Is it Tricks or Treats for the Pets?

For many people, Halloween is a treat. We like dressing up, and seeing others in their costumes. We enjoy the sights and activity of kids ‘trick or treating.’ We might host, or attend a party(s), go to a carnival, etc. We sometimes decorate our homes for the holiday. It’s also the time when we tend to start having candy and other yummy treats around. For me, it’s the beginning of the eating season. LOL.

For many pets, Halloween is more Tricks than Treats. Animals don’t really get costumes. When we are masked, or wearing something that alters our silhouette, even family members can be extremely frightening to some dogs and cats. If you’re going to wear a costume your pets might find even remotely scary, try letting them watch you put it on in, and walk around in it a few times… before Halloween. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if your dog barks at you, or your cat runs away, when you suddenly appear as a monster, or whatever.

Your pets might not mind seeing you in your costume. However, they might not feel the same about strangers showing up at the front door wearing them… and yelling too! A few pets could care less about a bunch of silly humans running around in costumes, and making a lot of noise. They’re the party animals, and they’ll just hang out and enjoy the action. Many dogs and cats are not party animals, and they have been known to freak out and run away when confronted with several scary creatures at their front door. Often escaping through the open front door, and past those same scary creatures... Pets who run away are likely to be returned more quickly if they're wearing a properly fitting collar, with ID tags. Of course, some dogs might try to defend themselves from the scary creatures by growling, snapping, and then resorting to biting. They’re not party animals.

If your pets aren’t party animals, it’s a good idea to keep them in a room, or their crate, far away from the front door or party. Give your dog a nice raw meaty bone, well-stuffed Kong, bully stick, etc. to keep him occupied; the chewing might help to calm him too. Give your cats a “safe place” to hide from the noise: inside a closet, box, cat home, under a bed, etc. Close the windows and drapes, to cut down on outside noises, and so your pets can’t see people walking around outside. Turn on a radio, TV, or play Canine Lullabies to help mask the sounds from outside of the room. If your dog barks at the doorbell, put tape over it to prevent people from ringing it; and be prepared to open the door when people arrive, so they don’t have to knock. If you’re having people over, put a sign on the door, telling people to not enter the “pet’s room.” Also, make sure to tell people too, sometimes we don’t always read signs.

For their safety, it’s a good idea to keep pets inside around Halloween. Sadly, cats and dogs have been stolen, poisoned, injured, and killed, during Halloween pranks, and for other sadistic reasons.

Sometimes we dress our pets up for Halloween. If you decide to dress your pet up for Halloween, don’t leave him unattended while wearing his costume. Your pet might decide to ‘take off’ the costume by chewing through it and eating parts of it. If it has long, flowing pieces, it could get hung up, and trap or strangle him.

Decorating for Halloween is fun too. Decorate with your pets in mind. Naturally your pets will be interested in all the new things around the house. Sometimes sniffing can lead to chewing, and perhaps ingesting foreign objects. Things that dangle can be a great temptation for cats, puppies, and some dogs to play with, and perhaps try to eat. Jack o Lanterns are a tradition, but be careful where you put them. Many dogs and cats like pumpkin and, in proper quantities, it’s very good for them; but too much of a good thing is still too much. Eating too much pumpkin can cause diarrhea.

Be very careful when using candles! Candles add ambience, and a Jack o Lantern isn’t complete without one, but an inquisitive pet can burn himself, or knock one over and start a fire. If you have nosey pets, or cats that get up onto tables, counters, etc., like mine do, you might want to use flameless candles. Never leave burning candles unattended, even if you don’t have pets!

And then, there are our treats… Yum! I LOVE CHOCOLATE!!! When I buy candy, Halloween or not, I buy something that’s covered with chocolate, and has nuts. Dogs tend to love chocolate too, but it can make them very ill, in fact it can kill them. It’s best pets never develop a taste for it, so DO NOT EVER LET YOUR DOG EAT CHOCOLATE!

Even without chocolate, some “people treats” can be too sweet, salty, or rich for pets to metabolize well, if at all. But they taste good, so some pets will eat as much as they can get. Don’t tempt your pets by leaving candy, and other treats, where they can reach them. It doesn’t take long for some dogs to eat several pieces of those mini-candies, often along with big pieces of the wrappers.

Here’s wishing you a Happy Halloween! Have fun, and remember to make it safe and stress free for your pets too.

What NOT to Take into a Dog Park… Part Three

“A dog park is like a cocktail party, where you don't know anyone and everyone is drunk. You could have fun, but it could be a disaster.” Trish King.

In an earlier blog, called My Three Rules For Dog Park Safety, I mentioned I always observe what’s happening inside a dog park before I take my dog, and/or clients, into one. I mentioned that I check out what the people are doing. Are they watching their dogs, or are they doing other things like, chatting, reading, playing video games, talking on the phone, etc? Too often people seem to be doing everything… except watching their dog(s). So, I’d like to ask people not to bring distractions into a dog park. When you’re reading, texting, talking on the phone, playing video games, or chatting with other dog owners, you might not be paying a lot attention to your dog.

It’s up to us, as pet parents and guardians, to watch, manage, and protect our dogs, at all times. That’s especially true of when they are with a number of dogs, who really they don’t know each other, running around loose together, i.e., a dog park. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure… in other words: it’s better to prevent a dogfight, than to have to deal with the aftermath of one.

Some dogs, like some people, are socially inept. While they may be friendly and want to play, some dogs can be too pushy and “in your face” for another dog’s comfort. The “pushy” dog either doesn’t understand, or ignores the warning signals the “uncomfortable” dog is sending to back off. Even the nicest of us will push back when we are pushed too far; and so will our sweetest, most friendly, dogs. Other dogs are very fearful of strange dogs, and they’ve learned that the best defense is a good offense. So they often overreact, and sometimes lash out, to even minimal interest in them. A little tiff can quickly become a big fight!

I have spent a lot of time in dog parks and I’ve seen too many dogfights. The vast majority were not serious, but they’re always highly emotional for all us animals. If we, as dog parents/guardians, do our job and pay attention, we can intercede, distract, or remove our dog before a fight gets started.

Dogs poop in dog parks, and often more than once. Sadly, there are groups in many communities who want to eliminate, not only off leash dog parks, but also the ability for dogs to go to any park, even on leash… PERIOD. One of their arguments against dogs in parks, is that dogs are a health risk, especially to children. That’s because dogs poop everywhere, and people don’t always pick up after them. Unfortunately, this is all too often true.

It is every dog owner’s responsibility to pick up after his or her dogs… Every single time!! If you’re not watching your dog, because you’re reading a book, playing a game, talking on the phone, etc., you won’t notice when they poop. And then, you won’t be able to clean it up. It might not seem like a big deal to leave one poop behind, but you are giving those anti-dog/dog park groups fuel for their cause to keep all dogs out of all parks. Besides, it’s just plain common courtesy to always pick up after your dog!

Dog parks aren’t our libraries, offices, or social scenes. They’re a place for dogs to run, play, and have fun. However, like in any playground, sometimes feelings get hurt, and quarrels get started. Also, like in any playground, we adults need to be aware enough to keep everyone under threshold and under control. If we all do our part, by following the rules of the parks, picking up after our dogs, and keeping an eye on them to prevent unhappy incidents, we’ll all have a better and happier dog park experience.

What NOT to Take into a Dog Park… Part Two

“A dog park is like a cocktail party, where you don't know anyone and everyone is drunk. You could have fun, but it could be a disaster.” Trish King.

“Young children should never be in an off leash dog park; but if they are they should always be on leash!” Me.

There are so few places where dogs get to run around, play, socialize, and just be dogs… They’re called Dog Parks and they’re for dogs, not kids! Don’t get me wrong, I love children, which is why I think no one under ten should be allowed to enter a dog park. Does that sound harsh, too bad; a dog park can be a dangerous place for children!

I once saw a little girl, about four, get bowled over by a couple large dogs. It was an accident; the dogs were just playing dog games in a dog park. However, the girl hit her head on the edge of a concrete bench, cut her scalp, and it bled a lot. Luckily, it looked worse than it was, and she was fine after a stitch. However her head hit that bench very hard, and it could have been so much worse!!!

Then there was the boy, about six, who would run up to a dog, grab his head, pull the dog’s face into his, hold on tight, and stare into the dogs eyes. Then he’d move on to the next one and do it again. OMG, It was a dog park disaster waiting to happen, and I felt compelled to intervene immediately. Since, I had no idea which “adult” he was there with, I had a talk with the child first. I told him not to do that to strange dogs, because it scares them and they might bite his nose off. He ignored me, and continued to get in dogs faces. So, I found his mother, and told her the same thing I’d just said to the kid. She said, “Oh, that’s OK. He likes dogs.” I told her, “It doesn’t matter how much he likes dogs. Some dogs don’t like kids.” Her snide response, “Then they shouldn’t here.” I have to admit, that made me mad, so I said/yelled, “This is a dog park! There’s an entire park outside of this fence for your kid to play in, take him out there. Or make him leave our dogs alone. If your kid gets his nose bitten off, it’s your fault for letting him to that to the dogs.”

Meanwhile, the boy finally took on the wrong dog, a Chihuahua, and got a very minor “warning nip” to his nose (one tiny puncture mark, and a little dot of blood). I think the dog showed a great deal of bite inhibition. Of course, the kid started crying, and his mother became incensed. She was screaming, “That dog should be put down,” and “It’s so irresponsible to bring a dangerous dog to a park.” Blah, blah, blah. Then she started saying she was going to sue. The Chi’s owner was so upset, she was crying and kept apologizing. Luckily, there were several rational people there, who had seen the incident and that he’d been annoying all the dogs. We came to the owner’s rescue, and told the mother she didn’t have a leg to stand on, several people told him to stop, but he kept getting in the dog’s faces. If she pressed charges, we’d all show up to testify on behalf of the dog and owner. That shut her down, then we also insisted she and her child leave the dog park and not come back. To top it off… it turned out they didn’t even have a dog. So why the he** were they in the dog park in the first place? As she huffed out, Mommy Dearest told us, “I brought my son here to play with some dogs. I didn’t think he’d be attacked.”

Those were two extreme examples of very bad dog park days I’ve experienced. For the most part, dog/kid interactions aren’t so dramatic. But I’ve been in many dog parks, and I’ve seen so many children assault dogs. I’ve seen them throw dirt, rocks, sticks, and other things at or on dogs. I’ve seen kids kick and hit dogs. I’ve seen them chase and grab at a frightened dog. I’ve seen kids yank tails, ears, or fur. The list goes on and on…

Most dogs are amazingly tolerant! When children assault them, which is how they feel, most dogs only walk away. I find that amazing; after all, very few of us would allow anyone, child or adult, to throw things at us, kick us, pull our hair, etc., without reacting in some way. Yet, we expect dogs to tolerate, even like, all those things. And, if they don’t… If they try to defend themselves by growling, snapping, or God forbid biting (no matter how slight), they’re bad dogs and they get punished, or even killed.

My dog is not your kid’s toy! Neither you, nor your child, get to decide you can pet or play with my dog… That is my decision! You, or your child, may ask; but, if I say no, that means NO. I don’t walk up and start touching you, or your children. So, unless I say it’s OK, no one should do that to my dog! Also, when I tell you to stop, that means STOP NOW! I know my dog, you don’t, and I know when he’s had enough!

Dog parks are for dogs! Most urban dogs have very few places where they can run around, off leash, and just be dogs. All urban children have lots of places to run around, and just be kids. So please, do everyone a big favor: Take your kids to kid parks, your dogs to dog parks, and don’t mix them up!!

For some great information about dog bite prevention and much more, check out the website: doggone safe.