How to safely include your dog in Australia Day traditions
Each Australian has their own way of celebrating Australia Day. Green and gold everywhere, relaxing at the beach or in a park, having Barbies with family and friends... No doubt you will have your own tradition! Us mutts are part of your family, so of course we want to be included in the festivities. Follow these simple tips to keep us safe on Australia Day!
The Aussie Barbie
Aussies are known for their great BBQing abilities. It’s part of the culture and is a great way to spend time with friends and family. Pups are part of the family, so we will be right there amongst the action! Of course that has nothing to do with all the delicious smells coming from the BBQ...
Those aromas get us drooling and can overwhelm us so much, that we totally forget about our safety! Hoomans, please watch us and keep this in mind:
- BBQ food often has a lot of seasonings including garlic, salt and onion, which are sadly all toxic to us. Keep people food and drinks out of reach at all times and tell guests not to feed us! If you want to see which other foods are toxic to us check out this article.
- With guests coming and going, it’s a good idea to supervise us mutts regularly. When someone gives us a good belly rub we are likely to follow them home to get even more! Be sure that gates and doors are closed securely when someone is entering and leaving.
- Do not leave pups alone with hazards. The smells of a hot BBQ plate, kebab sticks and plastic wrapping tempt us for a good sniff and maybe some licks, but we both know that they are a potential danger for us!
The beach or park
There are dog-friendly beaches and parks everywhere that allow us mutts to stroll, chase balls or sniff some butts. As a lot of hoomans take us with them to the beach or park there are a few precautions to be aware of:
- Make sure you take enough poo bags for the whole day. Not only is it horrible for other people, leaving behind piles on the beach can get you an on the spot fine.
- You may slap sunscreen on your own body. But what about our precious skin? Apply dog sunscreen to ensure it isn't damaged by the sun’s UV rays.
- Take plenty of drinking water along for us. Some of us pooches are the type to try and drink ocean or stagnant puddles, which is really unhealthy for us! Use the Pop Up Bowl to fill up easily on the go.
Dressing up
Some hoomas go a little crazy on Australia Day, dressing up in blue-red-white or green and gold all over! Unfortunately some of them also think it's a good idea to dress us up too. While most of our four-legged mates are suited with being dressed up, others don't like it and can get distressed.
- Small pieces of costumes and items of clothing including buttons, plastic and zips are all choking hazards.
- Australian flags around the neck must be loose so that they don’t restrict breathing.
- Avoid using face paints or glitter on our cute little faces because they could cause irritation if they come into contact with eyes/skin and an upset stomach if they are swallowed.
- If you want to play dress up try our Australia Day Dog Bandana Collar, or our lifesaver get-up. Just be sure to supervise us at all times.
Pool party
You're having a pool party? Lucky you! We're sure your dog already tried dipping his paws into the water. Us mutts are often called fur babies and just like human babies we have to be supervised at all time when we are around water.
- Some dogs are natural born swimmers whereas others are not. Keep an eye on your pup all the time, especially if they are old, have health conditions or are weak swimmers.
- Dogs may try to drink pool water, which could contain salt or chlorine, so ensure that there is a constant supply of fresh drinking water.
Eating Aussie things
Lamingtons, vegemite, snags and Tim Tams may be the food of choice for the 26th of January but they should not get anywhere near your dog's snout. The salt and sugar content in these foods will not go well in our stomachs and some ingredients like chocolate are deadly.
- Try a dog friendly recipe like the homemade frozen dog treats in Aussie green and gold.
Watch fireworks
Plenty of fireworks will happen all over Australia and as they are fun for the hoomans, they can be very stressful and frightening for furry friends.
- Update identification in case we escape from our homes in fright.
- Try to keep us indoors with access to fresh water and toys to distract us. Why not keep the radio on or play a re-run of lassie to drown out those loud noises.
- Try and take us for some vigorous exercise! Get our neighbourhood mate over for a play in the backyard or play fetch at your local dog park. After a good ol’ frolic we sure will be knackered and we are more likely to snore our way through the fireworks!
Getting away for the weekend
If you decide to take a long weekend, many families choose to getaway for the weekend. Beach holidays and camping trips are the getaways of choice. There are plenty of ways to include us mutts in your next weekend getaway:
- Search for pet friendly accommodation or camping sites online.
- If you can’t take us away with you, bring us to the DOGUE Country Retreat where we will have a barking good holiday!
Have a safe and happy Australia Day!
Leave us a comment and tell us how you include your pooch into this year's Aussie Day celebrations!
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