Number 1 dude Andy, wants to give you a few Halloween tips to keep your dog safe!
– Exercise your dog earlier in the day. Engage with your dog through walking, a game of fetch and/or roll through some tricks and training to tire out your dog mentally.
– Keep the candy, especially chocolate away from your dog. Secure your Halloween bag or bucket and throw candy wrappers away. Even Andy has a weak spot for Halloween and Easter candy.
– Don’t leave your pets unattended and unsupervised in your yard. As goblins, ghouls, princesses and Woody the cowboy come out in the street, this can send your dog into great concern.
– Keep glow sticks away from your pets. They will look like really cool toys to your dog. We want to prevent a late night pet ER visit at all cost!
– Secure your pet, when trick or treaters come to the door. If you have a stable, lazy dog that doesn’t care if the doorbell rings 100 times, as Storm Troopers and Jedi Masters with light sabers yell, “Trick or treat” then no big deal. Dogs do not understand why weird humans keep coming to the door to knock and then yell at his owner. Keep your dog and your guests safe. Secure your pet behind a gate, in another room or in a crate. If your dog loves all the little people, put him on a leash. This will keep your little Todo from clicking his heels 3 times and going home with another family.
– Leave your dog at home. Assess if you have a dog that is insecure, fearful or anxious about life in general. I promise they will not be appropriate when you go from door to door with your family. We all want our dogs to be a part of every experience. Your dog may be rock star and have a solid temperament…let’s keep it that way!
– Identification on your dog is super important. If your dog happens to get out the door, we want to make sure someone can help him find his way back home. All of my dogs are also microchipped, in the event their collar happens to slip off. If you find a lost dog, take a picture of the dog and note the cross streets and area. The dog may already be in a frenzy and may not come to you. Social media, shelter reports and neighborhood apps, reconnect dogs to their family all the time.
– Dog costumes should be optional. If you’re going to dress up your dog, put the costume on the dog and use praise/rewards to condition the attire, before the big day! Otherwise, you may see unintended consequences.
A few years ago, I worked with a family and their dog in private sessions. A few days before Halloween, one of the adult kids put a scary mask on, ran through the house yelling and pouncing onto the other family members. The dog rushed in and bit the kid. Not just a nip, a full on ER visit, multiple stitches kind of bite. Even after the mask was removed, the dog was aggressive to the adult kid. That moment became the tipping point and the dog began generalizing his aggression to other things he felt could be possible threats. He became unsafe and the family made the decision to euthanize the dog.
I beg of you, take these tips to heart. Always set your dog up for success!
Please get the word out and share this message with your friends!
