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If you love to cook with a charcoal grill, use charcoal for composting or have charcoal around for its many other uses, your dog may want to investigate this flammable, black substance at some point. We pet parents always want to include our dogs in family events, like barbecues, but sometimes we get distracted and don’t keep an eye on our furry friends. That can be very dangerous for your canine pal.

This is why we should keep hazardous items away from dogs, especially when those items are used around food that may entice your pup to put something in his mouth that he shouldn’t. But what if your dog does manage to eat some charcoal? What should you do?

Here are a few facts about dogs and charcoal that every pet parent should know.

Is charcoal toxic to dogs?

First of all, charcoal itself is not toxic to dogs, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe either. Dr. Lauren Pastewka, Chief Veterinary Officer of Pet Paradise, advises, “Charcoal containing lighter fluid or other fire accelerants can be toxic and potentially fatal if consumed due to the petroleum products used.”

Also, coals that are still hot from use can cause further injuries to dogs. Dr. Pastewka says, “Hot charcoal can cause burns to a dog’s mouth and tongue, which are extremely painful and can lead to secondary wound infection. Additionally, the burns can cause the tongue and throat to swell leading to difficulty breathing.”

So, the danger your dog faces from eating charcoal depends a lot on the type of charcoal used, the amount and whether it’s still hot. That said, you should still give your vet a call if your dog has eaten any charcoal, just to be safe. Dr. Pastewka says, “If you suspect your pet has consumed charcoal, determine which type of charcoal was present, monitor your pet closely for signs of illness, and contact your veterinarian immediately.”

Is activated charcoal safe for dogs

With all the dangers dogs face from eating charcoal, you may be wondering about a substance that can appear in certain dog treats known as “activated charcoal.” This is especially common in doggy dental treats, but vets may also use it to treat dogs when they’ve ingested something toxic.

Dr. Pastewka notes that activated charcoal differs from regular charcoal “in that it is purified further, resulting in a more porous material with a significantly higher surface area.” Activated charcoal “binds to toxins via a process called adsorption, which allows them to pass through the body without absorption into the bloodstream,” and that can be particularly useful in ridding a dog’s body of toxic substances.

Activated charcoal should not pose a danger to pets if it is consumed in safe, vet-approved amounts. Always follow guidelines when it comes to treats that contain the substance, and never administer activated charcoal to your dog without your vet’s guidance. If you see signs of stomach upset, vomiting or diarrhea, stop giving your dog activated charcoal immediately.

Side effects for dogs who eat charcoal

The symptoms your dog can experience after eating charcoal can vary depending on which type they’ve eaten and the amount.

Symptoms may include:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Upset stomach
• Mouth and throat sores or burns
• Skin irritation
• Weakness
• Head tremors
• Gastrointestinal obstruction

Dr. Pastewka notes, “Regular charcoal is indigestible and may cause irritation as it passes through the gastrointestinal tract. Larger pieces have the potential to cause intestinal obstruction that would require surgery to remove.”

What should you do if your dog ate charcoal?

If your dog ate charcoal, contact your veterinarian. This is absolutely necessary if your dog ate any charcoal with fire accelerants or if they ate a large amount of charcoal. Your dog will need urgent care in these cases.

Information to tell your veterinarian:

• What symptoms, if any, your dog is showing
• What type of charcoal your dog ate
• How much charcoal your dog ate
• How big the pieces of charcoal may have been
• Whether the charcoal was still hot when your dog ate it

Dr. Pastewka says, “Your veterinarian will be able to offer specific guidance based on your individual pet’s history and type of charcoal involved.”

If your vet or an emergency vet isn’t available, you may want to call the ASPCA’s pet poison control hotline at (888) 426-4435. Note that you may be charged for the call.

Of course, the best way to keep your dog safe is to prevent him from coming into contact with charcoal in the first place. Always keep the substance out of your dog’s reach in the future. If you cook with charcoal, watch your dog carefully, dispose of charcoal properly, and store it away from snooping pooches.

Fetch is a fun game for dogs and people to play together. What is fetch? Fetch is an activity where the human throws an object, such as a dog ball or toy, and the dog retrieves it. Some dogs seem to be born to fetch, and often seek out playing fetch with their owners. But fetch doesn’t come naturally to all dogs. However, all dogs can learn to fetch and enjoy the game.

Supplies needed to teach your dog to fetch: 

• Toy or ball that your dog likes
• Clicker if you are clicker training
• Lots of training treats cut into small pieces

How to teach your dog to fetch:

Start by teaching your dog to fetch at home at a quiet time without a lot of distractions, so your dog will be able to focus on learning this new skill.

Step 1: Reward your dog for holding a toy or other object. Start with a toy or ball that your dog likes and hold it out to your dog. Click/praise and reward with a treat after any engagement with the toy, such as sniffing or nudging at the toy. Then show the toy to your dog and click/praise and reward your dog for putting his mouth on the toy. When your dog is consistently putting his mouth on the toy, add your verbal cue of your choice like “take” or “hold.” Once your dog is putting his mouth on the toy and showing engagement, you’re ready to work on fetch.

Step 2: Extend a toy out to your dog and ask your dog to hold it using the verbal cue. When your dog takes the toy, praise/click and give a treat.

Step 3: Put the toy down in front of you on the floor and ask your dog to pick up the toy. When he does, praise/click and treat. When your dog is consistently picking up the toy and bringing it to you, introduce a verbal cue of choice like “fetch” or “bring.”

Step 4: Start to move the toy further away, and then ask your dog to bring it. Go slowly with the distance you’re asking your dog to fetch; the goal is to make sure your dog is having fun and is successful instead of trying to see how far your dog can fetch. Keep the game interesting by alternating between having the toy a close distance and having it further away. Always reward your dog for bringing the toy back.

Step 5: Once your dog is consistently fetching a toy placed at various distances, start to throw the toy and use the verbal cue to ask your dog to bring it back. Practice the skill with other balls and toys, too. Build up the difficulty gradually by first tossing a toy a short distance in the house, before starting to ask your dog to fetch while outside or in other distracting situations.

Keep rewarding your dog for fetching:

Although fetch is a highly rewarding game for some dogs, it isn’t naturally rewarding for all dogs. Some dogs will develop a love of the game, while others will fetch on cue when asked, but don’t find personal enjoyment in the game. For these dogs, keep reinforcing by using a treat to reward the fetch behavior.

Teaching fetch to dogs who don’t like toys:

Teaching fetch to dogs who don’t naturally enjoy playing with toys can be more challenging, but it’s not impossible! Start teaching with a soft plush toy that has a pouch to put treats inside. The scent of the hidden treats will inspire most dogs to show interest in the toy and be willing to put the toy in his mouth. Build on that behavior to teach your dog to hold and then fetch the toy. Once your dog understands the skill you can ask your dog to fetch other balls or toys.

Products for playing fetch with your dog

Although fetch can be as simple as throwing a ball to your dog, who then chases it and brings it back to you, there are ways to make it more exciting for dog who love to fetch. These dog products can make fetch more easy for the human and fun for the dog who loves to fetch over and over again.

A Siberian Husky named Caleb is the star of a new movie called The Year of the Dog about a man struggling with sobriety and his bond with an athletic rescue dog. The movie started as an independent feature film premiering at the 2022 Chelsea Film Festival in New York and in February will be released in theaters nationwide.

What makes Caleb the rescue dog a hit on screen?

Before landing the role of Yup’ik, Caleb bounced around from shelters to fosters homes, often labeled as too playful and energetic for adoption. It was that spunk that caught the attention of first the California-based Performing Animal Troupe and then producer and actor Rob Grabow and dog trainer Jon Van Dyke, who know that those qualities often make the most memorable dogs on screen.

What dog training was involved?

Jon, who likes to work with a dog for at least six months to build trust, had about six weeks to work with Caleb, a 1-year-old puppy with hardly any training. “He could barely sit when I met him, but he was melt-your-heart cute,” says Jon.

The first few days were focused on relationship building. Jon and Caleb ate, watched movies and played together in order to establish a trusting bond. They worked on basic cues and then moved onto more specific training for scenes.

“All those things that others saw as his imperfections — his high energy, his playfulness, his stubbornness — they are precisely the things that made him able to carry so much of this film,” Rob says.

What’s in store for Caleb’s movie career?

Caleb lives with his adopted family in California and has been focusing on Petco commercials and TV. There are talks of him landing a role in another film.

Where can readers learn more about The Year of the Dog movie?

Visit theyearofthedogmovie.com or follow the movie’s cast on Instagram and Facebook @theyearofthedogmovie

Fetch is a fun game for dogs and people to play together. What is fetch? Fetch is an activity where the human throws an object, such as a dog ball or toy, and the dog retrieves it. Some dogs seem to be born to fetch, and often seek out playing fetch with their owners. But fetch doesn’t come naturally to all dogs. However, all dogs can learn to fetch and enjoy the game.

Supplies needed to teach your dog to fetch: 

• Toy or ball that your dog likes
• Clicker if you are clicker training
• Lots of training treats cut into small pieces

How to teach your dog to fetch:

Start by teaching your dog to fetch at home at a quiet time without a lot of distractions, so your dog will be able to focus on learning this new skill.

Step 1: Reward your dog for holding a toy or other object. Start with a toy or ball that your dog likes and hold it out to your dog. Click/praise and reward with a treat after any engagement with the toy, such as sniffing or nudging at the toy. Then show the toy to your dog and click/praise and reward your dog for putting his mouth on the toy. When your dog is consistently putting his mouth on the toy, add your verbal cue of your choice like “take” or “hold.” Once your dog is putting his mouth on the toy and showing engagement, you’re ready to work on fetch.

Step 2: Extend a toy out to your dog and ask your dog to hold it using the verbal cue. When your dog takes the toy, praise/click and give a treat.

Step 3: Put the toy down in front of you on the floor and ask your dog to pick up the toy. When he does, praise/click and treat. When your dog is consistently picking up the toy and bringing it to you, introduce a verbal cue of choice like “fetch” or “bring.”

Step 4: Start to move the toy further away, and then ask your dog to bring it. Go slowly with the distance you’re asking your dog to fetch; the goal is to make sure your dog is having fun and is successful instead of trying to see how far your dog can fetch. Keep the game interesting by alternating between having the toy a close distance and having it further away. Always reward your dog for bringing the toy back.

Step 5: Once your dog is consistently fetching a toy placed at various distances, start to throw the toy and use the verbal cue to ask your dog to bring it back. Practice the skill with other balls and toys, too. Build up the difficulty gradually by first tossing a toy a short distance in the house, before starting to ask your dog to fetch while outside or in other distracting situations.

Keep rewarding your dog for fetching:

Although fetch is a highly rewarding game for some dogs, it isn’t naturally rewarding for all dogs. Some dogs will develop a love of the game, while others will fetch on cue when asked, but don’t find personal enjoyment in the game. For these dogs, keep reinforcing by using a treat to reward the fetch behavior.

Teaching fetch to dogs who don’t like toys:

Teaching fetch to dogs who don’t naturally enjoy playing with toys can be more challenging, but it’s not impossible! Start teaching with a soft plush toy that has a pouch to put treats inside. The scent of the hidden treats will inspire most dogs to show interest in the toy and be willing to put the toy in his mouth. Build on that behavior to teach your dog to hold and then fetch the toy. Once your dog understands the skill you can ask your dog to fetch other balls or toys.

Products for playing fetch with your dog

Although fetch can be as simple as throwing a ball to your dog, who then chases it and brings it back to you, there are ways to make it more exciting for dog who love to fetch. These dog products can make fetch more easy for the human and fun for the dog who loves to fetch over and over again.