Planning a Football Party–With Your Dog
September 10, 2009 by Paris and John
Filed under Safety, Tips
As football season swings into action, football lovers gather in homes to enjoy the game in a party atmosphere. Like any party, though, a watch party means a change in your home routine…which means a change in your dog’s routine as well. How can you keep your dog safe and secure at home during your football party?
- Keep your dog away from snacks. Football parties mean snacks and some of those are ones that must stay out of your dog’s reach. Make sure your dog does not eat chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, macadamia nuts, or avocados. Keep anything containing xylitol–found in sugarless gum–out of reach of your dog; it is toxic. This includes discarded gum.
- Watch for bony snacks. Buffalo wings are a favorite football party food but the chicken bones can mean real trouble for your dog because of splintery bones. Don’t just have a trash can easy for your guests to find; make sure you have a secure lid for that trash can. Even better: plan to take the trash out of the house frequently.
- Keep your dog away from alcoholic beverages. Dogs and alcohol are a no-no; keep that open beer or half-finished drink away from your dog.
- Consider keeping your dog out of the action. Although your dog may enjoy company, the comings and goings of people and the attention focused on the game can make it all too easy for a dog to slip out. Consider a spare bedroom or your dog’s crate as a quiet getaway for him for a few hours.
- Keep your dog tagged. Even if you don’t normally have your dog collared in the house, make sure he’s wearing his collar and tags during the party, just in case he slips out.
- Beware the barbecue. If you’ll be BBQing at your football party, you’ll need to take some extra precautions with your dog. Check out our “Keeping Your Dog Safe While BBQing” tip.
- Make sure your guests know the rules. Be sure guests know not to share chicken wings and other goodies with your dog. Also, make sure your guests know where your dog should be, whether that’s in the house, in the back yard, or in a spare bedroom.
- Make one family member responsible. Assign one family member to tend to your dog’s needs throughout the party. So you don’t fall into a “I thought you were watching him” scenario, one person needs to always know where your dog is and make sure all’s well with him.
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