Fair warning… I’m not entirely sure if I will be posting the rest of the week or not… it depends on schedules and how much time I can avoid my family before they notice I’m missing.  Weather is also supposed to be nice this weekend after a week of rain so I’m going to try and take advantage of that with the monsters to potentially practice some frisbee or some rally-o or some agility.  More than likely we’ll do a little of all of the above!
Since I know some of my readers are from outside of the U.S. I should probably mention that Thursday is our Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a festive holiday filled with crazy feasts and crazy family.  It seems innocuous enough but there are some real dangers lurking with regards to Fido.

• Cooked Turkey Bones are Dangerous–Cooked bones of any type are very dangerous to Fido.  If the dog crunches the bones, the small shards act like needles in the GI tract and can puncture or perforate the stomach or intestines causing major internal trauma.  To prevent any accidental ingestion make sure the turkey carcass is thrown away in a doggie proof trash bin or immediately removed from the house.  Also, make sure guests know to pick up any dropped bones and to NOT feed your dog the bones.
• Be careful of table scraps–There are some foods that may be used in holiday meals that can be dangerous to dogs in various quantities.  Onions, garlic, celery, chocolate (particularly baking, semi-sweet, or dark), raisins, macadamia nuts, corn cobs and candy or gum containing xylitol.  I’d generally tell my guests to not feed scraps to my dogs.  You can also have a dish of dog-safe treats on the table so guests can give something safe to your dogs if they’d wish.
• Keep doors closed–With all the comings and goings of visitors it may be best to gate off or block off the main access door so the dogs are not able to escape if a door is left unlatched.  It’s not terribly uncommon for dogs to go unnoticed during parties and the owner and guests don’t notice a dog going out the door not only is the dog loose but he may be loose for quite a while until someone notices.
• Create a safe space–Your dog may get overwhelmed with the crowd… or you may want to eat without the dogs hovering…or your guests may prefer having a dog-free dinner… or you want to prevent the dogs from counter surfing the appetizers while everyone socializes…or family kids are not respecting the dog’s space… a good option is to create a safe space for them to hang out.  Use a gate covered by a blanket, Through a Dog’s Ear music, frozen kongs, and other chew items to create a space were the dogs can relax out of the way.

 
This year I bought THREE turkeys… one 12lb one for the family’s dinner… and two 22lbers for … the dogs!?!  You heard me right!  This time of year I’m able to find turkey for less than $.70/lb so I jump on that sale to stock up on doggie food–and honestly I’ll probably go back for another turkey or two soon, I just don’t have room in my freezer right now.
It’s actually quite comical.  Last year I used hedge/branch clipper to get through the bone of the turkey I bought for the dogs.  It was hilarious.  I first tried using my poultry sheers …but that failed, then I tried a cleaver….but that failed (I couldn’t use my full force because I was scared of hurting myself).  After pondering for some time (and after breaking one of my poultry sheers)… I thought of my long branch trimmer.  Sure enough, that worked like a charm and I was easily able to break-down the bird.
It’s quite the process for the dogs because turkey bones are much bigger/thicker/denser than chicken so I have to debone a lot more of it.  Drumsticks, wings both need deboned and I even debone some of the breasts to make them a little less bone heavy.  Last year it took 2 hours to do 2 birds… this year, with the knowledge of last year (and the right tools), I hope for it to be a faster break down.
If I don’t post tomorrow, I want to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  Remember to keep an eye out for your pups and be their advocate if they are overwhelmed with the crowds of people or increased activities!