Well it didn't take me long to figure out I had best get a shorter tree, then put the whole thing up on a bench type thing. Lowest branches are approx 2-3 ft off the floor. Helps some but bigdog tails when wagging can still knock a few lower ornaments off. Also that helps if/when a male dog decides inside trees are great to pee on if it's cold, snowy or rainy outside I still have to secure the top part of the tree with fish line tied to the window latch to keep the tree up if/when a cat wants to climb it Would I have it any other way? NAH, it wouldn't be Christmas