Halloween fun

[wolf_Q]

Nebo and Lady had a great day today. We were planning on taking them to the Halloween Yappy Hour at Petsmart...and since it's close to where I work...I get off at 6:00, it started at 6:30...didn't want to drive home.....I ended up taking 2 big dogs to work with me today. Oh boy was that a fun car ride! They were both treated to a free bath and brush, teethbrushing, etc. I'm not sure how much they really enjoyed it, but they defininitely smell better now.

Anyhoo, the Halloween Yappy Hour was fun! They both had a blast sniffing all the other doggies. As you know, Nebo was a devil, and Lady was an Angel (although I think she fits the role of devil even better then Nebo sometimes...) All of the dogs had such cute costumes!
Here is a cow-bulldog

And a doggy tourist

"Hey, come check this out...I think somebody left a cookie under here!"

Bobbing for hot dogs with a bumble-bee-boston-terrier. I don't think there's many hot dogs left in this pic (Nebo probably ate them all...this was his favorite game...) Lady also enjoyed bobbing for hot dogs, although what she really wanted was to jump right in and splash around!

They had a doggy parade and the trainers/employees judged for best costumes. Nebo ended up winning the "scariest costume" catagory! I'm not sure how "scarey" he looked but hey...he got a $20 Petsmart gift certificate out of it so he shouldn't complain! We also got free frisbees, treats (course they had to do a trick for it lol), and a free shirt (the one with the puppy and kitten spay/neuter stamps on it).

[wolf_Q]

And then.......we got home and there was the package from the For The Love of Dogs halloween contest! Nebo had to show off his new bandanas and spend the rest of the night trying to kill his new piggy toy. Thanks again Jackie for the great prizes!! We loved them!
The Halloween bandana

Death to Piggy


And then I went down to Smiths to get some stuff for my mom...had Nebo with me. I was in the car, backing out and some lady stopped me and started making motions for me to roll down my window. She's like "oh I just had to see that dog!" LOL. Had a nice conversation with her about her dogs.....malamute and a pit bull.

Anyway, I'm in a good mood now, so I'm rambling on about nothing. Are any of you planning on taking your dogs to any Halloween type events?

[anna_66]

Wow! Sounds like Nebo is a winner all around! He look darling with his new bandana on!
Sounds like you & him had a wonderful day together. I bet he slept good!
No plans for any halloween parties for the dogs, but Angus gets to go to SuperPets with me today to get dog food. It's a treat for him to get to go. A car ride & treats from the store. Maybe a new bandana, who knows!

[Cookiebaker]

Those pictures are sooo cute!! How many dogs were there at the Yappy hour?? That must have been soo much fun seeing all of them dressed up.

(I wish we had a petsmart near us!!! :jealous: )

p.s. I love the new sig, Wolf_Q!!

[RockyRoad]

Hehe Cheif Lady is jealous. Looks like you all had fun at the Yappy hour!! Wow, Jackie, that bandana is so cute!! Nebo looks like a whole new dog (a little lol) with that on! Is Petsmart that place where you can bring your pets?? Or is that Petco? Or is it both? I have both of them near me but I cannot bring any of my pets because...

1. Lady is a German Shepherd and will like chase all the other dogs and ESPECIALLY CATS!
2. Sally would run away and get chased by all the dogs.
3. Floppsy would be scratching me to death and then hop away and get chased by the dogs.
4. I do not think anyone would bring a fish.

[wolf_Q]

Thanks everyone! There had to be at least 20-30 dogs there. Every kind from chihuahua to newfoundland, hehe. Floppsy, you can bring your pets to both Petco and Petsmart. I would not recommend bringing a cat, rabbit, or fish lol. But I dont' see why you couldn't bring Lady. Keep her on a tight leash, and just try to avoid other dogs.

[angelpuppy]

Wow, we have a PetsMart nearby, but I didn't hear about Yappy Hour!! Oh well, I have to work today anyway....but tomorrow, I am taking Mac and his new baby sis Mei to the Happy Howloween celebration at the Three Dog Bakery in Madison, WI!! I can hardly wait! Mei will be making her debut there...hee hee!!

[Crikit]

Nebo scariest costume? cutest maybe but I can't see scariest. Sounds like you and the pups had fun though. I don't have any halloween plans with Smudge and Winter other then handing out candy but I'm thinking for that they might be kenneled 'cause they really get worked up whenever someone rings the doorbell.

[popcornbird]

Well, you CAN take pets to both Petco and Petsmart, but I personally hate when people bring their dogs there with them because it totally freaks me out. That's the only reason I prefer Petco to Petsmart. There are less dogs! Whenever we go to Petsmart, I freak out standing in line for the cashier because there are dogs in front of me, and behind, and they almost always try to pull their owners to me (something that scares the daylights out of me). When we go to Petco, there's usually just one or two dogs and they are in the dogs section (far away from the birds section) so I don't really have to encounter them. I wish people would be more considerate about taking their dogs INSIDE the store and especially at the cashier line, because no all people shopping at pet stores are used to dogs. Many people shopping for their birds, rabbits, cats, hamsters, rats, fish, and other pets aren't used to dogs, and it really freaks them out when one goes after them or even tries to go near them in the store. It always makes me so scared that I forget to buy the birds a new toy, or something I need to see before buying.

[Cookiebaker]

Originally posted by popcornbird
Well, you CAN take pets to both Petco and Petsmart, but I personally hate when people bring their dogs there with them because it totally freaks me out.

Popcornbird, I think I understand what you are feeling. However, Petco & Petsmart are petstores that really cater to dog owners (as opposed to rabbit/bird/cat/etc. owners). I think that is what makes them very popular stores, and I personally *love* to take my dog into one of them. It's kinda like a dog park, it's a safe place where my dog is welcome. It's a great place to socialize them, to get him used to a different environment, and to teach him that even though it is *so* exciting, he still has to listen to me. I also love dogs, and most of them don't freak me out (though a few can & do).

For a person like you who gets easily freaked out by dogs to go there, is kind of like me going to a theme park where there are _only_ roller coasters, and then turn around and say, "well I enjoy going there, but the rides really freak me out. I hate roller coaster rides!" Well, why do I go there? If you are that freaked out by having dogs around, maybe check around to find a petstore that doesn't welcome dogs the way Petsmart & petco do.

I wish people would be more considerate about taking their dogs INSIDE the store and especially at the cashier line, because no all people shopping at pet stores are used to dogs. Many people shopping for their birds, rabbits, cats, hamsters, rats, fish, and other pets aren't used to dogs, and it really freaks them out when one goes after them or even tries to go near them in the store. It always makes me so scared that I forget to buy the birds a new toy, or something I need to see before buying.

Please keep in mind that with dogs, they get so easily excited when there is something new. With our dog, we can keep him pretty well behaved throughout the store, but at the cashier it's different. There, I have to not only concentrate on him, but on concentrating on my transaction also. It's very difficult to keep Malone "in line" because he invariable wants to be "over there" and starts pulling, and meanwhile my hands are full trying to pay the cashier.

I hope I haven't offended you, Popcornbird, this is only my $.02.

[anna_66]

I'm not trying to "mean" or offend you, but I feel the same way Cookiebaker does. I personally strive to keep my dogs under control when I go to a place like this. I know they get all excited, but this is one of the places I can take them & "test" how well their training is doing. All 3 of mine listen very well when we go there (although Roxey is soooo excited when we first get there she almost falls flat of her face on the linoleum!). I've met alot of people there who seem afraid, so I just get as far away from them as I can, or go the other way. My mom has an african grey & she goes to a pet store that just caters mostly to birds & no outside animals are allowed in. Could there be one like this in your area? Not saying you shouldn't be able to go into Petco or Petsmart, but everyone is not the way I am with their dogs, alot of people just don't care (big surprise)!
This kinda reminds me of yesterday. We went to SuperPetz to get dogfood & took Angus (the monster! as alot of people called him yesterday!). We decided to go look at cars, so he went with too. So many people were scared of him, he never lunged or tried to go towards them unless I told him to, but the comments were so funny
"He looks like he could really take a hunk out of you!" "Can I pet him, will he bite?" "OMG, he's huge!" And the best thing of the day was when we met someone who had rottweilers & he asked "How old is he? Around 5?" Woo Hoo! What a compliment! I said nope, he's 11, and the guy couldn't believe it!
I know, I kinda got a little off the subject, but I understand when you say the dogs scare you, look at all the people who were scared of Angus (and he's a big ol' pussycat )

[angelpuppy]

If you are afraid of dogs, PetsMart probably is not the right place for you to shop. The type of people who take their dogs to this store are, from my experience, real "dog people" who take into consideration the training and friendliness of their pets when taking them into public. I am not disputing that you may have had bad experiences with inconsiderate dog owners, but I personally have never had a bad experience. More often than not, the people you see there without their dogs will say, "I'd love to bring mine here, but she's too snippy," etc., etc....they have the feelings of others at heart. I would NEVER take my dog to PetsMart if I thought he would be a burden on anyone!!

Also, I have seen people who bring their pet birds to PetsMart with them. Have you ever done this? I have never owned a pet bird myself, but I do think they are wonderful. I like to take Mac to see the birds when we are at PetsMart, but again, he is very calm around them (interested, but not upsetting them in any way), and I would not allow him to see them if he was not well behaved.

My Mac has never met a stranger, and PetsMart is no exception. He can get a little over-excited at times, but nothing that a firmly spoken "SIT!" won't take care of. I hate to think that he might intimidate non-dog-loving people in the store, but that certainly isn't going to stop me from taking him there. That's what the store is all about--PETS, not people--and we have such a great time whenever we go!

Hope I haven't offended anyone. I am sympathetic, but also a little upset thinking that someone would be intimidated by my loving little doggie being in a place that is designed for him.

[Vermontcat]

Amy, I love the photos of Nebo, it looks like he had a fun day! Congrats to your little winner!

Popcornbird, I can understand what you are going through since one of my sons is afraid of big dogs and he gets uncomfortable when we shop at PetSmart or Petco too. I went to the new Petco in our area yesterday and didn't see a single dog while I was there! We spent most of our time looking at the birds, fish and small animals and didn't go in the dog sections or buy anything at the checkout. You can try shopping with a friend or family member and when in the checkout line near a dog keep the cart or your friend between you and the dog. I have found that most of the dogs are well behaved on leash and its just a matter of keeping a safe distance for my son to be comfortable near them. I am the total opposite where I will go out of my way to be near the dogs because I just have to pet them.(after I ask their owners of course)

[wolf_Q]

Originally posted by popcornbird
I wish people would be more considerate about taking their dogs INSIDE the store and especially at the cashier line, because no all people shopping at pet stores are used to dogs. Many people shopping for their birds, rabbits, cats, hamsters, rats, fish, and other pets aren't used to dogs, and it really freaks them out when one goes after them or even tries to go near them in the store. It always makes me so scared that I forget to buy the birds a new toy, or something I need to see before buying.

Sorry...not trying to be rude or anything......but I don't agree with you either. I *am* considerate with my dogs, and most of the other people I have seen there are too. I don't take Reggie or Smokey in the store...I tried that once, lol. Reggie growls and barks at the other dogs, Smokey pees on everything, and it was just *not* a good time with them. When I take Nebo, I keep him under control. I never intentionally get him close to other people, or other dogs..even though he does sometimes get really excited and want to see them. When I am at the cash register I put his leash on the floor and step on it while I pay...he can't move more then a foot away from me. And if he ever has an "accident" I always go to the clean-up station and clean it up...I have seen a few people that didn't do that which is kind of gross...

So many people were scared of him, he never lunged or tried to go towards them unless I told him to, but the comments were so funny "He looks like he could really take a hunk out of you!" "Can I pet him, will he bite?"

I swear every time that Melissa and I take Lady and Nebo into Petsmart/Petco I always get some sort of "Is he mean? Does he bite?" comment towards Nebo.......there's *never* any of that towards Lady. I guess he looks mean because he looks wolf-like? I don't even know. But I *do* like it when people ask me before they pet them, I wish everybody would teach their kids that.

And I have seen several people holding kittens, birds, etc. in the stores, and I've never seen anybody letting their dogs bother them. It seems to be that the people with dogs in Petsmart are more responsible with them then the people with kids in Wal-mart. LOL.

I guess my point is, the reason why I LIKE to go into Petsmart and Petco is because you can take dogs in the store. I really enjoy it. And I think the majority of the people who do bring their dogs in the store are very considerate. I can understand that you are afraid of dogs, I used to have a friend that was deathly afraid of dogs, and I'd have to lock mine up when he came over. But it's really not fair to tell the rest of us not to take our dogs in the store because you don't like dogs. I'm in Petco every day, and I go into Petsmart all the time.......and I've never seen so many dogs there that you can't just avoid them by walking in another isle...

[Dakota's Mommy]

I totally agree with what people are saying here! It's a great adventure for us to take the girls out to the pet stores. I did not know about Halloween Yappy Hour or else I would have tried to take the girls! However, we did go out there for a little while on Saturday to look around, and we found that Destiny gets too excited and pulls tooooo much and tends to bark sometimes at other dogs. So, we made a decision right then and there that we have to work harder with Destiny and she won't be going back to Pet Smart until we train her a little bit better, and then we will work on training her again in that type of environment! As some of you said before, some of us do try to be respectful to other humans and to other dogs! I'm also not trying to offend anybody, but I feel kind of offended when some one tries to lump all dog owners as being the same. I feel this way because we're not all the same. The majority of us here on PetTalk are the same because we all are devoted owners. However, there are a lot of dog owners out there who don't really put much time or money into their dogs. Just enough to get them fed if the dog is lucky. Please don't get those who are like that confused with those of us to do work with our dogs and who do treat them like they are part of our families, as all pets should be!