Football and cooler weather aren’t the only great things about autumn.  Many communities hold festivals to provide family fun, build spirit, raise money and promote local businesses.

Many of these festivals invite pets and the Taste of Acworth on October 13 even has a pet show as part of the fun.  These events may seem a great opportunity to include the dog in the outing, but unless the dog is advanced socially, the fun can be spoiled.

In order to make sure the day is fun for all involved, here are some things to remember even if you’ve taken your dog to many of these things before.    You want to make sure your dog has been fed before you leave.  You will want to take your own water supply and travel bowl.  Some of the pet oriented vendors will likely have bowls at their booth for this purpose, but you will want to make sure the dog stays hydrated.  If you are going to take it to many of these things, you may want to buy a backpack for it.  That’s a great place to put water bottles, the bowl and some food or treats.  It may also serve to make him feel more secure with the pack around him.

Take care not to spend too much time on the asphalt.  Remember that even if the air temperature might not be as hot as a month ago, the asphalt will heat up much faster and cause them discomfort.  Give them a break off the asphalt in the grass or if there is no grass, spend some time in the shade.  If there are other dogs at a group water bowl, you may want to wait until those dogs finish before you let your dog drink.  Strange dogs can get territorial and react if they feel threatened.

If you are taking a dog that’s not used to being in a social situation be sure and watch it carefully.  While most of the people are having fun, the activity, the heat and the noise can create stress in your pet.  Signs of anxiety include pacing, drooling, slumped body posture and its tail is down.  Acclimate it to the situation by hanging around the edges of the crowd instead of going straight in.  Also if your dog seems a little nervous, you may want to keep others away from it, especially children.  When a dog is anxious it is more likely to become agitated and could bite if it feels threatened.  You may not want to plan on a long stay for your first few times taking a dog to one of these festivals.  If it seems fine, great enjoy the day. 

If it doesn’t seem fine, you may have to cut your day short and take it home.

This weekend there’s a big event in Cobb County, with the East Cobber Parade and Festival.  I’ll be there at the East Cobb Business Association booth and I’ll be stopping by the booth of my friends at Dog School 101.  If you’re looking for some other pet-friendly events around Roswell and Cobb County, I have a list on the Fetch! Pet Care of NW Atlanta Facebook page.  I’ll be at most of these events.  Stop by and say hey and I may have something special for your dog and for you!

Fetch! Pet Care of NW Atlanta provides pet sitting, dog walking and cat care services for Roswell, East Cobb, Woodstock and Kennesaw, GA.  You can follow us on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/fetchnwatlanta/. I’ll have pictures from Saturday posted on Pinterest and Facebook by Saturday afternoon.