October 2009

Two more sleeps ’til Halloween. While children are of dreaming of candy and costumes, dog owners need to put some serious thought into safety. We have received more great safety tips, this time from our friends at the Dog Legislation Council of Canada.

Getting your dog safely through Halloween shouldn’t be too tricky. Here are some safety tips to ensure a good time !

• Exercise your dog during the daylight hours. With so many goblins on the move, your dog may get a little stressed so its best if they can clearly see what is going.

• Now is not the time for introducing your dog to kids. Kindly discourage any meet and greets.

• It’s a good idea to use a sturdy short leash.

• Avoid off-leash rompings since small children can behave unexpectedly in their pursuit of goodies.

• Make sure your dog has a collar, license or some form of identification.

• Make sure your dog is safely contained away from open doors or windows. After all, food is being handed out to small children your dog may not know and a quick escape is always possible.

• Make sure your goody bowl isn’t easily accessed by your pooch. Many treats pose a threat to choking or are toxic when ingested.

• If you are dressing your dog up for the festivities, make sure they are supervised at all times. This is especially important for small dogs and puppies.

• If you dogs dinnertime is during the witching hour, try delaying it until all the kids are finished. Incidents with bloat (gastric torsion) are believed to be related to periods of high stress. It’s best if you can wait at least an hour after the last visitor has left.

• If your dog or cat accidentally ingests any potentially harmful products and you need emergency advice, please consult your veterinarian or the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee applies)

On behalf of the DLCC, we wish everyone a happy howling good time! BE SAFE.

For more tips, be sure to check out Howl-oween: Safety tips for a dog-friendly Halloween on dogsincanada.com.

Am., Can., Mn., and Sk. Ch. Poarott Back to Black (‘Misko’) went Reserve World Winner at the World Dog Show. Bred by Katarinka Majdlenova of Slovakia and owned by Canadians Michele Bateman and Shauna Gray, this little guy has made both his native and adopted countries proud.

Misko was purchased after Bateman fell in love with a photo of the Powderpuff Chinese Crested, even though she had come to the Poarott Kennels web site seeking information on Xoloitzcuintlis. The next month Misko and another Powderpuff named ‘Vera’ made the trip to Canada from Slovakia.

At six months Misko was partnered up with Professional Handler Peter Scott and his daughter Kate Murray and went on to pick up many impressive wins and earning championships in several countries.

It was only fitting that Misko returned to his native land to pick up his biggest win to date, Reserve World Winner at the World Dog Show, from an entry of 228 Chinese Cresteds.

On behalf of all of us here at Dogs in Canada, I’d like to offer Misko, his breeder, owners and handlers our heartfelt congratulations.

If you have exciting news from the World Show, or any other major accomplishment, please feel free to send me an e-mail at webeditor@dogsincanada.com. (All will be read, but not all can be published)

We received this notice from Maria Barnes over at the Etobicoke Humane Society. It’s a good reminder for all of us. If you are looking for more tips, check out Howl-oween: Safety tips for a dog-friendly Halloween on dogsincanada.com.

As the Haunting season approaches, the Etobicoke Humane Society (EHS) reminds you that – for pets - Halloween is often more ticks than treats. Animals are often lost or hurt or worse at Halloween, intentionally or unintentionally… and black cats are often especially targeted. So EHS offers the following tips to protect your animals while you enjoy a ghoulishly good time:

• No tricks and no treats for pets: Chocolate in all forms can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Tin foil and cellophane wrappers can be dangerous or deadly if swallowed. If you think your pet has ingested a potentially dangerous substance, please call your veterinarian or the nearest emergency vet clinic

• Some Hazards in Plants: Halloween traditions such as pumpkins and decorative corn are generally non-toxic, but they can cause gastrointestinal upset if pets ingest them. Larger pieces can cause intestinal blockage.

• Electrical Hazards: Don’t let pets chew wires and cords. Keep them safely out of reach of your pets. If you pet chews electrical cords or wires, he could experience damage to his mouth due to shards of glass or plastic, or even experience a life-threatening electrical shock.

• Candle Cautions: Use extreme caution with candles, even when placed inside pumpkins. Pets can easily knock over a lit pumpkin and cause a fire. Kittens and puppies are at greater risk of getting burned by lit candles.

• Don’t mess-up with dress-up: Please don’t use costumes on your dog or cat unless you’re absolutely sure they REALLY enjoy it. Costumes can cause stress for many animals, and many costumes are flammable, which adds additional hazards. Masks are best left for people.

• Safe costumes only: If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume is NOT FLAMMABLE, and isn’t too tight or too loose (extra material can get your pet caught in something).  A costume or mask should not hinder your pet’s movement, hearing, vision or ability to breathe. Watch out for easily chewed pieces of costume that could cause choking. Masks are best left off your pet.

• Provide a quiet haven: Most dogs and cats should be kept in a separate, quiet room during the busiest trick – or-treat hours. All the noise and dangers can be very stressful for pets.

• Watch those doors: When opening your door for trick-or-treaters, make sure your pet doesn’t run outside. Besides the risk of being lost, there are many accounts of Halloween hooligans who have teased, chased, injured, stolen and even killed pets.

• IDs: Be certain that your pet has current, proper identification; i.e., microchip and/or collar and tag, just in case your pet escapes during the Halloween festivities.

The 2010 edition of the Dogs in Canada Annual is making its way to mailboxes and newsstands across Canada.

If you’re a subscriber, you should be receiving your issue within the next week or so. For those who buy the magazine on the newsstands, it will be “out there” by mid-November.

We hope you’ll enjoy this year’s edition. Is it just me, or do puppies somehow get more adorable every year?