Happy “Howl”oween! Here Are Some Safety Tips for Dogs
It’s Halloween already – WOW, time went by fast! Remember to keep an eye on your pet as you take them trick-or-treating, or have trick-or-treaters come to your house. Here are a few helpful Halloween tips:
If you are taking them with you:
- Take them on leash!
- Make sure they are comfortable in their costume (if you are using one)
- Watch their body language as kids and people approach them.
- Even if they are super-friendly to people normally, having people on costume brings a whole new element that makes some dogs uncomfortable. Especially people with masks on. If your dog starts to get anxious, take them home if you can, or leave them in the car if you are just running up to the door.
- Take a flashlight (for your safety and theirs)
- Keep their nose out of the treat bucket – don’t let them sneak treats out of your child’s bucket (or a friend’s!) if you stop to chat.
Related: Halloween Safety Tips for Dogs
If you are staying home with them:
- Keep them on leash if you are going to keep them out while you answer the door.
- If you don’t want to keep them on-leash, but them in a kennel or other room of the house so they won’t dart out the door
- Make sure they have a strong “wait” or “back” command to keep them from crowding or darting out the door (or put them away, as mentioned above)
- If they start to get anxious with people coming to the door in costume, put them away if you need to.
- Keep the treat bucket out of their reach and watch to make sure they don’t try to get in it.
- Chocolate and xyletol are BAD for dogs! We don’t want an emergency vet visit tonight!
Have fun, but stay safe!
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