a scolding, can keep it going.

How do I keep my dog out of the trash on Thanksgiving?

Take the trash away rather than guarding it: bag the carcass, bones and wrappings once the turkey is carved and put them in a covered bin outside. For a dog who opens the kitchen bin, use one with a locking lid or keep it behind a closed door.

Should I bring my dog to Thanksgiving dinner?

Only if your host says yes and your dog is relaxed around crowds, noise, children and new places. A dog who finds busy houses stressful may be happier at home with a sitter.