Halloween - How to Dress Your Dog

Halloween - How to Dress Your Dog

Halloween - Costumes for Large Dogs

Halloween - Costumes for Large Dogs

Halloween - Costumes for Small Dogs

Halloween - Costumes for Small Dogs

Halloween - Group Ensemble Costumes for Dogs

Halloween - Group Ensemble Costumes for Dogs

Halloween - Make Your Own Pet Costume

Halloween - Make Your Own Pet Costume

Halloween - Minimalist Costumes for Dogs

Halloween - Minimalist Costumes for Dogs

Halloween - Pet Costume Parade Etiquette

Halloween - Pet Costume Parade Etiquette

Halloween - Pet Costume Safety

Halloween - Pet Costume Safety

Halloween - How to Dress Your Dog

Halloween - How to Dress Your Dog

Tricks To Avoid Sweet Treats

Tricks To Avoid Sweet Treats

Haunted Gingerbread House

Haunted Gingerbread House

Edible Candy Bowl Centerpiece

Edible Candy Bowl Centerpiece

Trick or Treat Candy Cups

Trick or Treat Candy Cups

Halloween Wrapped HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars

Halloween Wrapped HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars

Pumpkin Treat Bag

Pumpkin Treat Bag

To Die For Outdoor Halloween Decor

To Die For Outdoor Halloween Decor

Costume-Ready Body Tips for Halloween

Costume-Ready Body Tips for Halloween

Sweet Severed Finger Cookies

Sweet Severed Finger Cookies

Yummy in The Tummy Mummy Cookies

Yummy in The Tummy Mummy Cookies

Preserving and Lighting The Perfect Pumpkin

Preserving and Lighting The Perfect Pumpkin

Carve The Perfect Pumpkin

Carve The Perfect Pumpkin

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Lucy McCausland

Owner, a.k.a. spot, a.k.a. spot

www.akaspot.com  

703-248-0093

Lucy McCausland remembers her first pet, Muffy, a small dog her family loved when she and her sisters were children.  Years later her love of animals led her to take up horseback riding, and raising dogs and cats of her own.  As Lucy developed her career, managing large retail stores, serving as CFO for a large retail chain, and as VP of Finance for a major catalogue retailer, she also developed a strong desire to combine her business talents with her love of animals.  And in 2003, she opened a.k.a. spot, in the Clarendon section of Arlington, the hottest neighborhood in the DC metropolitan area. 

Pet boutique, doggy grocery, and doggy self-wash, a.k.a. spot has outgrown its original location, and now has a new home just a few blocks away in a larger, more comfortable space.  The Bark magazine has called a.k.a. spot "The Ralph Lauren of pet boutiques," and the shop is widely known as one of the very finest retailers of unique, premium pet supplies in the United States.  In addition to its retail offerings, a.k.a. spot also serves the community, hosting regular adoption days, sponsoring local animal welfare organizations, scheduling annual portrait sessions for customers with acclaimed photographer Amanda Jones, and coordinating the annual Howl-o-ween doggy parade and costume contest through Clarendon.

Hosting this annual event has provided Lucy with a great education on costume planning and preparation, with a strong emphasis on safety, creativity, and finding the right costume for each and every pet.  Each year the event grows bigger and better, and, while it's hard work pulling it all together, it's also very rewarding to see people and pets bonding and interacting, making new friends and coming up with dazzling new costumes.

Halloween - Pet Costume Parade Etiquette

Hi, I am Lucy McCausland from a.

k.

a.

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Transcripts

Hi, I am Lucy McCausland from a.

k.

a. Spot. We are a dog store in Arlington, Virginia. We are here today to talk about How to dress your dog up for Halloween. In this clip, we are going to talk a little bit about parade etiquettes, just a couple of things you might want to think about if you are going to be involved in a parade for the Halloween festivities. A lot of times when you get a large group of dogs together, everything gets a little bit crazy. There's a lot of excitement. So, just a couple of simple things will help the parade be more enjoyable for everybody. One thing on a parade with a lot of dogs is, retractable leads are basically a no. Things that you might use on a daily walk with your dog, like the retractable, such as this one. It can just become a tangled mess. They can really get trapped in peoples legs, dogs legs, around dogs necks and just becomes a spider web of leads.

Instead of using a retractable lead, you might want to consider just a straight, hump lead or a leather lead, any sort of fabric, something that wont get wrapped up in all the dogs legs and actually, it causes harm. Another thing you want to consider is the number of treats that dogs are going to get on the Halloween Parade, in between the costume contests and the parades. Just beware, dont be feeding dogs things that you dont know that they normally eat. Always ask if you want to give a dog a treat. Ask the owner, make sure it's okay. If you are really aware of what your dog picks up on the ground when you are on the parade route, just a lot, a lot of problems when dogs start eating too much on the parade. Definitely, you dont want them to get on chocolate or candy. So, another thing to remember is you got to have control of your dog on the parade. So, when you do your outfit, you get your outfit ready for Halloween; make sure that you have the same control as you would on a normal walk. Put your harness, your lead, your collar on, test it out with the outfit before you actually try going on the parade. Additionally, just one more thing, be a good neighbor and on the parade, remember there are a lot of dogs walking down the street. Clean up after your dog so that everybody can enjoy their parade, people with and without dogs. If youll just follow a few, simple, etiquette rules, it will be a fun parade for everybody. Thanks and thats how to follow some parade etiquette rules for the parade.

How to Evacuate Your Pets in an Emergency

How to Evacuate Your Pets in an Emergency

Are pet owners more likely to evacuate a dangerous situation at home if they can take their pets with them?

Are pet owners more likely to evacuate a dangerous situation at home if they can take their pets with them?

What supplies are recommended in a pet emergency kit for other pets?

What supplies are recommended in a pet emergency kit for other pets?

Indoor Plants that can Harm Pets

Indoor Plants that can Harm Pets

What resources are available to the public for information on how to prepare to evacuate their pets?

What resources are available to the public for information on how to prepare to evacuate their pets?

Identify Foods that are Harmful to Pets

Identify Foods that are Harmful to Pets

Does it help to have pets?

Does it help to have pets?

How can you be sure the new dog will get along with your pet/pets at home?

How can you be sure the new dog will get along with your pet/pets at home?

What can I do long before an emergency to prepare my pets?

What can I do long before an emergency to prepare my pets?

How will I know to leave my home with my pets or stay at home during an emergency?

How will I know to leave my home with my pets or stay at home during an emergency?