For our dogs Halloween can bring out different responses dependent on their personality and upbringing. The people, doorbells ringing, door knocking and not to mention the squeals of delight and rapid feet movement from kids enjoying their trick or treating can bring out excitement, anxiety or overwhelm.
Below are a few tips for preparing your home and pup for the season:
Human Costumes
Humans in costumes can be a strange sight for us let alone our dogs, at least we know what is going on though. Drag out your costume box, masks, hats etc and start wearing them around the house for your dog to adjust to this new fashion.
Use treats, food, toys and play when wearing the costumes to increase the positive association to being around humans wearing this type of clothing.
If they are wary of coming near you ensure you go at their pace slowly building up trust and positive association to the costume wearing.
Dog Costumes
If your plan is to have your pup join in on the dress-up fun then warm them up to the idea by slowly introducing the costume when they are calm, use a few treats to encourage engagement.
Letting them have time with the costume prior to your Halloween night or party means they are not having all of the change and excitement happening all at once.
With costumes it can be possible for your dog to get stuck somewhere or decide to chew on pieces that stick out or annoy them. Ensure you don’t leave them alone wearing the costume to keep them safe.
Halloween Treats
Human treats and candy can be a temptation for our dogs, remember to keep them nice and high out of their reach. In particular chocolate which is poisonous for our pups.
Distractions
Get organised prior to the night with games and tools to keep your dog entertained. Consider what you intend to do when people knock on the door or go past the house for example. It is much easier to be prepared than to try and respond in the moment.
Have their treats/food ready for rewarding when they respond to commands, ignore the chaos and make the right decisions.
Ditch the bowl games - read this article for ideas.
Scatter feeding - help calm and change their focus with a quick scatter-feed.
Practice their commands - practice prior to the night so they are well rehearsed in the commands prior to the distractions being added in.
Food finding toys - Kongs, treat balls, Nina Ottosen games, Lickimat.
Anxiety support There are different products on the market that can be used to help calm our furry family members. The most popular are Thundershirts, Adaptil, ZamiPet Happi Treats, Vetafarm B-Calm treats. If you feel your pup needs more support than this it is best to talk to your Vet or Animal naturopath.
Image courtesy of animal wellness magazine.