Dogs and cats may not know what trick-or-treat means, but that familiar Halloween greeting is enough to send our pets scooting under the bed or diving for the nearest closet — if we're lucky. If the animals really panic, they might rush out the door.
One of the most favorite holidays for kids — all that free candy! — is probably the second least favorite for dogs and cats and birds. (July 4 surely tops the least-favored holiday list for pets.)
It's fun to see all the costumes and hear little kids try to get out the magic greeting so they can get their hands on the candy, but Halloween is also a time to pay special attention to our pets. All the sounds, sights and people can be downright freakish for them, so try to make sure you have a safety plan ready to go for them tonight.
To make sure your dogs and cats are safe and only mildly traumatized long after the little ghouls have gone, it's always best to keep your pets indoors. But make sure your beloved Max or fluffy Delilah is wearing tags with current ID just in case a panicked pet manages to dart out the door.
As tempting as it is for some owners, keep your candy out of reach from pets, advises the Humane Society of the United States. Chocolate and other ingredients can be poison for them. It never hurts to have extra treats for pets on special occasions, but try to limit it to treats made for them.
The Humane Society also advises that you use fake cobwebs sparingly, if at all, because pets can choke on them indoors — and outdoors, fake spider webs could be hazards to birds and wildlife.
Finally, leave the dog and the cat at home if you accompany the trick-or-treaters. There's too much risk the pet could panic and run away, possibly turning a holiday into a tragedy.
Dogs and bikes
People are still weighing in on the issue of bicyclists exercising dogs on leashes.
I ran several comments last week from people who oppose the practice. Today, I'd like for you to hear from Chris Hildebrand of Mountain View, who does exercise her dog with her bike but very carefully. She also uses a safety bike leash for her boxer, Bear, that keeps him beside her, where she can see how he's doing.
Bear "is a very energetic breed with the need for regular exercise routines," she says. "My husband (a marathoner) trained Bear from puppy on for weekend jogging excursions."
During the week, Hildebrand would take Bear for walks in the park, but the walks "did not satisfy Bear at all," she says, "but I hesitated riding my bike with him on a leash." Until she found the WalkyDog Bike Leash.
Unlike most leashes used by bike riders, which are often 20 feet long and held in one hand, leashes like the WalkyDog are attached to a short aluminum pole that is clamped under the bike seat. That allows the bike rider to keep both hands on the handlebars and easily adjust direction while preventing the dog from crossing in front or behind your bike.
Hildebrand gave it a shot and is very happy with how it works, for her and for Bear.
"Bear is securely fastened, I am very balanced and Bear gets his exercise," she says.
"I am only exercising him this way for short trips. I go at a slow but even pace during the cool hours of the day, and we have our water stops."
Just as important, Hildebrand says she would only recommend taking your dog on bike trips in combination with regular dog fun such as playing Frisbee, catching a ball and going to the dog park.
I'm glad to see those points being made, but I will always, always stress that dogs need more than a quick run or a "bike ride." They need time to look around and sniff and smell, even when it's cold or raining.
If you'd like to check out WalkyDog bike leashes, check out the Web site at www.thedogoutdoors.com. They're on sale for $37.95.