Halloween has gone to the dogs. Literally. Each year there are more costume contests, more dog-friendly events and an assortment of spooky dog treats that have the Bayou Boys drooling. While we love to let them dress up for the camera, we don’t take them out on Halloween. Our neighborhood streets are crammed with ghosts, ghouls, and superheroes in all shapes and sizes. Bentley and Pierre would lose their minds if they saw them. We haven’t participated in trick or treating for the past few years for personal reasons, but I am not exaggerating when I tell you that we have had hundreds of visitors to our door in the past. Several years ago there was a Domino’s Pizza truck selling pizza slices on the corner! That was when we knew that we had more than our fair share of trick or treaters.
Our Golden Retriever used to love Halloween. Tucker would dress up and sit out front with us to hand out candy. The kids loved him and he loved the attention. That was then and this is now. Bentley and Pierre don’t like all of the excitement and are not sure of all the strangers on their street. We turn our lights on low and our television on high to drown out the foot traffic. They aren’t allowed in the office so they can’t look out the window and bark. It is a perfect night to enjoy a good movie and get some extra snuggles.
I know many of you look forward to sharing a fun evening of trick or treating with your best friends. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Safe Halloween Tips
• Make sure your dog is comfortable in their costume. Never force them to dress-up if they don’t enjoy it.
• Keep all candy, chocolates, gum, and raisins out of reach of your dogs and cats.
• Safeguard the door so there are no great escapes when trick or treaters knock.
•Make sure your pets are safe and sound inside your home. Remember not all monsters wear masks.
• Do not allow candles anywhere near your pets.
• Watch for electrical cords and decorations that pets could become entangled in causing injury.
The Morning After
The problem with living a popular neighborhood at Halloween is that most of the people who visit are brought into the area. They don’t care if they drop wrappers, bottles, and other trash as they go from house to house. That makes walking the boys on November 1st like walking through a landmine. There is chocolate melting, empty wrappers, and pieces of those orange & black candies (because nobody eats that stuff!) on the street and in the yards. Bentley’s nose hits the ground and he is in search for the forbidden goodies. Pierre wants to sniff and pee on every single thing he finds. We have to watch each step they take until everyone picks up in front of their houses. #NotCool
I realize I am preaching to the choir, but if you have little humans to take trick or treating, please remind them not to litter. It is not only bad for the environment but it can be very dangerous to our four-footed friends.
In the spirit of the holiday, please enjoy our story The Night Before Halloween and this fun JibJab video featuring the characters from my book series, The Returns.
As we do every Friday, we are co-hosting the Pet Parade with these friends; Rascal and Rocco, Basil the Bionic Cat, Love is being owned by a Husky. Link up your favorite blog of the week and gain social media followers and shares!
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