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I Wanna Be A Pirate For Halloween!

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Halloween is a time of candy and fall weather. It’s also the time when we get to dress our pets up in costumes they may (or may not) want to be in.
 
Who doesn’t love all of the videos and pictures of pets in hilarious and adorable costumes? And while your pet may be into it, there’s some reporting from NPR that outlines things you might want to consider before dressing your pet up.
 
If your pet is one that is used to being handled and dressed in clothes, Halloween costumes are probably not going to be pushing the limits of their comfort. But, if your pet isn’t really one to tolerate being clothed, adding a costume to the mix may create discomfort, or under certain circumstances, injury.
 
According to a survey NPR cited, “more than three-quarters of owners plan to put their pet in a costume this year, and more than half plan to take their dog out trick-or-treating.” That’s a high proportion of pets wearing costumes and being exposed to human candies, like chocolate, that might be fatal.

What To Look For

Not sure about how your pet feels about that adorable costume? Check their mannerisms and body language.
Rena Carlson, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association, recommends that you look for specific signs. For example, “Are they panting, pacing or restless? Do they have a soft face? Are their lips nice [and] soft, or are they grimacing a little bit? What are their ears doing? Are their ears back? Can you see the whites of their eyes when you normally cannot? All of those are signs of stress.”
Consider less restrictive costumes like using a tag to match Scooby Doo or other small adjustments that the dog won’t mind. And remember that for some dogs, the extra attention because of the costume is a completely worthwhile trade-off.
 
Whatever you opt to do, keep in mind how your pet responds and react accordingly. For those of you with costume friendly pets, please share your photos.

Want To Put Your Craft Skills To Good Use?

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Chances are you’ve heard the adage, “Put your money where your mouth is.” And most of us have a cause that we donate to on an annual basis. But, sometimes, you just want to do something tangible.
 
I have good news for you. Since 2012, July 21st has been the designated holiday known as “Craft For Your Local Shelters” day. This means that you can pick a project (or more) to assist your local shelters by crafting something useful.
 
Erika Lindquist is responsible for the holiday. She came up with the idea after adopting her rescue dog. According to an article on the iheartdog.com website, she wanted to offer an alternative to those with some financial challenges.
 
“If someone is unable to help their shelter financially, they can help by making simple, yet meaningful, items for the animals,” she said. If you want more information on her and her project, she has a website called SewDoggieStyle that you can visit by clicking here.
 

IDEAS

There are some great ideas that you can read up on, but I’ll highlight a few that look simple enough that even something without a ton of crafting talent can create:
  • Adopt Me Bandanas. These can be made with scraps of fabric and either painting, screen printing or embroidering “adopt me” on them.
  • Fleece Tugs. Gather up your fleece, cut into strips and then simply braid them together.
  • Rectangle Dog Bed. This involves a pillow, some fabric and basic sewing. I’ll leave the instructions to the experts. Click here for the 411.
There are lots of ways to help your local shelter. If you aren’t up for crafting, but still want to get involved, shelter can always use volunteers. Share any pictures with us of craft items you create for your local shelter on our social media sites.

National Dog Mom Day Is May 8th

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As a native West Virginian I know the backstory behind Mother’s Day. But did you know there’s a National Dog Mom Day?

Back in 2018, the personal dating app Dig – an app designed for people with dogs – established the holiday. National Dog Mom Day happens the Saturday before Mother’s Day.

While the pandemic may still limit some of the things that can be done to celebrate, we think that any holiday that involves your dog is a winner.

And according to a survey by rover.com, 3 out of 4 ladies consider themselves dog moms, not just pet parents.  [Read more…] about National Dog Mom Day Is May 8th

Doggie Date Night Adventures: The Blowout

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February 3rd was the official Doggie Date Night. But, you can have one of your very own any night of the week.

The folks over at Pethelpful have a list of 10 ideas you can borrow for date night by clicking here.

Floofins & Co. held a Floofins FM event on Facebook live to show you how to prepare your floofy dog for a date night. We lovingly referred to it as a doggie blowout. Mandy showed us how to do one on her own floofin. Check out the fun on our Facebook page and watch it now if you missed the live event.

Or if you just want the video without commentary, check it out here: https://www.wevideo.com/view/2035422812.

Which leads us to some of our favorite date night ideas:

  1. Movie and Grooming

What better way to spend a cozy evening in? Grab a brush, your floofin, and a good movie and get grooming. Your pet will love the time spent being rubbed and brushed (or at least the attention being paid to them if they aren’t into that whole spiffing up process) and you get a gorgeous result! All while being able to watch a good movie of your choice.

  1. Letting it Hang Out

We certainly don’t advocate for letting your pet hang their head out of the window of a car, if you have a neighborhood that you can get some car outing time in without being a nuisance this might be an option. Take you floofin out and let them hang their head out while you drive extremely slowly. No projectiles incoming at high rates of speed to damage the eyes, just a leisurely opportunity to sniff from the warmth of the car. It might also help you make sure your car still works if you haven’t been driving much lately.

  1. Photo Shoots

YES! There is nothing better than a great photo of your pet. Ask any pet lover how many pictures of their pet are on their phone and they may just tell you, “all of them.” Set up a time that you can pose your pet in those ways you always imagined and lock in memories now. Especially if you’ve given them the doggie blowout treatment and they are looking fine.

Be creative, have fun, but mostly enjoy your time with your floofin. We know it goes by quickly.

Halloween Puppy Dog Blues

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Halloween used to be a holiday that I enjoyed. I would sit down outside, weather permitting, and hand candy out to a slew of adorable kids shouting, “trick or treat”. But, for the last 7 years, I’ve had the Halloween puppy dog blues.

When I adopted my sweet little G, I knew she had a rough past life and was what I thought of as “shy”. Turns out all kinds of things terrify her. Not the normal things: vacuums, lawn mowers, or even my dad’s loud old pickup. Nope, she walks right up to those things. What G is frightened of includes other dogs, the ice maker, and Halloween decorations.

You heard that right – Halloween decorations. At first, I thought it was just the oddity of something new along her pathway. Not so.

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