Tis’ the Season for Puppy Chaos
We all have plans and places to go and things to do for the upcoming holiday festivities. Thanksgiving is this week! Can you believe it?
What are you going to do with your puppy dog during this exciting time of year? Are you going to be traveling with your pet or leaving him home for a long day or putting him up in a kennel?
A Kennel?
I know kennels can get pricey and much like day care for children, dogs get sick from other dogs and tend to come home feeling ill. You can tell if your dog or cat has a fever by feeling their nose. Pet noses are usually moist, if not completely wet (ick) and cool to the touch. When your pet is feeling under the weather their nose will be dry and warm. But, kennels are a safe place for dogs to go to be fed, walked and sheltered. If you are going away overnight and cannot travel with your pet, research your local kennels.
Keeping Your Dog Home Alone
If you aren’t going away for longer than 10 hours or so you can keep your dog at home. The younger the dog the less he can wait to go potty, this goes the same for senior citizen dogs.
You can section off a place in your home to keep your puppy safe. Make sure your puppy has some toys to occupy his time with. Also, make sure he has a comfortable place to lie down and sleep.
If you are going away for longer than 10 hours and opt for keeping your dog at home alone then you can hire a person to come over to feed and walk him.
Depending on who you hire, this could be less or comparable to putting your dog into a kennel. It is sometimes a very reasonable option-if you will not be gone for an extended amount of time. Dogs are social animals and will become depressed without affection and the presence of their loved ones. You can check your local newspaper and also Craiglist.com for information on dog walkers/caretakers in your area.
Traveling with Pets
Fido is going to grandma’s with you! How exciting!
First you need to dog proof your car. Maybe get a travel crate for your dog if he is going to try to pounce around the car while you attempt driving. Also, if your dog is a chewer, you’ll want a crate to avoid him turning your seat cushions into fluff.
Bring lots of toys to occupy your puppy’s teeth and boredom. If you have a long car ride bring bottled water and a bowl so you can give your puppy some laps of water when you take your restroom breaks. Don’t forget a leash!
When traveling with a dog it is a good idea to have him in a harness or in a dog sweater. That way if your puppy makes an escape off his leash or out of the car door before he’s on his leash you have something to grab him by!
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He is wearing the perfect bow tie for his prom date! Just a little puppy fashion can go a long way. I think they’d better snap a picture with his tongue in his mouth for the photo album though. =)
http://ihasahotdog.com/2008/09/28/funny-dog-pictures-pic-u-up-for-promz/
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This reminds me of Ralphie in his “Pink Nightmare” Christmas gift from his aunt in the movie A Christmas Story. HAHA
Chocolate is very toxic to animals. There is a compound in chocolate called, Theobromine. Theobromine is part of the cacao bean and although not toxic to humans it is very bad for your pet. Humans have the ability to break down Theobromine in our systems; it doesn’t poison us. Animals do not have this ability and therefore chocolate is extremely dangerous to them.
Please remember to keep candy dishes far away from your pup’s curiosity. Make sure he can’t jump up and crash the bowl over onto the floor. Even if you decide not to buy anything chocolate to pass out to trick-or-treaters keep in mind that wrappers are not safe either.
Dogs are known to have quite a sweet-tooth.
Thery don’t have a natural instinct to stay away from something their body cannot digest, instead they want to eat it! Wrappers will be inhaled along with candy and all–and this is not good, as you can imagine. Plastic doesn’t really breakdown internally and it will make your doggy sick and could obstruct his bowels.
Keep candy far away from your puppy!
I know this feels kind of mean because he’s just a cute, slobbery, innocent puppy looking for a treat. So you can get your pet some safe treats for Halloween.
Run up to your favorite dog store and buy a few delicious doggie safe treats and give a few to him throughout the night. This will let your dog know that you care and that you aren’t neglecting him. It will also help to positively reinforce his good behavior, give him a treat when he behaves well and he will learn to love Halloween!
If there is an accident on Halloween and your very curious puppy ingests chocolate please look out for these signs if there is trouble:
Trembling/Nervousness (this is due to the caffeine in chocolate)
Vomiting/Diarrhea (put your dog in a safe place with a tile floor so you can easily clean up the mess)
Muscle Spasms and Seizures
These things usually happen in about 12 hours after consumption. Keep in mind that a larger dog would have to eat about 2 lbs of chocolate in order to be toxic so a little miniature Hershey bar isn’t going to hurt him.
All dogs are different though and that doesn’t mean your puppy’s system won’t be harmed by small amounts of chocolate. It is best that they never have any. If you keep chocolate to yourself and leave the dog biscuits to your dog, you’ll both have a happy life together.
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I was a little angry when I walked into Target the other day and saw the Halloween aisle. I’m in denial that summer is ending.
Halloween is fun and all but being from Michigan, my puppy and I have 6 months of snow and ice to weather through. But, one nice thing about Halloween being here is the costumes!
It is time for dogs to be anything they want! Your dog can be a lizard, pig, cowboy or hot dog! Puppies love Halloween attention and now is the time to find the perfect costume for your poochie.
Got a Bulldog?
Maybe he should be a ballerina!
Got a weiner dog?
Maybe he should become a hot dog!
The idea’s never cease.
What are some of your favorite dog costumes?
I once saw a Weimarener dressed up as Billy the Kidd, complete with gun holster. It was hilarious and the dog loved all his fans.
If you are planning to dress your puppy up for the Halloween shenanigans please be safe and keep these things in mind!
1. Make sure you puppy likes his costume! Once you get your howl-goblin all costumed give him a few moments to adjust. If he cries, whimpers and looks terribly uncomfortable maybe it’s best to remove the costume. It’s only fun if you are both having fun. If your dog is miserable then he is going to hate Halloween. Keep in mind that costumes, just like your regular puppy clothing, should not block your dogs eyes (like bandanna’s, crowns, or eye patches for that puppy pirate). When a dog can’t see they will become more aggressive and we don’t want to make him feel vulnerable and unsafe, that is not nice.
2. Halloween means many people will be out on the street. Keep your puppy close to you if you decide to go outdoors to show of his snazzy cute costume. He should be leashed, collared and tagged with all his information! Dogs have been known to be abducted on Halloween so please keep him nearby so he is not teased or stolen by any non-friendly Halloweenies. Also, if you stay inside and answer the door to pass out candy to your trick-or-treaters be sure your dog is blocked away from the door. People wearing costumes could scare your puppy.
3. Don’t let your dog eat any candy! Candy is not for pets. It messes with their digestion and is toxic to their bodies! Wrappers are also unsafe and can obstruct your doggies intestines. Plus, there will be a huge mess to clean up. Please make sure the candy bowl is high out of reach from sniffy, curious puppy noses!
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