Pet Halloween Safety Tips

• Keep all candy and other goodies out of reach
  Just like us, eating too much candy can make your pet sick, so keep it where he or she can’t get it.
• Be careful with costumes – yours and your pets
  Some pets will be frightened by strange costumes, and may try to run from them. If you’re wearing a costume, let your pets smell it and see you put it on, and be sure to talk to them while you’re wearing it. Be sure that any costumes you put on your pet fit properly and allow him or her to see, breathe, and move OK.
• Make sure candles are out of reach
  Even if you think your pet won’t get at the candles, they can be knocked over, and tails & fur can quickly ignite if your pet passes by.
• Keep pets in a safe room of your house
  So your pets don’t become frightened, or run out when you open the door to trick-or-treaters, keep them in a closed room, or use a baby gate to keep them away from the door. Give your pets toys or pet-appropriate treats to keep them occupied.
• Keep pets indoors on Halloween
  Cats and dogs may be frightened by the Halloween celebrations so it’s best to keep them inside. Keep in mind that there are some people who enjoy torturing cats, especially black ones, on Halloween.
• Make sure your pets are clearly tagged
  It’s easy for an animal to escape on Halloween night, so make certain that your pet is wearing a collar with contact information on it. Brighter colors are easier to see!
• Think about the children
  Even if your pets are good with children, not all children are good with pets. It may be a good idea to keep your pets away from a child who could startle them into an aggressive or defensive attack.
• Minimize stress while you’re away
  If you plan to go out for a party or other Halloween fun, leave the radio or television on. The noise can mask loud noises your pets hear from the outside festivities.

Spoiled Paws, Inc.
In-Home Pet Sitting & Dog Walking
www.SpoiledPaws.com
678.714.5959

5 Things to Do When Your Dog Won’t Potty Outside in Bad Weather

Yea, I think we are all sick of the cold and wet weather in Georgia! If I would’ve known we were going to get this much rain for so long I would’ve invested in better rain gear! I’m thinking positively that it will stop! Not only do I not like going out in bad weather but neither do our pets! I think we would all rather stay inside but our precious pups have to “go” outside.

Help is on the way. Here are five things you can do to help improve your dog’s “eliminate outside” outlook:

1. Go outside with them. Usually our pups are more apt to brave the elements if their human is with them. Usually also if we go out with them we can keep them “on task” to eliminate and make sure they do! Mine have wasted more time running outside to “pretend” to go only to find out that I’m watching and they must go back out in the rain! Don’t whine; if they have to go out, you can go out too!
2. Teach your dog to wear a coat. Here in Georgia we don’t have much use for doggie boots as our winters stay pretty mild and our summers do not burn doggie paws. If you have a short coated dog, easily frozen kind of dog (think Chihuahua), you can hardly blame them for not wanting to go out on those wet, windy, or freezing days. To teach your dog to wear a coat watch this video by Jean Donaldson conditioning her Chow, Buffy to wear a head halter. Use the same procedure with your dog’s coat: abrionline.org/videos.php. They have all sorts of coats online as well as at PetSmart or PetCo.
3. Carry a large umbrella. A big golf umbrella can completely protect a small to medium-sized dog from the rain and partially protect a large one. While the thick coated Great Pyrenees and water-resistant (and water-loving!) Labrador’s ought to be able to tolerate a little inclement weather, your thin-coated Great Dane might object. You may want to teach your dog to love the umbrella by giving them treats around and under it before you actually use it for weather purposes.
4. Build a covered potty area outside. Your dog will be happier to do her business outside if she has a spot that’s sheltered from wind and blowing rain. Make it as close to the house as possible, so she doesn’t have to go far to get to it. Be sure to build the shelter tall enough that you can stand under it too!
5. Teach your dog to use an indoor litter box. Or put a litter box in your garage or covered porch. If you are like me and don’t like the cold this seems like the best solution! If your dog has been really well-trained to NOT potty indoors you may need to start teaching her to use her litter box outside, and when she’ll use it there, bring it indoors. At least you can do the training on warm sunny days, and use one or more of the other options to protect her outside on nasty days, until you are ready to move the box indoors.There are a few makers of these types of products:
   Purina makes small litter boxes and “second nature” a litter especially for dogs (although you can also use cat litter).
   Puppy “Pee Pads” are also an option for a litter box
   The “Porch Potty” (Porchpotty.com) and the
   “Pet a Potty” (Petapotty.com) are both boxes that accommodate the use of either real or artificial grass turf and contain any liquid runoff.
   The Ugodog (ugodog.net) is a similar system that employs the use of a mesh grating instead of a grass-like surface for the dog to eliminate on. These products are expensive but may be just the thing for your fair weather dog!

   Happy winter and stay warm!!

Brianna Brown
Spoiled Paws, Inc
Suwanee’s Trusted Pet Sitter since 2002!
www.Spoiledpaws.com

Atlanta Area Pet Events

Jan 30 – 31, 2010
Repticon
http://www.repticon.com/atlanta.html

Featuring reptile and amphibian breeders and wholesalers, reptile pet products and supplies, educational seminars and exhibits, and fun-filled activities for the entire family! Saturday: 10:00am-5:00pm (VIP Entry at 9:00 am) Sunday: 10:00am-4:00pm Admission: $8.00 – Adults $5.00 – Children (5-12) Four and under FREE! 

February 9th, 2010
Benefit for Good Mews
Where: Amore’s Pizzeria
4410 Shallowford Road
Marietta, GA

All you can eat Spaghetti and Meatballs, includes salad and rolls for $9.99.All other menu items at regular price.25% of proceeds to benefit Good Mews. www.GoodMews.org

February 12, 2010
7:00 PM
Where: Stout
56 East Andrews Drive, Suite 16
Atlanta

10% of the proceeds of Pints for Pups will go directly to PAWS Atlanta! www.PawsAtlanta.org

Feb 13th
Where: The Earl Smith Strand Theatre
117 N. Park Square NE
Marietta

The Humane Society of Cobb County will have our second annual winter variety show, “Hearts and Dreams 2010”, Saturday, February 13, 2010 at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre on the historic square in downtown Marietta. This year’s theme will be “Life Is A Circus”.This gala event, black tie optional, will feature several local individuals and groups donating their time and talent to provide entertainment. Guests will enjoy open bar and heavy appetizers during the social hour which begins at 7 pm. The show starts at 8 pm.All tickets are $100, and by mid- December will be available for convenient purchase on the HSCC website or a toll-free number. Buy your tickets early for the best seats! www.humanecobb.tix.com

Brianna Brown
Spoiled Paws, Inc
Suwanee’s Trusted Pet Sitter since 2002!
www.Spoiledpaws.com

A Dog Park in Suwanee!

We have been left out of the dog park world but not any longer! Located off Johnson Road and Suwanee Dam Road just a mile or so down the road is Settles Bridge Park. Once parked you must walk about a quarter of a mile back and the park is straight ahead. There is a big dog park and a little dog park along with a general area in the back. It is a wonderful place to bring your friendly dogs & a great place for them to run! If you like to take a nice walk there are trails straight back from the dog park that takes between 20 & 40 minutes to travel depending on which trail you take. It is very quiet and you might even see a deer or two!

Brianna Brown
Spoiled Paws, Inc
Suwanee’s Trusted Pet Sitter since 2002!
www.Spoiledpaws.com