Pet Safety on Halloween: How to Help Different Dog Personalities Enjoy (or Avoid) Halloween by Jeffrey Franklin

Halloween is an exciting holiday, especially for those with children who go trick-or-treating. There are costumes to wear, masks and face painting, wigs and accessories to showcase. There are doorbells ringing, lights, noises and music playing, as well as the plethora of yard decorations and fog machines, which all add to the momentum of fun for humans. Not to mention the candy – everywhere. However, for those of us with pets at home, Halloween can be a bit trickier.

Some of our dogs enjoy strangers and people coming to visit. But some of our pets are frightened by new people and some of our four-legged companions feel that it’s their job to guard the home. Dogs personalities are just as varied as humans, so there are different ways of preparing your pet and maintaining their safety, as well as the safety of the people around your home. Here are some tips:

• For dogs who love people and strangers, it is still not a time for them to be running up to every child or person coming to your front door for candy. Even the most personable of canines can have a great night by having a comfortable place within your home that they can claim as their own until the activities settle down.
  

• For those dogs that are more fearful or those that are anxious of strangers or loud noises, it is definitely recommended that you select a room in your home where they can retreat safely and quietly to their dog bed or their crate, without having direct access or line of sight to the front door of your home. This will ease their nerves and yours, and ensure that they are comfortable and left mostly undisturbed. For those dogs that are excessively anxious, a crate with a favorite dog bone or dog toy to keep them occupied is ideal.

• For dogs with natural guarding instincts or barrier aggression, they should also be kept in an area of the home where they can stay calm and be at ease until the evening’s events come to a finale.

• Make sure that all candy, candy wrappers and holiday snacks are picked up so that your dog does not end up with an upset stomach – or worse. Make sure candy bowls within the home are placed where your pup does not have access to them. Prevention is always the best safety mechanism. Even the best trained dogs can be lured into a piece of candy or chocolate dropped on the floor, so triple checking your home and yard during and after trick-or-treating is a good way to make sure there’s nothing to harm your four-legged friend.
  

• Remember the kids, too. We all love our dogs and we want them to be a part of our lives and activities, but a busy and interactive holiday such as Halloween is really made for our children to enjoy. We need to remember that not all children are comfortable with strange animals trying to bark at them, jump on them or lick them.

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