Ensure a Safe Spooky Season for your pup!

The temperature has dropped in Chicago and all the leaves are starting to change color! Here are some tips on how to make Autumn enjoyable and safe for your fur-baby!

• Banish Back-to-School Boredom. Back-To-School means your pup will have to get used to being home alone. Soften the transition by playing and bonding with your pet before you leave and once you get home. 
• Fall Decor shouldn’t be a Fall Feast. An assortment of pumpkins, gourds, hay and mums may be a feast for the eyes, but it’s definitely not a feast for your pup! Most fall foliage can be extremely harmful to dogs so keep it out of their reach.
• Avoid Halloween Dress-up Dangers. Select a Halloween costume that doesn’t restrict your pet’s airway or potentially create choking hazards. It’s also important to respect your pet’s preferences and emotions. Pets that are anxious or scared of a costume should not wear one.
• Eliminate Haunted House Hazards. Plastic pumpkins, fake spider webs and paper lanterns may look like fun chew toys to your pup. Toxic glues or paints in decorations can actually cause life-threatening problems. Try to keep them out of your pup’s reach. 
• Prep your pup for Trick or Treating. Leading up to Halloween, create a space for your pup that’s full of his favorite toys, treats and puzzle feeders. Make sure he spends a little bit of time there every day leading up to Halloween. On the actual holiday, you can put him in that space and play classical music to distract them from the doorbell ringing.
• Make Time to Microchip. The holidays are the most common times that animal rescue organizations report missing pets. If your pet is already microchipped, fall is a good time to double-check that your contact information is still correct before the winter holidays.
• Watch the Weather. In general, when it gets colder than 35 degrees, you should start limiting your pup’s time outside as much as possible. If it’s cold enough to start worrying about frostbite, consider booties, jackets or other protective gear for your fur-baby.
• Walk the Walk Safely: With fewer hours of sunlight in the day, there’s a good chance that one of your walks will be in the dark, so choose a walking path that is well-lit. Also keep an eye out for toxic fall flora like apple seeds, acorns and mushrooms.