If your dog is trick-or-treating, keep him or her on a short leash.

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Halloween is but 10 days away – is your dog ready?

Take care if you take the family dog with you on the trick or treating adventure. Dogs find the strange creatures walking the streets frightening, so be sure that your dog is in control at all times and has learned to heel with you - a short leash is a must.

If your dog wears a costume, make sure it does not impede his movement or vision.

When meeting other families, approach dogs and children cautiously, do not assume that just because your dog is friendly that the others are too.

Be alert if your dog is staying home to answer the door with you. Your dog may have perfect door manners after learning stay at the door with Online Dog Coach, but this is a special night and the costumes may be frightening. It may be in your dog’s best interest to put him in a quiet room away from the hubbub.

When the evening is winding down and the kids are home with their treasures, phase two of taking care of your pet’s well being should be in place. Not all human food and candy is safe for your pet. Be sure that the pets cannot get into your stash of Halloween candy and as always feed your dog right to increase their life span. Some dangerous foods:

• Chocolate: Bakers chocolate and unsweetened chocolate are the most dangerous.
• Macadamia nuts, along with other kinds of nuts are harmful.
• Raisins can be deadly even in small quantities (0.05oz of raisins per lb of body weight can be life threatening).
• Sugary foods can lead to obesity in our pets, just as in humans.

If you think your pet has been poisoned seek veterinary help immediately.

• ASPCA National Poison Control Center 1-900-443-0000 or 1-888-426-4435 $60.00 per case charge billed directly to the callers phone
• Pet Poison Help Line 1-800-213-6680 $35.00 per incident 24 hour service available throughout North America

For more about these tips and dangerous foods, read the Halloween Safety Tips for Dogs article found in the in the Online Dog Coach library.

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A distressed call from my mother came just last week. While in the vet’s office for her geriatric Labrador’s checkup, she asked them about the holidays. Sadly, they only had 5 of the 10 days she hoped to travel available for her dog. Holiday travel plans had to be changed because the facilityof choice was full.

The quality boarding facilities fill up fast, so check with them early if you are thinking about travel plans around the holidays. A couple of tips:

• You can cancel the reservation or the days you won’t use as the date approaches.
• Don’t wait too long to cancel part or all of your reservation as fees may apply.
• If you are not familiar with the facility, ask for references.
• Ask if they have staff on site overnight.
• Ask the facility about their emergency plan should a natural or man-made disaster causes evacuation of their neighborhood.

If facilities are already full, consider a pet sitter that can come to your house. When choosing this option, consider the following:

• This is much easier if you have a dog door. Make sure you have a secure yard.
• I recommend 3 visits/day. Early morning for breakfast and opening dog door; early evening for dinner; and late evening for closing of the dog door. Prevents overnight accidents after dinner.
• Check references and insurance/bonding of your pet sitter. A professional is a must for longer trips.
• Make sure your dog has tags with your mobile number or a neighbor’s number in case they get loose.

 Today is the day to call your boarding facility and make holiday reservations for your pet!

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The 4th of July — a summertime holiday filled with fun, picnics, and fireworks for the family.  However, many of our canine family members are not overly enthusiatic for the fireworks.  Fireworks often cause a stress/fear response in our dogs which may be exhibited by excessive drooling, whining, digging, destructive behavior, etc.   

If your dog is stressed by fireworks, here are a few tips that may make the 4th of July more pleasurable for all:

1. State of Mind — remember that your dog is responding to a fear (i.e. destroying things) and it’s your job to help alleviate the situation. If you respond by getting upset you will only reinforce that fireworks cause bad things to happen (i.e. mom yells at me).
2. Plan, Plan, Plan — Make sure you have a plan for the 4th of July as well as the week leading up to the 4th
   • As the 4th of July approaches you will likely hear bottle rockets and other fireworks throughout the neighborhood, use this as an opportunity to desensitize — keep your dog’s favorite treats or toys handy and reward your dog for remaining calm when he/she hears a firework.
   • On the 4th of July, keep your dog inside with the TV or radio volume high enough to drown out firework noises and close the curtains if your dog has associated the lights with fireworks.
   • If you are home reward, reward, reward for calm behavior.
   • If you won’t be at home, keep your dog in a confined and safe place like a crate or kennel.

Start thinking about next year — try desensitizing your dog to loud noises through increased exposure with rewards. For example, you could purchase a CD with firework noises, play it softly and reward for a calm response. Gradually increase the volume and reward until your dog is confident

Safety Tip — Even if your dog is not afraid of fireworks, it is a good practice to keep your dog away from firework shows to prevent damage to their hearing.

For additional tips surrounding this holiday and it’s festivities, see ASPCA’s Fourth of July Safety Tips.

Have a fun and safe 4th of July — The Trainers of Online Dog Coach

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Happy Easter from the trainers at Online Dog Coach.   Remember to keep those chocolate treats away from our canine friends.

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