As we say goodbye to the Year of the Rabbit, let’s make way for the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of power and life. This February 10th, Saturday, marks the start of the Lunar New Year calendar and, for many East Asians and Southeast Asian cultures around the world, also signifies a time of ushering in good wishes with family and friends for the rest of the year.
Depending on your cultural roots, you may recognize this calendar event as The Spring Festival (China), Seollal (Korea), or Tết (Vietnam). Each of these festivals have their own nuances, but all cultures share a similar intention: to spend time with family members and focus on good fortune, happiness, and health.
If you are hosting a get-together in your home or planning to visit your relatives, don’t forget about including your pets in your traditions. They are, after all, a part of your family.
Here are six ways to share the blessings of the Lunar New Year with your furry family members.
1. Clean Out Old Toys
Since cleaning is traditionally done the week before Lunar New Year, we’re guessing cleaning may have already been done and dusted off your list—but have you cleaned out and tidied up your dog or cat’s toy stash?
Consider this as a ritual for good health and happy playtime. Our checklist includes:
- Throw out shredded or broken toys that are or will become choking or chewing hazards
- Sanitize dirty toys that your pet loves to remove bacteria buildup
- Embrace enriching, puzzle toys to keep your pet busy when guests are over
2. Brush Out Your Pets
There’s nothing as annoying as raking away pet hair only to find fur babies all over your carpet the next day (or hour). If you have a shedding dog or cat, give them a good brushing before guests come over—or before taking them to someone else’s home.
If the thought of cleaning up pet hair makes you groan, check out our favorite pet hair vacuums. It’s not too late to take the plunge and get a powerful vacuum shipped overnight.
Keep in mind cleaning should only be done before Lunar New Year or after February 25th, when celebrations are over. Not on the day of!
iStock/Firn
3. Dress Your Pet in Red, Yellow, or Green
If your pet likes wearing clothes, choose a red, yellow, or green outfit for them to wear on Lunar New Year. These auspicious colors will bring joy to you and the family members you Facetime throughout the day.
For reference, these lucky colors hold different meanings, such as:
- Red for joy, success, and luck
- Yellow for brightness, hope, and power
- Green for health, wealth, and harmony
Tip: Dogs can recognize faces on screens but some may need more help than others. When video conferencing with family your dog knows, be sure to use the biggest screen possible.
4. Teach Your Pets to Share Treats and Toys
One of the big themes of Lunar New Year is wealth. This is where red pocket exchanges come in, however (for obvious reasons) you may not want to hand your dog or cat an envelope of money! Instead, this may be a good time to brush up on your pet’s sharing skills.
Here is what you and your pets can practice in honor of Lunar New Year values:
- Teach your dog (or cat) to drop their toy or treat and walk away. When they release the toy or step away, reward heavily with praise and treats.
- Give a long lasting chew to both your pets and treat them intermittently with another high value snack for eating calmly near each other.
- Keep high value treats in containers around the house. When your dog is interacting with a toy, treat, or food, drop these treats near them and walk away. Repeat these within a 30 minute time frame, for at least 25 repetitions, before taking a break for the day.
Call out: If your dog tends to growl, eat faster, or freeze up when people or other pets approach them while they have a treat or toy, this is known as resource guarding. There are various stages of resource guarding, but whenever biting is a concern, you should consult a certified vet behaviorist or dog trainer for help.
5. Acknowledge Past Pets and Ancestral Family Members
Paying respect to your ancestors and older family members is one of the core traditions of Lunar New Year. For The Spring Festival in China, the practice signals that family members still have a presence or impact, even if they aren’t present. This can also be true of pets—as how you interact with your pet today could be influenced or built upon your relationship with pets prior.
Take some time during your Lunar New Year celebrations by giving a moment to acknowledge the blessings and lessons your pets and ancestors have taught you. Talk about your memories and the ways your pets and ancestors might have interacted during their time together.
iStock/adamkaz
6. Be Mindful of Your Pet’s Stress
Much like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the next two weeks of Lunar New Year may be a change in routine for your pets. Guests coming in and out, loud, unfamiliar sounds (such as dragon dances) in the streets or on TV, and your comings and goings may disrupt your pet’s regular routine.
Fortunately, we have a lot of training tips to calm your dog around guests, fireworks, and ringing doorbells. And if you want to go out for festivities, opt for getting a pet sitter at home for a few hours rather than bringing your pet with you.
The good news is that managing your pet’s around Lunar New Year is not too different from the best practices you want to keep during other traditional holidays around the end and start of the year!
