<< Back

Blog

October – Hallowe’en! And officially the end of summer time

(“An extra hour in bed on the 25th…not too shabby” – Ruby)

 

 

The evening is encroaching ever more into our afternoons (read: more time to snuggle on the sofa with your dog)

The days are getting chillier (read: more time to snuggle under a blanket with a hot water bottlehot chocolate and listen to the sounds of Autumn with your dog)

Hallowe’en! (read: is this even happening?? Can I put a cute outfit on Ruby?)

Clocks go back on the 25th 🙂 (read:…..extra hour in bed with the dog!)

These are just some of the things we adore about Autumn and we want to share with you some tips on how we can help ease our dogs into the new season:

1. Darker evening and morning dog walks.

  • Check your dogs ID collar thingy (and microchip!!) are all up to date
  • Invest in a flashing light for your dog’s collar or harness to help see them in poorly lit places like the woods (it gets dark ever so quick nowadays!)
  • I have heard some good things about dog trackers and am thinking of investing in one myself.  They can be quite pricey, and the ones with better range can require a monthly subscription fee for the 2G/3G technology (devices that do not require a monthly subscription fee may use only radio and bluetooth frequencies – great for places where our phone signals can be spotty, but doesn’t give you the range and distance of a monthly subscription).
  • Some brands I’ve heard good reviews about…

 

* Tractive GPS (https://tractive.com/en/)

Monthly subscription

Unlimited range

Set a ‘safe-zone’

Good battery life

Integrated activity tracker – like a FitBit for dogs!

(the newer version, though pricier, is waterproof for those dogs that love lakes, sea swims…..etc etc    Also sends you data about their sleep patterns which is cute)

 

* Findster Duo Plus GPS (https://getfindster.com/)

One of the few without a monthly subscription charge (connect the dog’s tracker to your ‘guardian’ device and connect to each other via MAZE technology)

Range of up to 4.8km (you have to be within this range of your dog’s device….)

Noted on website – in heavier urban areas, this range can go down to 0.8km

Good for if you have a velcro buddy, like the ambassador 😉

 

*For the more petite dog amongst us…the PAJ GPS Tracker Mini

Splashproof but not good for swimming

Tiny so wont irritate or disturb your pet

Allows you to examine the last 100 days of your dog’s activity, in case you wanted to see if Fluffy has a certain someone they go to visit on a daily basis…..

2. Halloween!

Bertina is both pumpkin shaped and likes to give treats wherever she lands…

 

Whether we will get trick or treaters this year remains to be seen.

The ambassador will bark if her fortress front door is knocked upon.  This is a natural behaviour for dogs and, once the door has opened, she is happy to see people (picked up in my arms obviously!) (see microchip/pet tracker…open doors and dogs can be a dangerous mix!)

If you find your dog getting stressed by the event (panting, drooling, shaking, not themselves), consider taking your dog to a room that is in the quietest area of the home, close the door, put on the tv/netflix/radio, and snuggle up in bed or on a duvet with your dog and create a safe space for them to relax with you.  Lots of stroking and calm talking can help your dog relax.

In fact, having a safe space in your house for your pet is a great idea all year round.  Somewhere they can retreat to for some quiet time (children wanting to play all day? Pet Parent wanting attention all day?….get yourself some quiet time in your own special room! ) Doesnt have to be fancy.  Ruby retreats to our bed when she’s had enough of us.  Or is sulking.  Make it a positive area for them and (and this one took a lot for me to accept) – it’s ok for dogs to have alone time!  Theyre not sad, lonely….they just need some time to sleep and process all they have smelt and seen! Its beneficial 🙂

(If you have someone to cover door duty, great. Perhaps consider turning off notifications for your doorbell (if you have a jazzy one), or putting up a sign asking trick or treaters not to knock and keep an ear out….)

If you do not have a butler, perhaps sellotape the knocker/bell, leave a bowl of sweets outside and a sign saying help yourself (Maybe at the entrance to the front garden if appropriate, so it is further from the home.)

There are a myriad of herbal supplements to try to help dogs keep calm at these times.  Dorwest Herbs are a respected brand, as are YuCalm (Lintbells).  I’m sure there are many more on Amazon or Google!

 

 

Costumes can be fun for dogs and hugely cute 🙂 Take caution that, if unsupervised, the costume cannot get caught on anything and cause a hazard.  Also, if you have a chewer, watch out that they dont gobble the whole witches hat/decorative pumpkin/pompoms on their outfit.  Intestinal blockage? Not today

Candles.  If you have pumpkins and candles, maybe on the windowsill or a table-de-decoration, ensure supervision at all times!!!  Fire and burn risk!

 

 

If I’ve left anything out or you have any comments or tips for the Autumn months and festivities you use with your dog, please do feel free to to comment!

 

 

 

 

Latest Posts