Do Dogs Love Christmas Lights as Much as We Do? The Internet Seems to Think So

Over the past several days, I’ve spent more time than I care to admit standing at my kitchen window, staring down from my fourth-floor apartment at my neighbor’s house across the street, where a crew of workers has been busily constructing a Christmas display that would make Clark Griswold proud. They decorated that house for the first time last year, and gazing down at those twinkling lights made the 5 p.m. winter darkness much easier to bear. So, when a truck pulled up last weekend and I saw oversized, glittery presents, toy soldiers, a snowman, and a giant star being unloaded onto the sidewalk, I almost teared up with gratitude that they were doing it again this year.

It got me thinking, though: Are humans the only animals that appreciate a sparkling holiday display? Or will the neighborhood dogs also be excited when their parents walk them past this seasonal spectacle? Judging by the pets in this Instagram Reel below, which shows several dogs (and a couple of cats) taking in Christmas lights as they are driven past in cars, eyes aglow, the answer is yes, absolutely. “This is your reminder to take your dogs to see Christmas lights. They enjoy it more than we do and their time with us is far too short,” reads the first slide, in which a dog hangs their head out the window, sniffing and perking up their ears.

“Watching pets seeing the Christmas lights makes me so emotional,” reads the caption, and the commenters flooding the post with teary emojis seem to agree (though some chime in to say that their dogs do not enjoy holiday displays). Clicking over to Reddit, more people share stories of their dogs appreciating Christmas lights.

Apparently, this is a thing.

“We put up a Christmas tree for the first time in our Husky’s nine years of life. She just sits and watches it every night,” one Reddit user writes. “It’s one of those pre-lit ones that has RGB patterns. I have a playlist and a timer set from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., and all she wants to do is sit on the couch and take it in.” Another says that not only do they plan to take both their dog and baby on their annual Christmas-light tour, they’re going to wear matching outfits. “I’m going right now to show my dogs the lights,” Redditor tewksypoo says. “Why have I never done this before?”

Are we reading too much into animals’ wide eyes and rapt attention in these scenarios? I asked Colby Julien, animal behaviorist and dog trainer at Geo-Sniffing, whether she thinks dogs enjoy Christmas lights, and she got back to me with an unequivocal “maybe.”

“Dogs’ reactions to Christmas lights depend on the dog’s personality and past experiences,” Julien says. “Curious dogs with positive exposure to lights and new environments will find the displays intriguing and enjoyable. However, curious dogs startled by motion-activated decorations might feel stressed.” She urges dog parents to watch for signals like lip-licking, “ whale eyes,” or cowering, which indicate that your pup is not feeling the holiday spirit. 

“For dogs who seem calm and curious, Christmas lights can serve as mental enrichment, providing an opportunity to associate new sights and sounds with positive experiences,,” Julien says, adding that dog parents should keep in mind that even if their dog is more anxious than curious about Christmas lights, they can still enjoy the holidays together. “Sometimes, the joy for your dog isn’t in the lights themselves, but in spending time with you.”

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Dog behavior expert and trainer Nicole Kohanski, founder of Wiggle Butt Academy, is a mom to eight dogs, all named for Star Wars characters. She took three of them for walks on a brightly lit block to see how they responded to Christmas lights, and reported back to me. “For my first walk, I took my most confident pup, Chewie. He was more interested in smelling the lights near the ground and trying to potty on them,” she told me. “He enjoyed all the new things on his route, but I had to actively manage him from shorting out the neighbor’s lights.” Yikes!

“Next up was Artoo. She is a happy, confident pup too,” Kohanski says. “The lights weren't her thing, but the blow-up decorations deserved a few warning barks.” That’s two out of three who, if they weren't exactly going wild with Christmas cheer, didn't seem to be Ebenezer Scrooge, either. “Those went so well that I decided to take Obi. He is a little bit nervous about new things,” Kohanski says. “Poor guy only made it to the first house and hightailed it back to safety. I didn’t expect that he would turn and go so quickly!”

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If you go on a tour of the lights, be patient with your pup and their eyes.

If you want to take your dogs on a tour of the local lights, Kohanski recommends taking it slow. “Dogs perceive lights differently than we do, because of their eye structure and visual processing. Some dogs could absolutely enjoy the season’s decorations, but other dogs may find them worrisome.” She says paying close attention to your dog’s body language will ensure that what is meant to be a fun holiday outing doesn’t turn into a scary experience.

As for me, I’ll be sitting at my kitchen window late this afternoon, not unlike a dog, patiently waiting for my neighbors to flip the switch on their over-the-top Christmas light display. I wonder if any of my cats will join me…