Halloween is great fun… for the children who are dressed in costumes and asking for treats. Halloween may not be as much fun for your dog. The ringing of the doorbell and the commotion of people gathering in front of the door can cause anxiety in your dog. Halloween can be a scary time for our beloved fur kids and we have some Halloween pet safety tips for you.
Our dogs might be afraid of:
- The noise of the giggling trick-or-treaters
- The costumes
- The noise of so many people coming to the door during trick-or-treat hours
- Costumes — if your dog isn’t accustomed to wearing clothes, putting him into a costume on Halloween might not be the best way to introduce him to clothing. Dog-themed apparel is great for the pet parent and maybe you should dress up for Halloween and let your dog enjoy his non-customed state!
- Candy can be dangerous and/or lethal
Halloween Pet Safety Tips
What can you do to have a safe and enjoyable Halloween while keeping your dog safe? We have a few ideas.
Don’t let your dog get into the candy. Keep all candy out of the reach of your dogs (and cats). They will be lured toward the candy bowl because of the delicious smells. Chocolate, as all pet parents know, is dangerous and potentially lethal. Keep the treat basket out of reach of your pets.
Keep your dog secured in a different room when you’re opening the door to the little goblins, ghouls and ghosts. You don’t want to run the risk of your dog dashing out the door when you’re distracted by handing out treats to the children. If you don’t want to keep your dog in a separate room, definitely keep him leashed and have someone help you hold him or hand out candy.
Costumes and children can be scary to a dog. Also, many children will be “face level” with your dog and this could scare even the most mild-mannered dog. Even if your dog is the most gentle soul, please don’t force her to interact with tiny humans dressed in costumes.
If you’re not handing out candy this year, spend time in a room away from all of the neighborhood action with your dog and just relax together. They may become barking machines if they’re on the back of the couch seeing all of the outside activity. Use Halloween as a rest, relaxation and bonding time for you and your pup. Put on your pajamas, grab your favorite snack, pop in a movie and lie in bed with your dog until the festivities die down.
Do your business before the sun goes down. Walk your dog, on a leash, before the sun goes down and the trick-or-treaters are out in full force. Resist the urge to take your usual after sunset walk to avoid the crowds of costumed children. Don’t put your dog in a situation in which she will be frightened on your walk.
Most of all. Have fun. Be safe and have fun with your fur kid! Don’t forget to share these Halloween Pet Safety Tips!
Robbi Hess, Woman In The Pet Industry Solopreneur Finalist and award-winning author, is multi-petual. When not caring for her pets or taking them on walks, she is a speaker, efficiency and effectiveness guru, content creator, social media manager and blogger. She writes at All Words Matter, My Divas Dish, and is the story editor and chief cat herder at Positively Woof/Crimeless Cat.
