A Spooktacularly Safe Halloween For Fido
Halloween is a night full of entertaining costumes, good spirits and candy...lots of candy. Children dressed up in magical costumes ringing your door bell yelling, “TRICK OR TREAT!” may be amusing to us humans; but Halloween can look a lot different through the eyes of our four legged friends. Here are some ideas to keep your pooch safe and out of trouble during this Halloween
"Hello, My name is Fido":
With the door to your home opening and closing so often it isn’t surprising that the rate of runaway dogs on Halloween increases dramatically. Though it is ALWAYS a good idea to have a dog tag on your furry friend’s collar, be sure to double check that all the information on your pooch's tag is up to date including a number to reach you. Ensure that if your dog does wear a costume that they still wear their collar as well. Because there are already so many people out and about, an up to date ID tag could help get Fido home quickly and safely if he decides to go out and take a stroll on his own.
“Love me (Chicken) Tender”:
Nothing makes me happier than seeing a dog walking around dressed as Elvis. Seriously, I can’t get enough. Costumes are a great way to include your dog in all of the excitement, but be conscious of what you put on your dog and how they react. Don’t put Fido into an Elvis costume unless he really doesn’t mind. Remember, Fido ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog, so he can’t tell you how he feels- but he can show you. Costumes can put unwanted pressure on dog’s necks and cause serious irritation, so if you notice your dog is uncomfortable maybe it’s best to switch out the white, rhinestone jumpsuit and black wig for a fun, seasonal bandana.
More Candy for You!
It’s probably safe to say that our pups get equally excited for all of the treats and candy accessible during Halloween. While eating a handful of candy may only give a stomachache to us humans, some candy- especially chocolate, can be toxic to some dogs. Dark chocolates and some artificial sweeteners can cause serious GI problems in dogs so it’s best to keep everyone’s candy out of paw’s reach. If you don’t want to leave your pup out of the treat fun, here’s a crazy idea, (and shameless marketing ploy) spoil them with VitaLife All Natural Sweet Potato and Duck Twists, a seasonally sweet treat you can feel good about giving to your pup!
Fur-Baby Fort
Not all dogs enjoy the idea of strangers ringing your doorbell every ten minutes, and that is okay! If this sounds like a four legged friend you know, try making a comfortable hang out space away from the front door. It’s a good idea to leave a few VitaLife Treats (wink, wink) or a few of their favorite toys with your pup to keep them occupied and less likely to become anxious (Check out these DIY Doggy Toys that you can make for your pup). The doorbell alone can prove to rile up some dogs, so maybe it’s a good idea to turn on some music for your pup to rock to and to drown out the constant ringing and dinging.
** If you’re at home giving out treats to the neighbourhood, keep a bag of VitaLife Treats (sorry, couldn't help myself) at the door to reward any brave dogs that have escorted their humans on their haunted hunt for candy. Always be sure to ask the owner’s permission before giving their dog a treat in case they are on a specific diet! **
