HALLOWEEN & DOGS - LAUGHS & CAUTIONS
I haven’t laughed this hard in a while.
In searching for one dog photo, I came across hundreds of pictures of dogs in costumes like these.
Do dogs like to dress up? Not likely. Not usually. We can pay attention to their body language to get that answer.
I know, I know. Those of you who do dress your dogs up are thinking “Hey, lady. Let me have my fun, my laughs and a great photo opp for 2 hours once a year. My dog will forgive me and likes when I’m happy anyway.”
I’m not here to wag my finger about whether your dog wags for Halloween costume parades or not. I gush and crack up at the adorableness of dogs (and kids) around Halloween. Let’s just pay attention to how uncomfortable they might be. Ya know what I mean? It’s the tail tucked between the legs, the whale eye or look of misery. It’s your dog panting more than usual or refusing to move.
Years ago, I dressed my dog Django like Fonzie from Happy Days the one time I dressed him up for our local Brooklyn dog Howl-o-ween parade and fundraiser. Am I dating myself? Is someone out there saying “What’s Happy Days?” I dunno, but let’s not guess my age. :) Moving right along … I slicked back Django’s fur with coconut oil as I recall, put a comb in it like Fonzie would, and had him wear a white t-shirt that said “Ayyyyyy” plus sunglasses. I can’t remember what his pal Ernie wore come to think of it, but they walked together and that concluded dress-up for a lifetime.
Now what I do for laughs is I superimpose his image on some digital costume photo. You can choose from hundreds on Etsy or Crown and Paw.
Now I have Django, the firefighter like his grandpa,
Django, the ambassador,
Django, the gentleman,
and Django, the pirate.
Not sure what comes next, but I’m open to suggestions!
The other Halloween tradition to discuss is the candy.
Obviously, dogs can’t have candy. Candy is seriously dangerous to them….not that it’s good for us and kids! But it won’t kill us like it can kill them…. except over time if we indulge often. Candy is pretty much pure sugar. It has no nutritive value. There’s no up-side other than the sugar rush and the taste. (Don’t start a debate just because there’s some protein in a Twix bar - please!)
Sugar isn’t just in candy, mind you. Anything full of carbs has sugar and turns to sugar. Think bread, pasta, pastries, potatoes. But candy has artificial dyes and other junk that put it in a whole other category of bad. So, go easy on your blood sugar this Halloween season by going easy on the candy. Simple carbs are pretty much sugar, too, so go easy on them, too. Keep that hand out of the cookie jar. Don’t have pizza for lunch everyday just because it’s quick or even because it’s good. (I miss NY pizza.) Sugar causes inflammation. Inflammation causes diseases and ailments whether we’re talking about dementia or joint pain.
As for the risks posed to dogs during Halloween, they’d fare better from the raw eggs some pranksters throw than from loose candy corn on the street. Watch them like hawks on walks. Bring a flash light. Practice that “drop it” command or put them in a harness instead of yanking their neck to protect them from Candyland. Know where the 24-hour animal hospital is for the worst case scenarios. Maybe download a pet first aid app so you can look up warning signs of serious medical conditions. And plug this ASPCA poison control number into your phone: (888) 426-4435.
Have a fun and safe Howl-o-ween!
Here’s Django!
