Even the best-behaved dogs can become unhinged on Halloween. Suddenly, their home is being visited by an endless stream of strangers dressed up weird, or they are being forced to wear an odd outfit and to walk politely in a mass of people that are all just as excited or overstimulated as they are. Whether to incorporate your dog into the Halloween festivities or not depends on, first, your dog and, second, your ability to manage situations while with your dog on Halloween.
First of all, if you are staying home and handing out candy, it should go without saying that you keep a very watchful eye on the dog’s access to it. If you have a young dog who simply doesn’t know how to not steal things that appear to be high-value to others or you have a known treat thief in the house, it might be best if your dog is away in their crate or a room. That way, you don’t have to worry about a visit to the ER because they ate all of the peanut butter cups.
Also, consider if your dog might possibly bolt out of the door when giving out candy, particularly if you have a puppy. If your dog struggles with containing their excitement and jumps on people, then they may distract you while you give out candy. You can put them on a leash to participate and reward them for behaving. However, again, it might be best to just put them away with their own Halloween treat to gnaw on for the evening.
If your dog is scared or shy on a completely normal day, they do not need to participate in Halloween. There is zero benefit for a shy dog to be forced into wearing a costume or meeting dozens of masked people at the door to give out candy. Give them the night off in a quiet part of the house.
Taking a well-behaved dog trick-or-treating is a great way to incorporate your dog into the family activity. Taking an exuberant puppy or dog, or a shy or scared dog, can be a nightmare. If your dog doesn’t have good leash manners on a normal walk, asking them not to be overstimulated in a crowd of excited children may be a bit much. If it is a puppy and you want to try it, make sure there is one person dedicated to managing its experiences and interactions with people. Be sure to bring your own treats to give to the puppy. Also, consider how far you are going to be walking and whether your dog or puppy is fit enough to do it.
Finally, if you are going to put your dog into a costume, try doing a test run before going live. Some dogs simply do not care for being costumed and won’t wear them for love or money. Some dogs, like my own, will wear outfits but may, if in the mood, try to eat portions of it, so make sure that any dangling parts are not going to end up in your dog’s stomach.
Lastly, I do not know why people give out raisins as treats for Halloween, as no child wants a box of raisins, but make sure your dog doesn’t get any of them! Happy Halloween!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
