By Heidi Clayton
Halloween can be fun for some dogs and absolutely terrifying for others. Scary decorations, costumes, and an endless stream of scary people coming to the front door for candy can be hard on some dogs. So, let’s discuss keeping dogs safe during trick-or-treating.
For starters, you care more about your dog wearing a costume than your dog does. Before dressing your dog up, consider your dog’s temperament and if they will be comfortable wearing a costume. Try doing a test run of your chosen costume before taking your dog trick-or-treating. Make sure to have plenty of treats on hand to make wearing the costume a pleasant and rewarding experience. Ensure that their vision, breathing, and movement are not obstructed. If your costume of choice stresses your dog out, ditch it and opt for a seasonal bandana or collar.
If you are hosting a Halloween party, make sure you think about how your dog will handle having free access to a table stocked full of treats and candy. Chocolate is, of course, off-limits to dogs; when consumed in large quantities, it can be toxic. In addition to chocolate, artificial sweeteners like xylitol are highly toxic to dogs. If your dog is a counter surfer, make sure that they are going to be closely supervised or put them away with a bone to chew on while the party goes on. I always questioned why people gave raisins out on Halloween, but if your child gets a box of raisins in their loot, you also need to keep them away from dogs as they can cause kidney or renal damage.
If the doorbell ringing normally sends your dog into hysterics, imagine how hard it will be on them to handle a steady stream of excited children in costumes yelling, “Trick or treat!” Consider the real possibility of your dog bolting out of the door when opened and jumping on people or worse, running away. If there is any chance of either, consider crating your dog for the night or keeping them on a leash. Also consider if children will want to pet your dog and how your dog will handle being approached by a child in a costume.
If you would like to take your dog along when going trick-or-treating, consider your dog’s leash manners before doing so. If your dog pulls you when there are very little distractions, expecting them to walk nicely and not be overwhelmed with costumed children running about may be asking too much of them. Can you reasonably manage your dog and child (or children) in a crowd of excited trick-or-treaters? Is your dog fit enough to walk the long trick-or-treat walk? If not, leaving your dog at home with their own Halloween treat for the night would be smartest for all of you.
It is OK to involve your dog or puppy in Halloween festivities if they are able to handle the excitement level that comes with it. Happy Halloween from the staff of Four on the Floor Dog Training!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email 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
