A successful Thanksgiving with your dog

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. That means gathering with family and friends, having a full house with lots of people, and a huge spread of delicious food. We all know how chaotic and stressful it can get when hosting the Thanksgiving festivities; now add to that your dog, who sees no harm in greeting everyone by jumping on them, sniffing private areas of your guests, and generally thinks your kitchen counter is his/her own version of Golden Corral Buffet. What do you do?
A) Put your dog outside for the time being (works as long as your dog doesn’t bark up a storm outside/ the weather is decent/ your guests don’t venture out into your backyard)
B) Put your dog in a crate (works as long as you don’t forget to let your dog outside every so often)
C) Have your dog show off his/her manners that he/she learned after successfully completing a formal dog training program :-D
In order to make Thanksgiving and any other family gathering a more enjoyable event with your four-legged companion, it is beneficial to teach him/her manners, how to behave around your guests, and the temptations of a big food spread. Obedience training can definitely help there: From teaching your dog to be on a dog bed and stay there while you are answering the door and letting your guests in, how to politely keep all four paws on the ground when getting greeted and petted, to doing a down stay while people are walking past your dog and passing food around and of course staying off the kitchen counter and table. Like I always say, obedience training is more than teaching dogs how to do tricks of sit and down; it is actually teaching your dog manners and how to behave around people.
Of course, you want your dog to be part of the family, but therefore, you need to give your dog guidance on how to be around other people calmly and politely.
Including your dog in the Thanksgiving festivities doesn’t need to end just there; it is totally ok to fix your dog a plate, too. When doing so, please be reminded to only feed foods that are safe for your dog. I wanted to mention a few here; for a more comprehensive guide, you can always consult with your veterinarian. If your dog likes raw meats, you can try feeding the turkey gizzard to your dog, but keep in mind that you may have to cut it into bite-size pieces so your dog won’t choke on it.

Safe Foods:

Fat free turkey
Plain carrots
Plain pumpkin
Corn (off the cob)
Hard boiled Eggs
Unseasoned (Sweet)potatoes
Plain green beans

Unsafe foods:
Stuffing
Fat and gravy
Chocolate and nuts
Butter
Grapes/raisins
Items that contain alcohol
Cooked Turkey bones
Onions/garlic