Keeping Your Dog Safe While BBQing

Living in Texas, we’re around barbecue a lot (we even wrote a book once called Texas Barbecue)…and we know that barbecue pits and dogs can be a dangerous combination. With Labor Day just around the corner, a lot of dog lovers will be firing up the grills in a few days so we wanted to pass along some tips on keeping your dog safe during this fun activity.

Before the Barbecue Begins

Safety begins before the meat ever reaches the barbecue. Before you take the meat out to the grill, be sure to:

• keep any lighter fluid away from your dog
• keep matches away from your dog
• keep barbecue seasonings and rubs out of reach
• arrange a place for your dog to be during the barbecue. This might be his crate, a bedroom, or other area where he’s safely away from the grill and all the dangers it involves.

During the Barbecue

• When you take the meat out to barbecue, it’s best to keep your dog in the house or otherwise completely out of the barbecue area. Some barbecue grills can be tipped over by a curious dog which could be disastrous not only for your dog but also create a real fire hazard.
• If you’re making a party out of the barbecue and alcoholic beverages are involved, keep these away from your dog. Designate someone to pick up drinks so your dog doesn’t get into that abandoned but not empty beer.
• Barbecuing is a slow process, one that can involve as much as 20 hours for a brisket, so you’ll be in and out of the house quite a bit during the process. Make sure you know where your dog is after each trip in and out.
• If your dog is around everyone enjoys the finished product, make sure guests know not to toss bones to your dog. Cooked bones can splinter and be extremely dangerous.

After the Barbecue

• Keep your dog away from the barbecue pit until it cools completely; this can take a considerable amount of time.
• Be careful with barbecue utensils, from long forks to meat thermometers; before they’re cleaned, they’ll be very appealing to your dog…and very dangerous.
• If you’ve used charcoal, empty all ashes into a metal can and firmly place the top on so your dog cannot reach the ashes. Remember, grease and pieces of meat will have fallen into the ashes so they’ll be all too tempting.

Related posts:

1. Keeping Your Dog Safe at Thanksgiving
2. Keeping Your Dog Safe at Christmas
3. Enjoying Labor Day with Your Dog
4. Keeping Your Dogs Safe & Secure on July 4th
5. Keeping Your Dog Safe at Halloween