My Dog's Reaction to Cooking
- Simply Jelly Jam
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
In honor of National Pet Fire Safety Day celebrated annually on July 15th.
In honor of National Pet Fire Safety Day celebrated annually on July 15th, I figured I would write about how my large dog, Lucy, reacts to mine and my dad's cooking. I also included links to several useful resources about pet fire safety at the end.
In case it's helpful, below are the main points covered in this post:
When I Cook
The first time I cooked after adopting Lucy, she whined until I let her go outside to safety. It reminded me of my small dog's heroic action when he tried to save me and my late dog from my mom's cooking.
The second time I cooked after adopting Lucy, I held her in my left arm as I cooked whatever was on the stove top. Do not worry. She was never close to the stove top. I extended my right arm to stir/flip as needed. On this day, I cooked a bland meal for my dogs.
Since then, Lucy has had no issues with my cooking. She never had an issue with me using the oven or other cooking appliance like my slow cooker or air fryer.
If I cooked a meal for her and my small dog, Rascal, Lucy would stand upright (front legs off the ground) to watch what I did. Otherwise, she watched from the living room (open floor plan) when she realized (seasoning smells) that the meal was not for her and Rascal.
No, I have not burned or set any food on fire. It got smokey a few times depending on what I made, but the air vent and an open door kept it from filling the space completely.
When Dad Cooks
Lucy was fine the first couple of times dad cooked on the stove top after her adoption. Months later, however, Lucy always asked to evacuate the house whenever dad showed signs of prepping to cook.
She would refuse to come indoors until she smells the burner (gas stove) off. Lucy braved summer heat (in the shade and with a bowl of water, of course) and winter cold (usually dressed in an outfit or jacket) because it felt safe.
It does not matter if dad is cooking a seasoned meal for us humans or a bland meal for the dogs. Lucy always wanted out.
I should mention that Lucy only wanted out when dad was cooking on the stove top. She has no issue with him using the oven or other cooking appliance.
No, dad has not burned or set any food on fire. However, he has a bad habit of forgetting to turn on the air vent, so it would get quite smokey in the house if I was not around to remind him to vent or notice the smokiness right away.
My Thoughts
I learned that Lucy knows her evacuation plan in care of a fire emergency in the home. Unfortunately, she has no interest in saving the rest of us, but she herself will survive! In a way, I guess she is alerting us to the danger she senses by wanting to get out of the house urgently.
I could find a way to assure her that staying indoors is safe, but I like that she is aware of potential fire danger. Unfortunately, not all pets may recognize signs of fire danger. It is important for us, the pet parents, to know what to do with our pets in case of a fire emergency.
Useful Pet Fire Safety Resources
Various organizations provide many resources for how to handle natural disasters safely. Check out some of those resources listed below:
Pet First Aid App via American Red Cross (check out the "Pet Fire Safety" preparation list in the app)
Pet Fire Safety Tip Sheet via National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
What's Next?
If Lucy is right about dad setting the kitchen on fire one day, I at least know where the fire extinguisher is! Maybe I should watch some videos on how to actually use it, just in case.
Comment below to share your pet's fire safety plan!
Don't forget to subscribe below to be notified by email when I post something new.
Thanks, and have a great day!
~Simply Jelly Jam
Comments