Halloween represents a day (or night) of costumes, excessive amounts of candy, trick-or-treating, jokes or pranks, fun parties and more to us humans.  To our dogs, it’s important to remember that Halloween is just another day to them.  They do not understand that there is anything ”special” about one day over another, and to expect them to can become stressful on our pets.

Please follow these guidelines to ensure a positive experience for your dog during Halloween, keep their stress and anxiety to a minimum, keep them safe, and above all else, keep them happy.

Do NOT leave your dog outside on Halloween.  Dogs can scare easily with all the trick-or-treaters coming to or passing by your home.  There are plenty of people who think that Halloween is a time for pranks that can turn cruel, malicious or misguided towards our animals.  Some think that they can get away with teasing, scaring, torturing, or stealing pets on this particular night.  Dogs have been spray-painted, had eggs thrown at them, gates opened to release them from the yard, ”sacrificed”, and many more hard to imagine horrible things.  Black cats especially become a target.  If you have cats, keep them indoors too!

If you are taking the kids out trick-or-treating it is best to leave your dog at home.  All the strange costumes, the heightened energy level and noise can startle your dog, draw out insecurities or put them on edge.  Even the sweetest of dogs can turn aggressive if they feel nervous, threatened or challenged.  For humans, scary is good at Halloween, but your dog may not realize the difference between “good” scary and “threatening” scary.  He may try to protect you from those unusual sounds and noisy, costumed strangers.  Keep your dog at home!

If you are welcoming trick-or-treaters to your home, put your dog (cat’s too) in another room with the door shut before the kids arrive.  The doorbell ringing constantly, the parade of costumed strangers marching up your door step, and the excited energy of the kids can frighten your dog and/or create stress and anxiety.  Even if your pet doesn’t view trick-or-treaters as dangerous invaders in his domain, he may decide he wants to go home with one of them–or, just run out and play with the entire group!  Don’t give your dog or cat a chance to bolt out the open door when your back is turned.  Many children are afraid of dogs or cats, and meeting one of these dreaded creatures at a door where they expect only candy can be traumatic.  A secure and quiet room with a bone or favorite toy can help ease and relax your pet.

Costumes are fun for many of us, however when it comes to our dogs it’s only fun if your dog enjoys it too.  Unless your dog is receptive to this sort of thing, you could be causing discomfort, stress or suffering to your dog by forcing a costume on them.  Some dogs don’t mind, and in that case you can have a good laugh and take a funny photo of your dog dressed up.  If you are going to put a costume on your dog, make sure that you never obstruct their vision, hearing, ability to breath or bark, or their mobility, (the dog should not be tripping over material!)  Try it on them in advance to see how they react.  It will be obvious if your dog is comfortable or not with being dressed up.  Never leave a dog unsupervised in a costume.  Don’t dress them up just because you think it’s cute… Please respect them if they would rather be left in their “birthday suits”.

Don’t leave jack-o-lanterns or candles burning in an area where your dog or curious cat can knock them over with their body or tails.  Not only could they start a fire but they could get seriously burned or injured as well.

Watch that your dog does not get a taste of any of the candy!  Sugar is not good for dogs and chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is very toxic to dogs and can cause heart problems, pancreatitis, or other problems… including death.  Foil or cellophane wrappers can upset their stomach or become logged in their digestive track which can make them very ill and possibly be fatal.

If you are having a party, especially a costume party, it is best to put your dog in a room where they won’t be disturbed.  Many dogs do not handle loud noises, music or crowds of people well.  Leave them in a room with a bone, a favorite toy and some water for the night.  If you insist on having your dog join the party, do not allow anyone to give your dog snacks, candy or alcohol.  Some people may think it’s funny to get the dog drunk, but it can kill them.  It’s better to hurt someone’s feelings by asking them to leave the party than to deal with a seriously ill pet.

Make sure your dog (or cat) has proper identification.  If for any reason your pet escapes and become lost, a collar and tags increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you.

UNLEASHED, 2719 - 14 Street SW, Calgary, has some great Halloween toys!  Bats, pumpkins, and more!

Be safe and have fun!

BOO!

Tracie