Halloween is an annual event that most children, and lots of adults, look forward to enthusiastically, anticipating a day and evening filled with masks, candy, and pranks! But this holiday can be particularly spooky for the furry children in your family. To make Halloween fun for all of your family members, take note of these Halloween safety tips for your pet.

Safety First

Walk your dog while it is still light out, if possible. Your dog may find candy, wrappers, and broken eggs on lawns and streets. Make sure that these tempting treats stay out of reach. Don’t leave your dog unattended outside on Halloween, even if he is behind a fence. Not only can pranksters target family pets, but all the activity and commotion can increase your dog’s stress levels unnecessarily. Also, well-meaning neighbors may give unwanted treats to your dog.

Stash the Treats

The candy bowl is for trick-or-treaters, not Scruffy or Fluffy. Several popular Halloween treats are toxic to pets. Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for cats and dogs, and sugar-free candies containing the sugar substitute xylitol can cause serious problems in pets. If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 immediately.

Watch the Decorations and Keep Wires Out of Reach

While a carved jack-o-lantern certainly is festive, pets can easily knock over a lit pumpkin and start a fire. Curious kittens are especially at risk of getting burned or singed by candle flame. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and decorative corn are considered relatively nontoxic, but can produce stomach discomfort in pets who nibble on them.

Glow sticks are a fun Halloween trend and can help keep humans a little safer in the nighttime, but for dogs and cats, these items look like toys. Glow-in-the-dark items are filled with a liquid that if punctured, will leak the glowing content which if ingested, causes mouth pain, irritation, and excessive salivation.

Keep all battery-operated toys and décor out of reach from curious pets, as they can be chewed or ingested resulting in a visit to the emergency veterinarian clinic.

Costumes and Masks

The trend of dressing dogs in costumes has increased over the years. It is quite simple to find costumes created specifically for pets, however, that does not necessarily ensure their safety.  For some pets, wearing a costume may cause undue stress. Legend Acres recommends that you don’t put your dog or cat in a costume unless you know he or she loves it. If you do dress up your pet for Halloween, make sure the costume does not limit his or her movement, sight or ability to breathe, bark or meow. Check the costume carefully for small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that could present a choking hazard. Ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.

Be sure to have your pet try on the costume before the big night. If he or she seems distressed or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting your pet wear his or her “birthday suit” or don a festive bandana instead.

Keep Pets Calm and Easily Identifiable

Halloween brings a flurry of activity with visitors arriving at the door, and too many strangers can often be scary and stressful for pets.  All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treating hours. While opening the door for guests, be sure that your dog or cat doesn’t dart outside. And always make sure your pet is wearing proper identification—if for any reason he or she does escape, a collar with ID tags and/or a microchip can be a lifesaver for a lost pet.  If your pup is likely to try to run out the front door and is comfortable in a crate with Adaptil https://amzn.to/3S45PdC, consider putting them in the crate with a treat-filled toy and some soft music playing in the background. A spritz of Feliway (https://amzn.to/3g5DZAC) can help keep cats calm. If your dog is reactive with the doorbell, consider sitting outside with your bowl of treats to reduce the stress on your pets. 

Behavior

Even the best-behaved dogs can become skittish or overwhelmed. Know your dog and watch their body language to decide if he’s best tucked away in a crate or a quiet room as opposed to joining the family for Trick-or-Treating, greeting the costumed neighbors or participating in a Halloween party. To prevent your dog from running out, make sure he is under control as you open the door for trick or treaters.  “No tricks, no treats” is the best Halloween plan for your dog. That may not sound like fun for your dog, but if your neighborhood is particularly busy on Halloween and the sidewalks are overflowing with exuberant parents and screaming children, it is best to leave your pet at home. Why expose him to the chaos and risk upsetting him?

You may be thinking, “Fido loves kids and knows this neighborhood like the back of his paw!” Even kid-loving dogs, intimately familiar with their normal exercise route, can be thrown off by extra people on the street and may become agitated. Scary-looking costumed humans that approach for a friendly pat on the head may frighten your dog. This fear reaction can be unsettling for dogs and downright dangerous for trick or treaters. Scared dogs, even the nicest ones, may growl and bite when they feel threatened.

We wish you and your pets a happy and safe Halloween!

Kristi May MS, CVPM, LVMT, BSA, AHT, ABCDT, CHA Cert Riding Lesson Instructor, CHA

EFM, Cert Equine Nutrition, Cert Animal Cognitive Behavior, AKC Evaluator, AKC Fit Instructor, Pet Partners Therapy Evaluator, PPG Canine Training Professional

Middle/West, TN

Surprise, AZ

(931) 516-3064‬ 

www.Legend-Acres.com

Resources:

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/vets-corner/halloween-safety-tips-for-dog-owners/

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/halloween-safety-for-pets

https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/halloween-safety-tips-pets

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/halloween-pet-safety

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/halloween-safety-tips

Canine Enrichment is not only fun for you and your dogs, but also give them a mental workout as well as great bonding time for you and your dogs.

With Easter coming up I want to share a fun way to involve your dogs in the festivities, an Easter Egg Hunt!!!

Set up!!!

Start with Plastic Eggs, I use the ones with the air holes as shown above.  Gather your dogs favorite high value treats and kibble, if it is of high value.  Then fill your eggs and place around your house inside or outside.  I usually keep the dogs busy inside or in a separate room while hiding eggs.  If outside ensure you don't place the eggs out too far in advance to prevent them from getting wet or wild animals taking them.  Also make sure the area is dog safe, if you do not have a fenced in safe area to find eggs off leash, keep your dog leashed for safety.  I like preforming the hunt on leash so I can ensure they do not pick up something that is part of the game and to ensure they find the eggs, you can direct them when they get off track.  

How to play the game!!!

Encourage your dog to find the eggs, you can start with a quick seeking exercise to get them going, see video clip here.  Once a dog touches the first egg, I give verbal praise as I pick up the egg and give them the treat inside.  This helps them continue on with the game.  I have one dog that will pick up the eggs and open them, I allow him to do so under my supervision and pick up the two egg halves as he is eating the yummy treat inside.  Legend only touches the eggs and waits for me to open them and Tuff rolls them when he finds them and looks at me to pick them up and open.  You can play two ways.  One is open each egg as the dog finds them, or open the first egg and then pick up the other eggs as the dogs find them and put them in your basket to open once all the eggs are found.  I have three dogs so I set up eggs in 3 locations taking the dogs to each designated area and opening the eggs as they find them.  There is no wrong way to set it up, just make sure you are allowing your dog the time to learn the game and find eggs!!!  Have fun.