“No animal I know of can consistently be more of a friend and companion than a dog.” - Stanley Leinwall
Happy Thursday! Here's the scoop:
Thanksgiving pet safety: what you need to know
The best touchdown celebration you’ll see all season
A helpful course to keep your canine safe
True or False
Dogs only wag their tails when they're happy to see you.
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer!)
Thanksgiving safety tips for pet parents
Thanksgiving is officially one week away (!!) which means it’s time to start planning and mentally preparing, and we don’t just mean the menu…
Our dogs are a huge part of our holiday celebrations, but it’s important to remember that some extra precautions should be taken whenever animals are involved. Whether you’re hosting or traveling for your Thanksgiving gatherings, keep these dog safety tips in mind:
Decorations. Any small decorative item can be a choking hazard for dogs. If you’re planning on going all out with the cornucopias and mini pumpkins this year, be sure everything is out of paw’s reach.
Thanksgiving weekend also tends to mark the kickoff for holiday decorating. If you’re planning on putting up your tree and lights, keep glass ornaments, metal ornament hooks, tinsel, and light strands away from your dog’s range.
Hosting. Any pet can become nervous or overly excited when you have a full house. If your dog seems anxious, try putting them in a quiet room away from the action with a favorite toy, safe treat, and plenty of water.
Be sure to monitor the door when guests are coming and going. Excitable pups, even the most well-behaved, may try to make a run for it when they see Grandma heading out. Now is a good time to make sure your pet is wearing their ID with updated contact information. (See yesterday’s newsletter for one of our favorite dog IDs!)
Food. We’ve all seen it happen - you take your eyes off the table for one second and all of a sudden there’s a nosey snout inching towards the cheese tray. While some thanksgiving staples are technically dog-safe (more on this next week), others can be harmful and even life-threatening.
Keep an extra close eye on your four-legged guests during dinner prep, mealtime, and dessert. If you’re worried that your pup consumed something they shouldn’t have, act fast and contact your vet, local emergency vet clinic, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center right away.
Do(g)-It-Yourself
For some of us, fall = football. Whether you watch for the love of the game or the love of dips and charcuterie (slowly raising our hands over here), it’s probably safe to assume your dog is part of the gametime action.
They may already be aware of your favorite team based on your reactions to the tv, but we’re here with the ultimate trick to take it one step further: teaching your dog how to celebrate a touchdown.
Step 1:
Have a pile of treats handy and turn on the game. Call your pup over and show them the TV while saying things like “football” and “touchdown!” repeatedly. Feed them treats and get them hyped up so they start to associate the words with the game.
Step 2:
When your team scores, get overly excited and grab treats to toss to your four-legged fan. Say “touchdown!” and give your dog a treat. Do this multiple times so it really sticks. If your team is having a great game, you won’t even have to fake it!
Step 3:
Try assigning a specific hand gesture or command that will go along with your dog’s association of you yelling the word “touchdown.” We’re partial to the air jump or having them spin around in a circle. After a few games, your dog might be a bigger football fan than you are!
What we're digging
There’s nothing scarier than not knowing what to do when our precious pups experience an emergency. Fortunately, we’ve discovered the Dog CPR + First Aid course at Udemy, which provides pet parents with emergency skills and added peace of mind.
The course is self-paced and includes detailed video demos for pet CPR, Canine Heimlich, and reading vital signs using real (adorable!) dogs. You’ll also learn about dog and puppy proofing your home, toxic plants and foods, safety apps you can download, and more.
Take the course yourself or give it as a gift to a fellow dog-lover this holiday season! Your pals and pets will thank you.
True or False
False! Dogs wag their tails in different ways for different reason.
They'll wag to the right when they’re happy, to the left when they’re frightened. Wagging low means they’re insecure, and rapid tail wagging with tense muscles or dilated pupils can even signal aggression.
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