Tags: Pets, Special Occasions
By Anna Valmero
TAGUIG CITY, METRO MANILA—Aside from children, four-legged members of the family are also fun to dress up in spooky costumes for the Halloween season.
Luckily, pet-friendly shopping complexes at Tiendesitas and Eastwood City, dog daycare centers and veterinary clinics are now offering parties for canines. Like kiddie parties, dogs are given free treats for attending the party or dropping by the clinic.
Parties could run for three hours or more like what happened during the the recently concluded Pup Halloween at Pup Culture dog daycare center at Bonifacio Global City. Now on its second year, Pup Halloween includes costume contests, socialization games and skills development.
Dog trainer and Pup Culture co-founder Jennie Fajardo-Panes said the pet halloween party is an acitivty for pets and their owners to enjoy the holiday, with activities highlighting the bond between pet and humans.
For example, games such as “maximum tolerance” tests the dog’s patience to wait for his master to allow him to eat a dog treat placed in front of the canine. Dogs are naturally attracted to smell treats and other things placed in front of them but a firm “No” command from the owner should prohibit them from touching a dog treat, unless told to do so.
This is particularly helpful so that dogs would not ingest anything, including sharp objects that can puncture their stomach.
Another game measures the ability of a dog to identify at the quickest possible time three special dog treats among a group of toys scattered on the floor. Meat and chew toys naturally have a strong smell and attracts dogs with a good disposition. A shy dog would rarely approach the toys on the floor and indicates the need to develop more socialization skills.
There is also a game that tests how well pets respond to their masters when they are called from a pack. In turn, the master, who is blindfolded and wearing hand mitts, should recognize their pets.
It was my first time to attend a pet Halloween party and I found that these games were more meaningful than traditional costume contests featured in other events when dogs have to sit for a long time and be judged based on what they are wearing. Pet-friendly parties often allow owners to remove the costumes of dogs after the judging so they can freely move around.
Winning the games is only icing on the cake since the bonding activity with pets and other pet owners is more important than prizes, according to one of the pet owners.
When looking for pet-friendly parties, look for events that lessen or prevent the use of loud music. Dogs can hear sounds at a range four times larger than humans so too much noise can cause stress and physical pain, advised Panes.
To become responsible dog owners, Panes reminded dog owners to cultivate relationships with their canines through dog walks, dog and people socialization, teaching the dog its name and basic commands such as sit and stay, and spending time with them.
Get more information about Pup Culture
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