Tips for Keeping Your Dog Safe on Halloween and a #Giveaway

Halloween is known for being a frightfully fun holiday, when all our fears come to life in a way that’s enjoyable with just a hint of the unknown. While most people enjoy Halloween, most dogs find it stressful. The noises, costumes, and decorations are out of the ordinary, and your dog can’t tell what’s fake and what’s a real danger. With a little precaution and common sense, you can make Halloween safe and less stressful for your dog. From using the best dog fence to keep them contained, and keeping the candy bowl out-of-reach, here are some tips for keeping your dog safe during Halloween festivities.

Don’t Leave Your Dog Outside

Never leave your dog outside alone during trick-or-treat hours, because the hustle and bustle may cause them to try and escape. Even the best invisible dog fence or traditional fence can be breached when a dog is determined enough, so don’t take any chances. If you have an electronic dog fence, it won’t keep people out, and unfortunately real bogeymen sometimes use Halloween as an opportunity to steal dogs from yards. Your best bet is to keep your dog indoors - in a locked room or a crate - so they can’t get out of the house when you open the front door for trick-or-treaters. This will help reduce their stress level, too.

Trick-or-Treat Carefully

If you choose to bring your dog trick-or-treating with you, do so with caution. If you’re unsure of how your dog will react to costumed children, keep them at a safe distance and don’t allow strangers to pet your dog. If it’s after sundown, make sure you use an LED or reflective leash, collar, or harness, so that your dog is visible to cars on the road. Do not remove your dog’s collar or ID tags, and make sure your contact information is up-to-date, just in case. If you’re concerned about how your dog will handle trick-or-treating, the safest bet is to leave them home.

Be Conscious of Costume Hazards

Dog costumes can be a lot of fun, but they can also restrict breathing, movement, or circulation if they don’t fit properly. Try your dog’s costume on several times before they wear it for a longer period of time, so they have a chance to get used to it, and you can observe them for any concerns. If you use an e-collar for a wired dog fence and you remove it, don’t let your dog outside without a leash, no matter how well-trained they are. Accessories like buttons or baubles can be choking hazards, so avoid costumes that have them.

Keep the Candy Bowl Out-of-Reach

Chocolate and the sugar substitute xylitol are toxic to dogs, so be very careful with candy in your home. If you utilize an indoor wireless dog fence or pet barrier, keep the candy and your dog on opposite sides. Otherwise, keep the candy high enough so it’s out of your dog’s reach, and make sure your children do the same with their treat bags. If you’d like your dog to enjoy a sweet treat, purchase new dog treats for them before Halloween night. As always, keep your vet’s number handy so you can call them if your dog ingests candy and gets sick or starts acting strangely.

Decorate with Care

Pumpkins, corn, hay, and other edible decorations may not be poisonous to dogs, but they can still present hazards. Dogs often want to eat pumpkins, and large pieces can lodge in their intestines and cause blockages. Keep pumpkins and other appealing decorations away from your dog, so the dog doesn't choke or become sick. Ensure that lit candles aren’t in a place that your dog could accidentally knock them over. If any of your decorations plug in, make sure electrical wires are hidden or covered, so that you dog can’t chew on them and be shocked.

No matter how you decide to celebrate Halloween this year, keep your dog’s health and happiness in mind, too. Dogs are often confused and concerned by the hustle and bustle of holidays, so giving them a little extra love and attention is a great idea, too. With precaution and care, you and your dog will have a safe holiday with no unexpected frights - only fun. Have a Happy Halloween!

This is a paid sponsored post by www.dogfencediy.com 

These Halloween safety tips were provided in partnership with www.dogfencediy.com;

Dog Fence DIY offers an affordable alternative to the pricey and hard to maintain invisible fences. A wired or wireless dog fence solution is not a fix-it-all and should be used in tandem with training to make sure your dog is safe and happy.  Questions or concerns about Dog Fence DIY?  Let me know and I'll put you in touch with their reps who are happy to answer.

Share this post on social media, or post a comment or tip of your own below, and you'll be entered into a giveaway for a $25 Amazon card!!  Who doesn't want one of those?!  Winner of the Amazon card will be chosen at random using Rafflecopter, or similar.  Be sure to tell me that you shared on social media!

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 43: Pumpkin

I didn't realize there was a PUMPKIN topic in the 52 Snapshots challenge, otherwise I may have thought twice about posting photos of the pumpkin that got eaten two weeks ago in the ANIMAL post.  

Alternatively, I suppose I could have just re-posted the same photos here, out of sheer laziness.

Like this.

But then, I was putzing around the house, moving around my knick-knacks.  One of my collections, other than my glass animal collection, of course, is blue glass.  People give me blue glass things all the time, and one friend gave me these two blue glass "globes" (or so I thought).  I was carrying them around the house the other day, when I actually looked at them for the first time, and realized they are...  (cue the music!).... PUMPKINS.  Blue, glass pumpkins.  Who knew?

And then, the rains came.  I wanted to set them up in a window, with sun shining through for this week's snapshot.  Alas, no sun for many days.

Late this afternoon, the skies cleared for a very brief moment, and I grabbed the opportunity.

When the light hits a different way, there is actually an extra layer of metallic gloss on the outside.
You can spot the photographer (me) reflected in the middle, and then, creepily,
it looks like there is a man standing behind me to one side!

52 Snapshots of Life is a photo challenge blog hop, hosted by our pals at the Lazy Pit Bull.

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 42: World

I live in a 5-mile world.  No, I really do!  My house is 3.9 miles from my office; and both the house and office are about four or five miles from grocery stores and other stores.  I did have my doctor's office in town as well, but I started to think that was a bit too "small town-y", and therefore recently expanded my "world" to a nearby city for my medical appointments!

Regularly, the hounds and I expand our world another 130 miles, or so, and head to Cape Cod.

At this time of year, the beach at the National Seashore does really weird things.  Small pools of water and large rock formations are revealed, that aren't seen in the summertime.  It is so strange to see a humongous rock in the middle of the beach, where you sat, all summer, not knowing it was underneath you!

I went for a beach walk this past weekend to take some shots of the autumnly-transformed beach, and I found this piece of driftwood!  (No, I didn't write on it, the writing was already there.)

Where Am I?

Kinda perfect for this week's 52 Snapshots* topic, "World", wouldn't you say?
You can view the rest of the photos from my beach walk on my Facebook page.

*52 Snapshots of Life is hosted by The Lazy Pit Bull, and there are only 10 weeks left!

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 41: Animal

I set out today to take some photos of an animal OTHER than a dog or cat for this week's 52 Snapshots challenge; topic: ANIMAL

The only "animal" I found on my walk was a FISH:

There was a really large banjo catfish nearby, but he skee-daddled when I moved :(
So, I got this kivver instead.

"But wait," I thought, "That's not exactly an ANIMAL."

No squirrels in sight?  Not a one.  No skunks, possum, deer or bunnies, either.

Then, I got a little help from a rather unlikely source.  

I decided to stop at the cemetery to visit G's grave, where I had recently put mums and pumpkins.  I wanted to see how they were doing after last night's monsoon rain.

The mums are great. 

The pumpkins?  Not so much!  An ANIMAL apparently had decided to make breakfast, lunch and dinner of them!

And that, is how, I got a slightly different idea for the topic: ANIMAL.

The mums look great, but here's all that's left of three pumpkins

Pumpkin seeds!

Expanded view:  ANIMAL with TEETH!

Looks like the ANIMAL had a PARTY!

Special thanks to my beloved, G for leading me to the ANIMAL; and to our blog hop hosts at The Lazy Pit Bull.

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 40: Framed

Week FORTY??!  That means there are only twelve posts remaining in this themed photo-blogging challenge, 52 Snapshots of life, hosted by our buddies at The Lazy Pit Bull.  How the heck did that happen?  A whole year (almost) gone by.  Phew.  So many photos, so little time.

This week's theme is FRAMED.

Here is a picture from a couple years ago.  I was spying on Charlie, while he was outside, from inside the house.  The windows are six-over-six sash windows, and I used one of the six squares to frame the dog.  The window was dirty, and the window screen took most of the focus of the picture.  It was a cute idea, but not the best quality photograph I've ever taken!

Go local for pets!

The k2k9 crew has been spending September attending the various dog/cat festivals in and around our area.

These are local events that support local pet-related charities and businesses.  A valuable part of attending these events is not just spending money making donations or buying products from local folks, you also get to socialize your dog(s).  [Cats are usually not invited, although we did see Spike and his dad, and his famous cat brother (sister?) that their dad wears like a mink stole around his neck.  Yes, a real, live cat!  At a doggie event!  These folks actually attend a few of these events, and I've seen them a few times.  Spike is a wonderful, black senior dog who is SO friendly.  The cat is very docile.  I tell their dad that he is VERY brave!]

The weekend after Labor Day, Charlie and I attended Pet Rock Festival.  Now in its 17th year, Pet Rock was inspired by a news report of a horrific animal cruelty case -- a Worcester-area woman had a band named Pet Rock, and she wanted to do something to help animals.  Pet Rock Festival was named after her band, and over the years has become a fun gathering of music, vegetarian food, and all things dog, cat, pet.  This year the event was held at Becker College, in Leicester.  This was a great venue because of size, and a perfect fit since the college offers a popular veterinary/animal program.

Charlie Brown at Pet Rock

A week later, was New England Pet Expo.  This is a nationwide organization (may include Canada, as well?) that does Pet Expos in various cities each year.  There are usually two in our area:  New England Pet Expo, and South Shore Pet Expo.  But this year, there was no South Shore Pet Expo.  Pet Expo is a bit like a home show with dog/cat products.  Ferrets, reptiles, birds and horses, are featured, too.  Shorty Rossi (The Pit Boss) usually makes an appearance at each Expo, and there are other well-known animal trainers, agility courses, police k-9 demos, and other activities.

Me, and Shorty Rossi in 2012 at NE Pet Expo

I brought Cooper to Pet Expo -- it was Cooper's very first event like this.  He did quite well.  He only has three legs, so walking from the parking lot to the venue can be an issue.  I thought about taking advantage of handicapped parking, but I didn't think that'd go over well!!  Anyway, he did ok, but he got a little "testy" with a couple of dogs after being over-stimulated for a few hours, so we were soon outta there.  I was very proud of both of us.  No one got bitten, unless you count me. (Trying to entice him out of the building with a tennis ball in my hand! Ow!)

Cooper at Pet Expo

Yesterday was festival number three, of several:  Woofstock!  Similar to Pet Rock, this is a music and food fest with booths from the usual suspects.  I should point out that many pet companies attend ALL of these conferences; but some only attend one or two.  So, you don't always see the same people twice, but when you do, it just reinforces the networking.  Networking locally is SO important!

Posing at the Woofstock/Buddy Dog table, while I added to my impossibly unmanageable t-shirt collection.

Coming up:

Oct 3 & 4: Animal Weekend -- hosted by Second Chance Animal Shelter and Wellness Center.
(our pals at Second Chance are going to be exhausted, because they have been at EVERY one of the aforementioned conferences, AND they're doing their own full weekend next week.  I'm tired just thinking about it!)

Cooling off at Second Chance's booth during Woofstock-- see you next weekend!

Oct 3:  Great Dog Rescue Meet & Greet. Harvard Farmers' Market, 27 Mass Ave in gorgeous Harvard, Mass.  (Great Dog Rescue is the place I adopted Charlie and Cooper from!)  If you're looking for a great dog, you might just meet her or him here.

Oct 11: Pug Rescue of New England (PRoNE) Pug Social -- right here in beautiful downtown Spencer (at the fairgrounds).  If you love Pugs (and who doesn't?) this is a can't-miss event.

Oct 24: Klem's Annual Dog Halloween Costume Contest, at Klem's in Spensah!

Oct 31:  Sweetpea Friends of Rutland Animals Halloween Spooktacular, at Camp Marshall in Spensah!!

(Can you tell how excited I am that all of these things are right here in SPENCER!!!?  Have I used enough exclamation marks?)

November 7:  Goodness Gracious Run for Rescue 5K.  This 5K is being held in dog-friendly Marblehead.  If you've ever been to Marblehead, you will notice.... dogs!  It seems like everyone who lives there has a dog.  What a wonderful community!  Our friends at Great Dog Rescue have a team participating in the race, so if you want to donate to the Great Dog team, here is the link.

52 Snapshots of Life, Week 39: Shadow

Ok, this just freaked me out.... I was hunting through my photos for an appropriate picture for this week's 52 Snapshots challenge, and my cursor randomly landed on this photo and highlighted it automatically!!!  Weird!!

Therefore, here is this week's photo!  The theme is SHADOW

Charlie Brown at last year's PetRock Fest (2014) !!  

Which is also freaky, since PetRock 2015 was just the other day!

52 Snapshots of Life is hosted by our friends at The Lazy Pit Bull!!

52 Snapshots of Life; Week 38: Feet

When Hobie was a puppy, I liked to smell his feet.  I know other dog parents will understand this.  We've talked about it!  Back in those days, dog food had corn as a primary ingredient (maybe it still does, but I don't buy that stuff anymore).  I am not positive, but I think this is why dogs' feet smelled like Fritos.  Frito Feet!  Or, more generically-correct:  Corn Chip Feet!

Anyway, I sang a little song to Hobie:  "Puppy feet, puppy feet, I love puppy feet!" and then I'd grab his foot and SMELL it!!  Yeah, we pet parents are sick ha ha.

I regularly take pictures of my pets' feet.  Yes, yes, I do.

Here is a small collection of Pet Feet Photos from my archives.  The first picture here was just taken a few days ago while Cooper was sleeping!

Cooper foot!  This could make a good logo.

Cats have paws, too.

Footprint in the sand

Not a "sole" on the beach

We did a nail trim right afterwards!

Hobie loved to sleep with his back legs crossed.

 

Hobie's feet.  I did a whole photo session of Hobie's feet on his last birthday.




52 Snapshots of Life is a blog hop hosted by our friends over at The Lazy Pit Bull.

5 Things You Can Do To Remember and Honor Your Pet

After losing a beloved pet, for whatever reason, whether he or she was old and sick, or whether the pet ran away and you're still hoping for her safe return; or whether the little furry friend was killed in an accident; we can often feel so empty, sad and even guilty.  Grief can overtake us.  One grieving pet parent put it this way:  "There is a huge hole in my heart."

Losing a pet is a unique kind of loss.  Our relationship with a beloved pet can be a stronger bond than any we have known with a human.  Many people say that's because pets love us unconditionally, and while that is certainly true, I tend to think that my relationship with my pets is more like a kinship that transcends any kind of brain knowledge or explanation.  It is a more intuitive friendship, on a very spiritual and natural level -- communing with, and an actual kinship with, nature.  Humans can't emulate that because they are normally too busy with their own agendas.

In honor of my beloved pets, both past and current, I created this website.  I wrote about each pet (or, am in the process of doing so) and posted as many photos of them as possible here, and on my various social media accounts.  For the dogs and cats who are no longer with me, I remember their birthdates and the dates of their passing, and try to re-post an old photo, or maybe even go to a place where we used to hang out, and remember them on those meaningful (to me) dates.

We had a memorial "headstone" made for our garden, in memory of Hector.

Our "new" dog (at the time), Charlie, checking out the Hector memorial

Have you recently lost a pet, or are you continuing to grieve a pet you lost a while ago, and can't seem to get past the grief and sadness?  Please know that this is normal, and I speak from experience only.  I still mourn my dear, sweet Timba who died 14 years ago!  And her successor, Hector, who died in 2011. 




I can't say it enough:  there is no timeline for grief.  Your grief timeline is your own, and no one can or should dictate to you when you're supposed to "get over" it.  You may never (get over it), and that is okay!

Here are five free (or inexpensive) activities you can do to remember and honor your pet on an anniversary, on their birthday, on YOUR birthday, or just because:

Hobie's urn (left) and DogFather's urn (right).
I took them on a trip to Cape Cod!

1. Bring your pet's ashes on a road trip.  After Hobie died, I brought his ashes in the car with me and Charlie and Cooper, every time we went to Cape Cod on weekends, for an entire summer.  I told a friend about it, and we chuckled.  A few months later, that same friend unfortunately had to put her dog to sleep due to a sudden and incurable illness.  On a family trip to Maine, she brought her dog's ashes along for the ride!  Don't have time for a vacation or trip?  Bring your pet's ashes in the car on errands.  I put the urn right next to me on the passenger seat, and look over at "him" and smile.   I also bought a small stuffed dog that has the same coloring as Hobie (tan with a black snout), I put a doggie necklace around its neck (really, it’s a keychain!) and now “the new Hobie” rides in the car with me at all times.  I may even tuck him into my suitcase the next time I have to travel by air! Now you try:  Come up with other creative ways to "bring your dog along". 
2. Set up a web page, social media page, or other online tribute to your pet's memory. These days, there are too many of these online platforms to list.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Packdog.com, DogChannel.com , CatChannel.com, DogBook (which is part of Facebook), your own website, or blog, and more. There are tons of possibilities are out there. Find one and post a few words about your pet, with photos and their dates of birth and death.  Not interested in an online platform, or not computer savvy enough?  Grab a notebook or piece of paper, and write about your pet; find favorite photos and glue them into a scrapbook.  Share your similar ideas in the comments – we’d love to hear from you.
3. Attend an afternoon pet festival.   Autumn is the time of year for pet-charity festivals in most areas of the U.S.  For example, if I want to, I can attend one every weekend between Labor Day and Halloween in my area of Massachusetts!  Admission to some of these events is free, while others charge a small fee ($12 - $15 or thereabouts for adults, kids usually free,  and well-behaved, leashed dogs are usually welcome -- make sure you have proof of vaccinations if your state requires pets to be vaccinated).  Ask local veterinarians or pet sitters if they know of any events in your city, or just hunt around online via search engines, you can usually find the various events easily. For those who don't know what a pet festival is:  generally these are events held at a public place where vendors (mostly non-profit) set up booths and you are expected to visit the booths and perhaps purchase goods or services from those booths (but are not obligated to do so).  There is usually food, beverages, entertainment by local musicians, and fun activities like costume contests, pet pageants, a photo booth, agility or police "k9" demos, doggie massage or reiki, etc.  Proceeds benefit the organization that is running the program, or the various non-profit pet charities involved. This is a great way to honor your pet, and get some "animal time" in with no strings attached.  Be forewarned:  there are pets for adoption at these events, so go slow, don't jump into anything hastily. "Just looking" is a good response, and then take the organization's business card if you want to visit them under less pressure at their facility.  If you want more info on pet festivals, send me an email at k2k9dogs@gmail.com, and mention your location and I'll try to find out if there are any events near you.  
   
   
   

   

   Charlie at the Sweetpea Howl-oween event 2015

   
   

   

   Charlie at a vendor's booth at Woofstock, 2015

   
   

   

   Charlie and me at PetRock, 2015
   

4. Spend quality time with your existing pets.  Almost anyone I've ever talked to who has lost a pet has "The Regret List".  This can be anything from "I should have had her euthanized sooner, she suffered so much", to "I wish I had taken her on that trip to the mountains two years ago when I had that opportunity."  To (my personal regret) "I wish I had been able to stay home with him more often throughout his lifetime."  There is no time like the present.  Without getting yourself into trouble (spending too much money, or playing hooky from work!!) build in that time NOW with your existing pet or pets.  Bring Fido to that mountain retreat you wish you had brought Rover to "back in the day".  Now's your chance!  Cuddle with your cat, Fluffy, on your lap and a good book or movie, because you wish you had "one more day" with Pookie. You do have that "one more day", and it's today, with your current pet(s).
5. Help out a friend or relative with their pet.  No pets at home, and you're not ready (maybe you will never be) to adopt a new companion?  If your parent, sibling, or other relative, a friend, or a neighbor has a pet you enjoy spending time with, offer to hang out with the pet to help out, or just because you need some "animal time".  This is a great way to resolve the "I need help getting through the loss of Max" problem without actually SAYING those words (because sometimes people do not understand). 

The finished product:  The Hector garden memorial!

Do you have other ideas or suggestions for ways to honor and remember your late pets?  Tell me about it in comments, or drop me a few lines at k2k9dogs@gmail.com -- I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading!  

You are appreciated!  

Disclaimer:  The suggestions on this website are not intended to be a substitute for therapy or professional advice. The contents of this website are solely the opinion of the website owner, and are not a substitute for therapy, advice, diagnosis, treatment of any kind, whether spiritual, medical, mental health, or other.  If you are experiencing a mental health issue due to the loss of your pet (or for any other reason), please obtain the services of a professional.  The owner of this website assumes no responsibility or liability on behalf of any purchaser or reader of the materials herein.