Doggie Halloween Tips

It’s almost that time of year when, for many adults and kids, the idea of walking around in sub-zero temperatures dressed as a monster and carrying a bag, is something to look forward to. But for our four-legged canine friends, Halloween can be genuinely scary. Have a Good Dog have listed below some useful tips to get you and your four-legged friend safely through Halloween. Here goes:

1. Walk your dog in plenty of time before trick-or-treaters start to visit. Exercise may help to tire your dog out and relax them for the evening ahead.

2. If you are in fancy dress it is best to ignore other people’s dogs on Halloween if you meet them out walking. Even if you know the dog, he or she may not recognise you in your Halloween costume and they could react differently.

3. If you are going out trick-or-treating make sure you avoid houses if you can hear a dog barking behind doors, gates, or fences. This means that the dog could be running loose on the property.

4. If an owner opens the door and there is a dog there, just stay still and wait for the dog owner to put the dog away. Do not move toward the person and dog and do not scream or shout.

5. If a dog escapes and is coming towards you just stand still like a lamp-post (fold your arms, and don’t shout or stare at the dog). He should just sniff you and then move on. Wait for the owner to come and get the dog before you turn away. Do not scream or try to run away from the dog.

6. Your own dog may regard family members as strangers if they put on their Halloween costumes. Before the kids put them on, allow your dog to smell and see the costumes. Keep masks off while your dog is around.

7. Puppies and dogs that like to chase can get very excited by costumes with dangly bits. Supervise very carefully if you have a dog that may try to play with children’s costumes while they are wearing them.

8. Dressing your dog up in a cute doggie Halloween outfit may look like fun but you should only attempt this if you are sure your dog doesn’t mind. Dogs can become quite stressed when forced to wear a fancy dress outfit. If you do dress your dog in a Halloween costume, make sure they can see, breathe, hear, and move about freely. Remove anything that hangs loose such as cord and ribbon.

9. Sweets need to be kept out of your dog’s reach as they can cause stomach upsets if your dog eats them. Chocolate contains theobromine, which can cause nerve damage and even death in dogs. The darker the chocolate, the more concentrated it is.

10. If there is a chance that people will be knocking on the door, or you inviting guests in, then secure your dog behind a closed door, baby gate, or in their crate if they associate that with safety, in a separate room away from any commotion.
11. If your dog barks at door bells or knocking on the door then watch out for trick-or-treaters so you can get to the door before they have to ring or knock.

12. Give your dog an activity toy filled with treats to keep them occupied throughout the evening.

13. Play music or leave a TV or radio playing to help disguise any sounds of activity at the front door and close the curtains so that the your dog cannot see people coming and going through the window.

Have a Happy Halloween!