Does your Coton celebrate Halloween?

I love this time of year. Even here in Florida, where we don't get true Autumn seasonal changes, there's just something special about the slightly cooler, less humid weather. And everything’s beautifully decorated with pumpkins and Fall colors.

I know Halloween isn’t until next month, but the change in season is the perfect time to start planning. Whether you love to celebrate and get your Coton dressed up for the festivities or just want to keep your dog safe on a busy night, it’s always a good idea to be prepared.

Do you dress your dog up in a costume? Lucy has let me know that she hates anything on her body - bows, scarves, or any outfit is a definite no for her. But I know some dogs are true stars who love being the center of attention.

Here are some fun costume ideas if you’re dressing up your dog. Or browse the cute photos if you just want a quick pick-me-up. If you dress your dog up for Halloween, don’t forget to submit a photo at the bottom of the page.

It's all about the treats!

And what would Halloween be without treats? But let's face it, finding healthy nibbles that don't break the bank or contain a laundry list of questionable ingredients can feel like a quest for the Holy Grail. So I decided to create my own homemade goodies for Lucy.

The best part? Not only are these treats a breeze to make, but I also have the peace of mind knowing every single ingredient that goes into them. It's like hitting the trifecta of pet care: health-conscious, budget-friendly, and she likes them!

Because Lucy has to take several daily anti-seizure meds, I had to give her a lot of treats to get her to swallow the pills. Now that I make my own treats, I don't have to worry about her having too much highly processed food.

For Lucy, one of the easiest homemade treat recipes I use is mixing together a healthy protein and a healthy fat. Lately, I combine canned tuna or salmon (in water, deboned, low mercury) with some mashed avocado to make it creamy. I put a small teaspoon of the mixture into the Pupsicle holder and freeze. She has a frozen treat every night, and eating a teaspoon of food takes her 20-30 minutes. I love that! And you can change the ingredients for variety. So easy and healthy!

Note: Many websites claim that avocados are toxic or unhealthy for dogs, but according to The Forever Dog by Dr. Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker, “don’t feed the skin or pit of avocados, as they contain a substance called “persin” that can cause GI upset, but the flesh is safe and healthy for your dog.” Avocados benefit heart and brain health and eye, skin, and joint health. As with everything else, moderation is key.

Check out these other 43 homemade healthy treat recipe ideas here.

Hot Off the Press: What’s New on the Blog?

In addition to the new pages on Halloween dog costumes and healthy treats, I've created a super fast and easy poll to find out what's important to you.

I would love to hear what you most want to learn about the Coton de Tulear. Please take a moment to take this super quick poll about your Coton interests.

Coton Spotlight

This is a first - I didn't receive any new photos or stories this month. You know how much we love gushing over your adorable Cotons, so if you want to spotlight your Coton in an upcoming newsletter, you can submit your photos and stories here

Fun with AI

Are you into AI yet? I hesitate to suggest anything in a monthly newsletter because things are changing SO FAST on a daily basis. But AI can help with just about any question you have to make life easier.

For example, I was looking for dog walkers in my area and it was taking a lot of time to look up individual websites and Facebook pages. So I asked Google Bard to summarize the info for me. It took less than 10 seconds to get this table.

Wow! Think of all the things you can use this for just by adjusting the prompt.

-Pet friendly hotels
-Airlines that allow pets
-Dog groomers
-Veterinarians
-Pet sitters
-Dog trainers

Have fun with it. You can use the following prompt or experiment with your own: Prompt: @Google Maps can you create a table listing all the dog walkers near me and list their name, phone number, rates, and customer rating.

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