A Dog-Friendly Easter

 How do you celebrate Easter?  Do you have a big family gathering?  Do you go to a large community Easter egg hunt?  Do you go to church or prepare a special meal?  However you choose to celebrate, memories of Easters past may have a very special place in your heart, and you most likely want to share those joyous traditions with others.  And whether those others include children or not, there is no reason you can’t enjoy those traditions with your dog.   

The Dog-Friendly Easter Egg Basket

Do you remember coming out of your room and discovering an Easter egg basket?  It was like Halloween and Christmas combined.   An Easter egg basket for your dog doesn’t have to be big and it certainly should not have candy or chocolate in it.  Instead, it should have dog treats, kibble, and dog toys.  Don’t have extra money for treats or new toys? That’s fine. Throw some dog food in a baggie or buy just one small can of wet dog food and he’ll think it’s a treat.  And never underestimate the power of your dog’s favorite toy.  Just throw his favorite toy in the basket and he will be more than happy to see it.

If you want to splurge, you might consider going to the local dog bakery to pick up some gourmet dog cookies, or even some cake.  These bakeries also have a snack bar of treats to choose from where you can decide how much you want to buy of each treat.  Check out Jackboy Bakery (which has many convenient locations throughout the Inland Empire and Orange County) or even your local Petco. 

The Dog-Friendly Easter Egg Hunt

The Easter egg hunt is always highly anticipated by children.  How many eggs will I find? What will be in them?  You can have this same anticipation with you pup by creating a dog-friendly Easter egg hunt.

1.     Get fillable plastic eggs and place 1 smelly treat in each (the eggs should be appropriate for your dog’s size).  The treats can be small bits of hot dog, cheese, or any other smelly treat safe for dog consumption.  Keep the treats bite-size because each dog will likely find 6 – 10 eggs, and you don’t want them to get sick. 

2.     Have your dog wait somewhere while you hide the eggs around the house or in the yard. Keep the hiding places very simple to ensure your dog can find them with very little help.

3.     Release the hound then watch him sniff and work open eggs for his prize.  It’s ok to guide him in the right direction sometimes, especially if your dog wasn’t bred for his tracking abilities.

The Dog-Friendly Easter Brunch

While there are a few restaurants that specifically cater to dogs, like the Lazy Dog Café, most restaurants with an outdoor eating area will allow dogs. If you have a restaurant in mind already you should check out their website or call first to make sure you can bring your pooch along. Dog-friendly restaurants like the Lazy Dog Café expect you to bring your dog so he can try their dog-friendly menu. But before you make plans to take your dog to brunch you should consider your dog’s temperament around large crowds of people, other dogs, and food. Sunday brunch is a busy time and Easter brunch will be that much busier. And of course, there is no reason to ruin a perfectly pleasant day so be sure your dog can handle such an atmosphere without being overwhelmed.

 While your dog may not create nostalgic memories around Easter like you have, he will definitely get excited and have a good time with you.  So, however you choose to celebrate Easter, have a wonderful and safe celebration.  And remember to keep all candy, especially chocolate, out of reach of the pets.