“Howl”een Fun!!!
Halloween is a fun time of year for the whole family - even your dog. Will you be dressing your dog up? Have you come up with a costume idea yet? At Dog Paddling we not only love Halloween we devote a day of hiking to it!! Our "Howl-een" hike is a day of hiking and fun - the best part is our costume contest! All the dogs dress up in their best costumes and prance around and ofcourse prizes are awarded for the most doggone cute costumes!
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As fun as Halloween is there are a few tips to keep in mind for your dogs safety:
Halloween Treats
Remember that human treats are not usually good for dogs! Candy - especially chocolate- can be extremely toxic to your dog. Artificially sweetened candy, gum and other goodies may also contain xylitol, a highly toxic substance. Dogs may also ingest food wrappers, causing a risk of choking, upset stomach or gastrointestinal blockage. My suggestion is get some new doggy treats and have them handy to give to your pup while your kids are enjoying their treats!
Halloween Decorations
Your pup is bound to be curious about new objects around the house, and that includes Halloween decorations. Be sure decorations are not in areas where your dog could ingest them or bump into them. Power cords trip your dog or lead to electrical shock if chewed. Be careful with the placement of jack-o-lanterns - have you ever seen a dog eat a whole pumpkin? Be careful of candles which can be knocked over, potentially burning your dog and/or starting a fire. Have fun and decorate - just think about your pup first!
Trick-or-Treaters
Though many dogs love visitors, some can become fearful of strangers. You may even find your dog will be afraid of people dressed up in costumes (Jessie has been freaked out many times!) The constant ringing of the doorbell can also get your dog over excited or stressed out. Think about your dog’s typical reaction to visitors and take extra precautions for Halloween. If your pup seems afraid of guests in costumes, think about taking them to another room or distracting them with a doggy toy!
My advice is have fun and include your pup in the festivities! We always dress Jessie up (not always sure if she LOVES it) but what she loves is to be part of it all! We even take her out trick-or-treating with us for the first little while, we are lucky a few neighbours even give her doggy treats!!!
Send us your Halloween pics! We would love to see them!!
Happy "Howl-een" Here is Jessie’s costume from last years hike!
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