Written by Mara Brown, Master Dog Behaviorist
This month, we pay special attention to being thankful. How wonderful.
As we give thanks for our amazing dogs, let’s also be sure to keep them safe. Thanksgiving presents several potential dangers for our dogs. Do not feed table scraps to your dog such as the seasoning, gravy, and fat on our foods can be deadly. Bones can also fragment and become lodged in, or puncture, their mouths or throats.
It’s often hard to ignore those pleading eyes staring hopefully up at you from under the table. But before you sneak your dog a tasty morsel to show them how much you love them and how thankful you are for their love and devotion, remember that people food does not equal love.
This is also a good time to remember that not all dogs (and cats) are as lucky as yours. Not all pets have a home. During this season of gratitude, pay it forward by volunteering at one of our local animal shelters. Many programs allow you to walk or foster a dog or cat. Taking a dog out for a walk and giving them a break from the shelter is a wonderful act of kindness. It makes them more adoptable, gets them seen, and gives you some exercise too!
I hope that you and your pup will tune in to my television show, The Life Coach for Dogs (and Their Humans), on CBS Local 2 at noon on Fridays. I think you’ll both enjoy it — and hopefully learn some helpful insights and tips to help your dog become an even better canine companion. If you’re dealing with a difficult problem you can’t solve on your own, please reach out to me. I can help make any dog one you are truly grateful to have in your home.
This Thanksgiving, take a moment to be extra thankful for your amazing dog, and help those dogs that aren’t as lucky. I wish you all a healthy, happy, tail-wagging Thanksgiving!
For more advice, training or life coaching, call Mara at 310-467-2334 and visit www.LifeCoachingForDogs.com
