Backyard barbecues offer excellent opportunities for friends and family enjoy each other’s' company and eat some good food in casual, familiar environments. However, household dogs and cats often don't fare well during these events if provisions are not made for their comfort and safety. Even highly social animals who love visitors sometimes get agitated during barbecues, and well-meaning guests can contribute to their confusion and feelings of insecurity. Following are several suggestions for keeping them happy and safe during the course of backyard barbecues Lakewood. Dogs are very food-driven creatures, and the lovely aroma of meat cooking draws them irresistibly, and this can change their behavior considerably. If other guests have brought their dogs with them to the gathering, competitive behaviors may arise between both animals as a reaction to the scent of food in the air. This can also occur with animals in the same household. Guests should be discouraged from bringing their canine companions to backyard barbecues unless they are willing to keep them leashed at all times.

People can't seem to resist the urge to give tidbits to dogs who are present at human gatherings involving food, and most dogs are good at appearing appealingly hungry. Some human foods, however, are not good for dogs, such as onions and chocolate. Dogs may also be tempted to try to grab food directly from the barbecue, and this can result in knocking the equipment over and possibly creating a fire hazard. Because people don't always heed the pleas of homeowners not to feed their furry friends from the barbecue fare, animals may be better off left indoors in a quiet, familiar room until the festivities are over. While cats may not be as prone to seek out food as their canine counterparts, they make be more easily spooked because of their feline nature, so they might appreciate being left in a quiet spot until things are back to normal.

Large gatherings provide plenty of ways for pets to get loose from the premises. Doorways and gates and are being opened and closed constantly, and pets can often easily slip away unnoticed.

Those who do decide to include their pets in backyard barbecues Colorado should designate one person to be in charge of the animal at all times. It is also a good idea to keep pets leashed as an extra measure of protection.