We know that many of you like to go all-out: parties, costumes, trick-or-treating, pumpkin-carving, and lots of scary decorations. Others prefer to keep it mellow this time of year. But dogs don’t get a say in the matter. Costumes? Candy? Scary masks? Loud children? Halloween can be sensory overload for your pup!
From costumes to trick-or-treating, here are some dog safety tips for Halloween to help your furry friend enjoy the festivities, too!
Candy
Two main ingredients can be toxic or even fatal to dogs: xylitol (an artificial sweetener) and chocolate.
As you would with any other poison, make sure to keep your household’s candy somewhere safe and away from curious dogs. If you have children in the house, be sure they understand that it’s not ok to hide candy, as the family dog might follow his nose and find secret stashes.
If your dog does consume any amount of candy or chocolate, call your vet’s emergency number or ASPCA poison control immediately. (In fact, we recommend having the ASPCA poison control number in your phone’s contacts all year long in case of emergencies.)
Thankfully, your dog doesn’t have to be left out of the Halloween treat tradition! Just make sure to buy specially formulated dog treats.
Costumes
Is there anything cuter than a dog in a costume? Trick question: no, there isn’t. And while we love to see canine hot dogs, canine fighter pilots, canine superheroes, and canine ghosts, remember that not all costumes are appropriate for all dogs.
If your dog doesn’t usually wear clothes or costumes, start with something easy and small, like a bandana around the neck. Let them get used to having something on their bodies that they don’t usually have. Gradually show them their costume and let them sniff it out before you put it on. Once the costume is on, give your dog a treat! However, if your pup shows signs of anxiety around their costume, it’s probably better to let them go as themself this year.
For pets that can wear costumes, follow these guidelines:
- The costume should fit well. That means it should not restrict movement or breathing, nor should it cover mouths, eyes, or ears.
- Make sure the costume doesn’t have any parts that can be chewed off or ingested. If you start to see your dog chewing his costume, take it off.
- In fact, if you see your dog start to get uncomfortable or anxious at all, take it off.
- Never leave your dog alone in a costume.
Human Costumes
Just like with candy, keep choking hazards and toxic materials away from your dog. Glitter, glowsticks, magic wands, plastic masks, fake jewelry, wooden swords, and any other accessory may help you get into character, but they can also look like tempting chew toys to your dog.
Also, remember that your dog may not recognize you in your costume. We recommend showing your dog the costume/mask in your hand first and giving them a yummy treat. If your dog is hesitant or backs away, place the mask on the floor and scatter a bunch of treats around it or a few feet away. Make sure your dog doesn’t try to eat the mask! And don’t make scary noises or gestures when you wear your costume around your dog.
Decorations
Simply taking your dog for a walk can expose them to all kinds of scary or dangerous outdoor Halloween decor. Dogs don’t necessarily know that the monster in the neighbor’s yard is a giant piece of plastic, or that jack-o-lanterns aren’t threats.
This is where positive behavior reinforcement can come in handy. If your dog barks or gets scared of decorations (inside your house or on their walk), go up to the scary object with them and give them a couple of treats for being brave. The goal is to teach your dog that good things happen when they see this weird thing. If you do this enough times, your dog will start to associate good treats with the object and won’t be worried about it after a while.
Safety
Besides helping your dog feel less scared at Halloween, you also need to keep them safe. That means keeping them away from open flames, exposed wires and cords, fake cobwebs, fog machines, glow sticks, fake blood, rotting pumpkins, and small decorations that can be choking hazards.
Trick-Or-Treaters
This is a tough one, especially if your dog already likes to bark at visitors.
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to train your dog to remain calm when someone’s at the door. Try teaching them “down,” “stay,” and “quiet” so they won’t scare the kids at your door. You might even try to teach them that a knock or a doorbell signals them to go to their crate and stay there.
For dogs that really can’t help themselves, or if you don’t have time to train before Halloween, you may need to keep them in a separate room with the door closed, or behind a safety gate. Not only will this reduce your dog’s stress level, but it will also help alleviate yours and the trick-or-treaters’ stress as well!
Other Tips for a Dog-Safe Halloween
- Make sure your dog is chipped and has your name and phone number on their tag. Even the most well-behaved dog might slip out the front door or run away from a party!
- If you’re not sure what the decoration or treat situation will be at a Halloween party, leave your doggie friend at home to avoid accidents.
- Unless you can watch your dog 100% of the time, don’t take your dog trick-or-treating. No matter how well-behaved, you never know when he’ll decide that a costumed child is a real threat or stick his snout in a treat bag when you’re distracted with the kids.
- Remember that while this may be a fun time for you and your family, your dog has no idea what’s going on. Everything looks different, there are a lot of strangers around, tons of new smells, and plenty of noise. Be aware if they start to show signs of stress or anxiety. Sometimes letting your dog be by themself in a quiet room is the best thing you can do for them.
By keeping your dog’s comfort and safety in mind, you can help them enjoy the season without any spooky surprises. And if you’re looking for a place to shape a Pawsitive future for your puppy, look no further. Our dog daycare and dog training facility in East Providence, RI, serves Providence, Barrington, Cranston, and beyond. Contact us today to learn more!
Happy Howl-o-ween!