Easter is here! And we all know who gets so excited during this time of the year - your dog! Eating their hearts of the Easter ham and doing fun Easter activities with children are some of the many reasons an easter is a much-anticipated event of your furry friend. But there is more to Easter than just that. Here are other things you can do to make this holiday more memorable for your furry friend.
Take Easter-themed Photos
What is cuter than an Easter bunny? Your dogs with rabbit ears of course! Prepare an Easter-themed photo session and shoot to your heart's content. Here are some tips take better photos with your camera or smartphone:
The time it right. When taking photos of your dog, take note of your dog's personality. When you know what makes your dog unique compared to other animals, their true personality will show up. This will capture your dog's personality with every shot.
Familiarize your dog with the camera. Let your pet experience what to expect when a photo is being taken. Allow them to listen to the sound of the camera and the light of the flash before you begin a photo shoot. Walk with your dog and take pictures of the surroundings so that they'll be familiar with the click and make them understand why you are doing it. Once you've taken a picture, reward them with a small treat between shots.
Level with your pet. Go down and take a picture of your dog at their eye level. When you are at their level, the pictures will appear exactly as you want it to be. The pictures will be at a human perspective, rather than a human perspective.
Take your time and be patient. Patience is essential in taking pictures of your furry friend. There will be times where you have to wait before you can get them to settle down for sill shots or wait for them to be excited about action shots. It's better if you allow your pet to be themselves as the photos will reveal his true personalities.
Dog-Friendly Easter Egg Hunt
Your dog's sense of smell is a perfect candidate for an easter egg hunt. But, a rabbit made of chocolate can be a recipe for disaster particularly if your dog ingests one. Thus, it is best if you host a separate easter egg hunt for kids and for your pets. Here are some ways you can create an Easter egg hunt for your dog:
Your dog will likely hunt Easter eggs using their scent since their smell is 10x greater than ours. Make Easter eggs out of treats or their favorite food. Remember that the eggs are closed; so to make it easier for them to track it poke tiny holes in the eggs. You can also smear peanut butter or cheese on the shell.
Leash your dog. Most organized Easter egg hunts will probably have leash rules already. If you are hosting your own Easter egg hunt, you might as well have a leash rule. This is because a dog on a leash helps reduce the risk of ingesting things other than the egg that they are hunting. This also prevents conflicts with other canine participants. You will also help guide your pet towards those hard-to-find treats easier when they are leashed.
To start the hunt, place an egg in front of your dog and let them eat the treat inside. Help your dog if they can't open the egg. Sprinkle the eggs around the yard and let them have fun with the treats. Then lead your pet to the first hidden egg. After a few times of leading up your pet to a hidden egg, your dog should be able to understand the concept of the game. It is OK if your dog doesn't understand it. Remember that this is a way to bond and play with your pet so the game is less important than bonding with them.
If you have many dogs, be wary of your pet's attitude towards food. If your dog gets aggressive or fights over treats, set up a separate hunt for them.
Dog Easter Basket
Create an Easter-themed basket that is full of your dog's favorite treats. Your dog's Easter basket works similarly to our Easter buckets - only that you will need to fill it up with dog-specific items.
Dogs are like kids. They love opening cardboard packaging, wrapping paper or bubble wraps that contain their favorite things.
Before anything else, make sure to pre-screen the items you are putting in the basket. Do not put chocolates, raisins, or any foods that might hurt your pet. Do not put toys that have detachable parts as it could choke them.
Do not put decorations that may look like treats or toys to your dog. It could be extremely dangerous to your pet if swallowed.
Here's what you can put in your dog's Easter basket:
Dog toys like a rubber ring, tug-of-war rope toys, squeaker toys, etc.
Your dog's favorite treats.