The holidays bring with them all kinds of challenges to our health—endless cookies and pumpkin spice lattes, the possibility of getting trampled by last-minute shoppers…and, of course, there are risks for your dog as well.

Here are five tips from the EzyDog team on keeping your dog (and your home) safe this holiday season:

1. Let your family know that table scraps are a no-no.

Many foods cooked around the holidays (carrots, cranberries, turkey, and pumpkin, to name a few) have health benefits for your dog. But skin, bones, salt, and many spices that are found in human food are not. So let your family members know not to feed the dog under the table.

If someone wants to give the dog a treat, have some raw carrots, boiled turkey, or unsweetened pumpkin on hand.

2. Keep the candy (especially chocolate) at a safe height.

Candy dishes on end tables or candy wrapped up under the tree might just attract some unwanted dog attention. Make sure to keep food items out of reach of prying noses (after all, you don’t want to spend Christmas in the doggy emergency room getting a stomach pump).

3. Be mindful of lit candles.

Holiday celebrations often involve candles. It’s a good idea to not only blow out candles when you leave the room, but also to keep candles out of your dog’s reach. That way, Fido can’t knock over a candle with his tail or a good romp.

4. Educate kids about proper animal etiquette.

If you’re having small children over (or going somewhere with small children), talk to them about being gentle with your dog. And if you know that your dog gets nervous around kids, make sure you keep her in sight—and break things up if you need to.

5. Pay attention to the temperature.

If it’s a white Christmas, it’s probably also a cold Christmas. Make sure you have the proper gear for playing outside in the snow and keep an extra sweater on hand in case your dog gets the chills.

How do you dog-proof your house for the holidays? Let us know on Facebook!