DOG'S BEST FRIEND
As autumn comes on, if you’re looking to dress your dog up for the Halloween season, you want to think about some handy tips to make sure that you are doing this safely.
Here are some of the experts’ recommendations for dog costumes. Think about how to dress up your doggo in a way that’s appropriate for the season!
In general, you don’t want items that are excessively tight putting pressure on your dog’s body. This extends to a collar around the throat, but also to sleeves or parts of a garment that might be tight on the animal’s limbs. These can really be aggravating to your dog, and even unsafe, too.
You also want to make sure that your dog can normally go to the bathroom as he or she is used to.
You want to avoid anything obstructive that your animal can trip on or get tangled up in.
It might be tempting to dress your dog up in something with long, thin strands, but we’ve seen that this often leads to your dog eating some or all of this material. That can be hard on the dog’s digestive system, so think about not including those parts of the costume that can easily be ingested.
Look for labels that show you the costume pieces are non-toxic for your animal. ASTM standards and other designations can help in showing that the costume is made in a safe way.
As an additional final tip, make sure that your animal is not around too many people or too many loud noises. Dogs have a sensitive sense of hearing, and are often uncomfortable around high decibel noise.
And another tip for winter: think about picking up a doggie jacket! In the old days, people weren’t really attuned to the idea that how their animal felt could impact its quality of life. But today, there are a plentitude of jackets, coats and windbreakers for your dog, to help with the impending chill. Oh yes, also, avoid walking your dog on salt, it’s not good for the paws.
On Halloween and every day of the year, your pet should be valued as a member of your household and constant companion. Also, be sure not to feed your dog treats involving chocolate, since this can be toxic to many different breeds. A conventional dog biscuit is a good substitute.
Take a look at Columbus Dog Trainer for more on dog obedience training and tips for taking care of your canines. We like to talk dogs! Stop by and see us with any questions about your pets and their overall welfare.
