What is your dog doing this Halloween?

Photo by Bekir Dönmez on Unsplash

As the air turns frosty and the leaves start falling it means that Halloween is not far away.

A night of fun and candy, children dressed up in a variety of costumes Halloween can be a very fun evening.  But, not all dogs enjoy superheros, princesses and an assortment of ghosts and goblins showing up on their doorstep.

So, how can we help our dogs?  First, start by taking a good objective look at your dog.  Does your dog enjoy children?  Does your dog take new things in stride, or will the costumes cause concern even though the children would be fine if they were dressed normally?  Does your dog enjoy children a little too much - bouncing and jumping, pulling at their costumes?  Will your dog be into the candy or bolt out the door?

​Which options you choose will depend on your situation and your dog.

• Carry on like it's a normal evening, your dog will hang out with you without any worry of accidental candy ingestion, jumping on children or running out the door.
• Refresh your dog's skills.  "Leave it" and "Go to Mat" can be very helpful in these situations.
• Practice your dog's ability to remain calm when there is knocking on the door or ringing of doorbells.

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• Consider using some management tools such as a baby gate to keep everyone safe and help your dog be successful this Halloween.   This can be particularly helpful for young dogs or newly adopted dogs.  A successful Halloween this year is great experience to have under their belts for next year's festivities.
• Plan to set your dog up away from the commotion with some favorite chew toys, a special treat and some background music/TV to help with the strange noises.  Let your dog relax during the few hours kids are arriving at the door.  Some dogs would rather not be involved in all the commotion, or want to be too involved, and hanging out with their own special Halloween treat is a better option for them.

Photo by Charles Deluvio □□□□ on Unsplash

​Whatever option you choose, thinking about it in advance of the actual night will help make your Halloween enjoyable and less stressful than just winging it.

Here's to a safe and enjoyable Halloween for all.
Rosemary