Doggone Etiquette —

Who Said Rabbits?

By Bardi McLennan

 A Word to the Dog:

Unless you happen to live in another country where dogs are allowed to go shopping with their people, you have to stay home. But, since you are a very observant dog, you’ve been keeping an eye (and nose) on everything those good people have brought home. Lots of it smelled good, and for some reason you haven’t yet figured out, much of the stuff was quickly hidden away and you were told to wait until Sunday. (You hope the tall chocolate rabbit will keep until then.) You may have been included on a trip to the pet supply store where there were lots of rabbits. You definitely could not have one of those real hopping-around ones with long wiggly ears, but a fuzzy one with a squeaker would be fun. Of course, in your house there may be no sign of any kind of rabbits, and you’ll have to settle for matzos. But the smell of cooking is great!

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

There is not one dog in the world that is not fascinated by rabbits. The hopping up and down, the wiggling ears, the twitching nose are all intriguing to a canine’s sense of curiosity. Or, of course, the dogs’ instinctive prey drive. There are lots of rabbits out there at this time of year, so don’t be surprised if you are suddenly yanked off course during your normal walk alongside the neighbors’ gardens or the edge of woods. Kids who walk their dogs need to be made aware of that possibility, too.

Then there’s the matter of Easter candy. Everyone knows that candy is an absolute no-no for dogs, but during holidays when there’s often a lot of it around, some is bound to end up on the floor, or “shared” by well-meaning kids. The deadliest demon of all, however, is chocolate which can be lethal to your dog. Dogs are drawn to the smell and taste of chocolate, and will beg most charmingly for it. Do NOT give in!

Consuming even a small portion of that very cute chocolate bunny could prove fatal to the dog. In addition to the Easter basket which is obviously off-limits to the dog, be sure to keep any box of chocolates out of the reach of a thieving Rufus. If you should slip up and Rufus does get into any form of chocolate, check with your vet, the emergency vet clinic, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435.

Passover does not entail all the same cautions, other than the usual one of preventing Rufus from stealing any forbidden food he may suddenly find delicious. A lot of dogs like the crispy matzos, and others will look at you as if to say, “I’d like it better with peanut butter, please.” The same warnings as above still apply with regard to dogs and live rabbits, but a new special toy to keep Rufus occupied over the holidays wouldn’t hurt – and might be a big help.

This is also a weekend for Easter parades with fancy dress and even fancier hats, but Rufus may balk at such non-doggy people paraphernalia. Don’t force rabbit ears on him, or a fancy dress on Fifi. A good brushing and combing will have either pooch looking like the good dog he/she is.

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.