Pumpkin season reaches every dog eventually. The first squash of the year shows up on a porch or at a farm stand, and the dog has to decide what to do about it. If you have been watching your dog make these calls since the first cold snap, this is the latest entry in the fall series. These six decided already, and most of the decisions involved sitting on it.
1. The one who moved in
This dog found a pumpkin almost exactly her size and climbed inside before anyone could stop her. Only the head is out. The sunflowers around her are doing the rest of the styling work, but the face is the whole picture. A dog in a pumpkin has no regrets.
2. The high seat
The pumpkin pile at the farm stand belongs to paying customers, which is a rule this dog has chosen not to learn. He climbed to the top and took the high seat. Somewhere off camera a human is deciding whether this is worth the argument. It is not.
3. The taste test
This retriever found the fastest way to understand a pumpkin, which was to put his teeth on it and see what happened. The pumpkin held up. He is lying in the leaves on a forest path like he owns the place, treating a squash the size of his head as a chew toy. The pumpkin is losing.
4. The one who lay down in the middle of it
The husky puppy looked at a whole display of pumpkins and gourds and lay down in the middle of it. She did not bother climbing anything. She just moved in, and now she matches the display. This is a dog who has decided the fall decoration is furniture.
5. The one who became the pumpkin
Some dogs get a pumpkin. This labradoodle became one. He is sitting in the grass in a full pumpkin costume, wearing the polite expression of a dog who has been told he looks great and has decided to trust the human on this. He does look great. He is also not moving until a treat appears.
6. The well-earned nap
This is where pumpkin day ends for one small dog: a blanket, three pumpkins, and a nap. He inspected the pile, made his peace with it, and went to sleep next to it. The pumpkins can stay. He has done enough.
Pumpkins are mostly fine for dogs. Plain cooked or canned pumpkin is a common treat, and vets often recommend it for mild stomach trouble. The parts to watch are the rind and the stem, which are hard to digest, and any jack-o-lantern that has been sitting out long enough to go soft, since a moldy pumpkin is a real risk. If your dog is more nervous than curious when the decorations come out this year, there is a post on helping a dog who gets spooked by Halloween decor. Otherwise, let them meet the first pumpkin of the season. It is a big deal when you are a dog.