Are My Laser Christmas Lights Safe for My Dog?
Fah-la-lal-lal-lah... It's almost Christmas. Many of us have our houses and yards filled with lights, garland, wacky blow-ups, and a Christmas tree or two. We actually have three trees at my house: two normal-sized ones and a little tiny one. Normally, I might murmur to my spouse that it "seems a little excessive," but I'm not really complaining this year. In fact, I've gone all-in on the holiday spirit. I feel like if there has ever been a time in recent history to jump in on Christmas, it would be 2020.
I have some of those cheap laser lights that spin around and change color and shoot Christmas lights or patterns on your house or wherever you aim it. When I was putting one up a couple of weeks ago, I noticed it shining in my dog's face. It didn't seem to bother Chubs at all. I thought, "this can't be good" and took the lights out of his face. I know humans shouldn't look directly into laser beams, but what about dogs?
The American Kennel Club says that laser pointers may seem like a fun toy to have your dog chase around the dot on the floor. However, they're not recommended. Chasing the dot turns on your dog's "prey instinct" and can end in frustration. They say,
The movement of a laser pointer triggers a dog’s prey drive, which means they want to chase it. It’s an unending game with no closure for the dog since they can’t ever catch that beam of light, like they can when chasing a toy or food.
Ok, but what about my multi-colored, swirling laser, Christmas lights? Seriously, my dog shows absolutely zero interest. Definitely not kicked into prey mode. I wondered if these types of lights were harmful to their eyes. Rover.com reports,
You’ve been told not to aim laser pointers at other people for fear of eye damage, and that rule applies to your furry friend, too. A laser beam is highly concentrated and could potentially harm your pet’s vision, as well as disorient them.
So, don't shine lasers in your dog's face. Got it.