Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/sept-22-first-day-of-fall/
Sept 22 is the first day of fall–and the beginning of your dog’s favorite season!
Dogs (like many humans) love autumn for all sorts of reasons. For starters, fall brings cooler temperatures, bringing relief to dogs with thick fluffy coats and active pups itching to resume long walks and hikes outside.
But your dog also loves autumn because of the season’s signature falling leaves, which create fun and fascinating places to roll and play. Anyone whose taken their dog on an autumnal walk knows their pup can’t pass a big pile of leaves or leafy trail without stopping to investigate.
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Dogs just love big piles of autumn leaves–the bigger the better–for multiple reasons. Leaves are fun to jump in, and they also offer dogs an excellent opportunity to dig and burrow.
But fall leaves appeal to pups for another reason, and we bet you can’t guess what it is.
Dogs have such powerful noses that fall leaves present pups with a fascinating bouquet of new smells. This novel combination (discovery + digging + lots to sniff at) explains why jumping into a big pile of leaves is basically irresistible for dogs.
But rolling and jumping in leaves also carries some risks, which is why you should always supervise your dog’s leafy playtime.
That big beautiful pile of dried leaves could be hiding twigs, rocks, sticks, snakes, ticks, and other biting critters waiting to spoil your dog’s autumnal adventures.
The best thing to do is to create your own pile of leaves for your dog, giving you the opportunity to keep it clear of biting pests and dangerous debris. Even so, you should still supervise when dogs are playing in leaves.
Your curious pup may be tempted to taste a leaf or two, which is his way of exploring this new and exciting situation.
Eating a leaf or two isn’t usually cause for alarm, but don’t let your dog eat large quantities of leaves, especially because some fall foliage can be toxic in large amounts.
Oak trees, for example, shed leaves and acorns that may irritate your dog’s delicate digestive system. Keep an eye on your dog to make sure he’s not eating large quantities of leaves, acorn, or other toxic plants.
Does your dog love fall leaves? Let us know in the comments!
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
