Keeping your dog safe at Halloween

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love a dog in costume and Halloween is a super fun time for parents who also like dressing their pooches. 

Lulu’s Cookie Monster costume

But Halloween can be a stressful time for dogs. People (and dogs) in costumes, scary decorations, chaos and Trick or Treaters knocking on the door can result in one very freaked out little pooch.

So unless your dog is demonic and thrives on fear, try to keep them in a quiet, relaxed place away from visitors.

Here are some Halloween safety tips to keep your dog safe and happy on the spookiest night of the year:

1. Set your dog up in a comfortable place away from the front door, with some music to cover the sounds of chaos in the streets and people ringing the doorbell.

2. Keep them away from trick or treaters as they may find the costumes very frightening, and they may bite your visitor.

3. Don’t let them eat candy or chocolate as some can be toxic to dogs. 

4. Don’t let them swallow any candy packaging or eat their own costume.

5. Be aware that when costumed dogs are playing together or with costumed kids, they will find it difficult to read and exhibit body language, so issues could escalate quickly. Watch them closely.

If you want to train your dog to enjoy wearing costumes, read How To Train Your Dog to Wear Clothes

For more puppy raising tactics, save your seat in my free masterclass

“3 Simple Tactics for Raising a Well-Behaved Dog”