8 last minute Halloween DIY costumes for dogs made from re-purposed items!

Halloween can be a fun time for pets if you make it stress-less and fun!

Some dogs love dressing up in costumes, others not so much. If you have a dog that enjoys socializing, dressing up, and having a great time, or you have a dog that doesn't like costumes very much, here are some last minute ideas to make a unique and fun Halloween costume for your dog!

Remember, try to re-use materials you have on hand to make your costume more green and eco-friendly!

Try this super easy and less cumbersome bat costume for dogs who aren't as fond of wearing costumes, it's cute, easy and fun!

Do you have a joker on your hands? Try this easy and cute court jester costume you can make from lots of re-purposed materials you have on hand.

Is your pup all business? Try this easy, cute and non-restricting suit for your pup....it'll suit them fine!

For party pups only! This cute pinata pup is no-sew, easy and fun! And you can customize to your liking!

If your dog isn't fond of wearing full costumes, here's a fun, simple, and great looking way to add a little fun costume without all the fuss. A little Doggie Couture.

Go punk! Here's a wonderful idea courtesy of Kathryn Dunlap. Just take a denim jacket, cut out the sleeves, add a little bandanna and a mohawk and your pup is stylin'!

If you've got a small dog this little lightening bug will like up your life. Created with simple items around your home.

Your dog will roar like a lion in this easy to make lion costume from our friends at Puppy in Training!

An easy Fall plan to treat your lawn organically for the health of your dog!

It's that time of year!

The weather is cooler, some days have a nip in the air, some days are warm as toast, and the early leaves of Fall are dropping.

This is the perfect time to get your lawn in great shape to take on the Winter weather, and come out looking fabulously green, healthy and lush come Spring.

So let's get started!

First let's talk about why you should plan, build and maintain an organic garden.

Several organizations and groups have done studies that showcase the affects and dangers of commercial chemical lawn chemicals on dogs and children, including:

• The Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, found and reported in July 2013 that exposure to herbicide-treated lawns has been associated with significantly higher bladder cancer risk in dogs.
• The January 2012 issue of the journal Environmental Research concluded that exposure to professionally applied lawn pesticides was associated with a significantly (70 percent) higher risk of canine malignant lymphoma (CML).
• Information regarding exposure to herbicide-treated lawns and gardens increases the risk of bladder cancer by four to seven times in Scottish Terriers was researched and reported in a study by Purdue University veterinary researchers published in the April 15, 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine Association.
• In 1991, the National Institutes of Health found elevated rates of canine lymphoma in dogs exposed to lawn pesticides (1991).
• A respected report and DVD "The Truth About Cats, Dogs and Lawn Chemicals," funded by Newman’s Own Foundation, has a lot of information for you to learn about the dangers and effects of lawn chemicals on your pets.

Evidence is mounting. So why take a chance with your dog's health when it's very easy and ultimately a lot less time consuming and water wasting to have a healthy organic lawn?

Fall is one of our favorite times to really work to get our lawn in shape, the weather is cooler and you can even grow new grass this time of year.

Maybe you have several brown spots that need attention from the heat of summer, there may be areas where the lawn is thin and attracts weeds; you can take a little time now to treat your lawn without the use of dangerous commercial chemical pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers and get your lawn back in great shape for an amazing showing next spring.

Here are our favorite fall organic lawn gardening tips that you can implement, easily!

Pull those weeds! Forget about spraying....the most effective way of getting rid of weeds is by pulling. And the fun part is that you get to be outside, spend time with your dog, and perhaps they can help you pull a few of those nasty weeds.

Got leaves? A wonderful, healthy thing you can do for your lawn is to mow over many of the leaves that fall in your yard and create wonderful, organic mulch that increases the nutrients provided and creates healthy grass growth. If you have too many leaves, gather them up and add to your organic compost pile. Then come spring add the compost to your lawn, flower and vegetable garden.

Re-seed! Another of the most important things for a great looking lawn is seeding, seeding and more seeding. Re-seeding fills in those gaps that weeds like, creating a wonderful, healthy, lush lawn. We reseed many times throughout the year, but Fall is the best time. Make sure that you purchase seed that doesn't have added growth hormone coatings and added chemical fertilizer.

Fertilize the organic way! About four weeks after you've reseeded, add some great organic fertilizer to your lawn to create strong plantings. We like several types of organic fertilizers, from worm poo and fish emulsions (which are sprays) to pellet based fertilizers made from feather meal, bone meal, and/or soybean meal. Check with your local garden shop for organic recommendations.

If you follow all of these organic and lawn building tips this fall, we know you'll have one of the most envied green, lush lawns in the neighborhood without the use of dangerous chemicals.

Happy Fall!

Make your own homemade dog tug toy from repurposed clothing!

On the day after adopting Rach (the newest puppy host for Raise A Green Dog), I drove with friends to South Carolina to meet him and take him home.

It was a quick day trip, so when it was time to head home, I put a spare harness on him that I had with one of my favorite long-lasting leather leashes, and what did he do? He started tugging with the leather leash.

For those of you who do agility, you know how much we love tuggers. It's a great way to play and reward your dog for having fun with you while practicing and before/after competition. And whether you do agility or not, it's a wonderful way to have fun with your dog.

So now that I knew I had a tugger. I needed more tugs, and maybe even a leash tug to keep our leather leash for our upcoming hikes! So we did some searching online and found some great DIY ideas.

Here is of our favorites:

1. Cut up old t-shirts, old sweatshirts, old jeans, or any fleece that you may have lying around. Cut in 4" wide strips.
2. Gather them up and from about 1-2 inches from the end tie off one of the ends of your group of strips.
3. Group your strips in threes and begin braiding, just as you would your own hair.
4. Once you have completed braiding, just tie off the other end the same length from the end as your other end.

It's that easy!!! Here's one of the smaller tugs my dog YoYo received at a recent trial, made by the volunteers. Little brother, puppy Rach, loves this tug just as much as YoYo.

For further instructions.