Trick or Treating can be a lot of fun.
For people.
For dogs is can be a very scary time!
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| He is a pure bread dog! |
There will be an unpredictable
parade of odd-looking strangers yelling outside of your front door and maybe
even knocking and ringing the doorbell. If your dog’s front door behavior is
not so great on a regular day, it is likely to be even worse with all of the
extra excitement of Trick or Treating.
When afraid, dogs can act out
of the ordinary and may growl, snap or even bite at visitors. With all of the
noise in the neighborhood, they may also bolt out the front door or escape your
yard. Make sure your dog is wearing an ID tag with your current contact
information just in case.
Consider crating your dog in a
quiet room with some background music or television until the commotion of
trick or treating is over. A treat-stuffed Kong or other special goodie may
help distract your dog.
Chocolate can be harmful to
dogs. If you are giving out treats instead of tricks, keep an eye on the
snacks. And if you have trick or treaters in your family, make sure their loot
is stored in a dog proof location. (It would probably be safest if Mom and Dad
just went ahead stowed those Reese’s in their bellies! You know, for safety
reasons!)
If your dog does ingest
chocolate, contact your veterinarian immediately!
And if you like to dress up
your dog for the holiday, make sure the costume doesn’t block their vision or
prevent them from moving comfortably.
I hope these hints will help you
AND your dog to have a safe and enjoyable Halloween.
