👻 Happy HOWL-oween! 🎃

We LOVE Hallowe’en!

Here are some tips to make this holiday fun and safe!

Costumes change the appearance and shape of humans which can be upsetting and may frighten our four-legged friends. This may lead Fido to act unpredictably.

To keep everyone safe and happy this Hallowe’en try out these “tricks & treats”:

1. If you are taking to the streets to collect some candy, leave Fido home —UNLESS you have trained them to be comfortable around crowds, people in costumes, etc. The streets will be packed with humans hopped-up on sugar and may be very overwhelming. You know your dog best and make sure not to put them into a situation they aren’t ready to handle. Furthermore, be aware day after Hallowe’en while out on walks. Watch out for candy on the ground, it can be hard to see with all the leaves on the ground so be extra alert the days following Hallowe’en!

2. Don’t force Fido to wear a costume. Some dogs love it, but not all do. Train them AHEAD OF TIME to be comfortable in a costume. Take it slow with trying to dress them up, be calm, and create a positive association with the costume. If you don’t have any luck with a costume, put on a festive bandana!

3. If you’re staying in to hand out sweets, place Fido in a quiet area of the house with his own delicious dog treat! UNLESS your dog can handle the commotion, again you know what they can handle. If you have a dog that isn’t used to it, use a crate (if they’re crate trained) or quiet room so Fido can relax during all the commotion at home. If you are in an area that gets a lot of trick-or-treaters and have a nervous dog, leave a note on the front door asking people to knock quietly rather than ringing the doorbell.

4. Don’t feed Fido candy. Keep the sweets for the humans, teach youngsters that human candy can be poisonous to pets (the more for us!) and watch out for rouge treats that end up on the floor. 🍬🍫🍭

These are just a few ways to be proactive during the festivities.

Never force your dog into something they aren’t ready to handle and reach out if you have questions.

🧟🧛Have fun and be safe out there!🧛‍♂️🧟‍♀️