This is Halloween, Everybody Scream!
Halloween is a fun and spooky time of year for children young and old! At Oakington Dog Day Care Centre we love getting in the festive spirit. There are lots of sights and sounds that can scare and spook our dogs unless we take care to prepare and protect them.
These are our top tips for keeping your dogs safe and happy over Halloween. Walking after dark
With the nights drawing in, many of us must walk our dogs in the dark after work. To make sure your seen, put a light on your collar, lead or harness, and wear some hi vis clothing so that traffic can see you clearly on the path, just in case your dog moves suddenly. Be safe, be seen!
Costumes – Doggy and human
Lots of people take their dogs trick or treating, it’s a great way to spend some time with your dog and can be fun to dress them up in scary costumes. Make sure you dress your dog is in a dog friendly costume, so they aren’t uncomfortable if they are dressed up for a little while. Don’t put anything on your dog if they are not happy in it. Some dogs like to eat or destroy their costumes though so be aware that dressing up is not for all dogs! It is important to let your dog get used to seeing people in costumes too, it is a good idea to dress up and let your dog see you at home first, so they become familiar with how you look first. Your dog may become fearful of people dressed up when you take them out, so it is important they are familiar with costumes first. If your dog is worried about Halloween costumes and the noise of groups of children enjoying themselves leave them at home.
Forget Tricks, Dogs Just Want Treating!
There are lots of treats out there for people during Halloween, and many dogs love trying to eat human food. Dogs may try to get into the chocolate and sweets that you have collected out trick or treating, so it is important to keep them completely out of reach of your pet to avoid them getting ill. You could try making some dog friendly Halloween themed treats for your dog to enjoy at home. Dog friendly pupcakes are a favourite of ours, to make them Halloween themed you could use pumpkin and your dogs favourite meaty treat. Many dogs love the taste of pumpkins and it is a healthy treat to use in your pupcakes. We are sure your dog with love them!
Spooktacular Fun At Day Care!
Last year we did a scary doggy photo shoot with all the pups wearing a costume (those who didn’t eat their costumes anyway!) and getting in the spooky spirit! Look out for this years pups on our Social Media pages and our website getting all dressed up and ready to strut their stuff!
We hope you and your dog have a great time this Halloween, keep your dog happy and safe. We look forward to seeing all your dogs getting in the spooky spirit!
prep time: 15 minutes cook time: 30 minutes total time: 45 minutes yield: 20
Ingredients
· 1/2 cup of pureed pumpkin (canned or fresh)
· 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, softened
· 4 tablespoons of water, plus more if needed
· 2 cups of whole wheat flour
· 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
· 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
· 1 egg
Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F.
2. Mix the pumpkin, softened coconut oil, and water together in a large bowl.
3. Then mix in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder
4. Mix it a bit and then stir in the egg.
5. Continue to stir until it’s ALL combined. Feel free to add a touch more water in order to get all of the mixture into one solid, slightly sticky ball.
6. Once done, roll the dough out on a floured surface to ~1/4 inch thick.
7. Using a cookie cutter, cut out treats. These can be as small or as large as you want them (depending on the size of your dogs).
8. Place prepared dough treats on a lined/ greased baking sheet and bake for ~30 minutes (depending on size) or until dough has hardened.
9. Let cool and enjoy your pups excitement!
Notes
If you don’t cook these treats until they’re totally dry and hard (like a traditional dog biscuit) then you need to store these in the refrigerator! Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to put them in the fridge to store them.
