Halloween is a super fun holiday, especially for kids. I personally loved Halloween when I was a kid! But it can also be a stressful day, not only for children and adults (ok, mostly adults) but for dogs as well. It’s important to consider your dog’s safety on Halloween.
In this post, we’ll cover:
- 7 Halloween Safety Tips for Dogs
- Dog Halloween Costume Safety (seriously…read this for your dog’s sake!)
- The Importance of Dog Training BEFORE Halloween
watch my video: halloween safety for dogs
Halloween Safety for Dogs
Halloween Safety for DogsFollow these 7 Halloween safety tips to keep your dog safe on halloween!
1. Keep candy out of reach. You may not realize that certain foods, including certain candy, can be toxic for your dog.
Sad story…
This incident happened on Valentine’s Day, not Halloween, but I hope my sharing it with you will prevent this from happening to other dogs.
When I was a teenager, my boyfriend bought me a small heart-shaped box of chocolates. We had a poodle named, Pepi, and while we weren’t home, Pepi found the chocolates and ate a lot of them.
He vomited shortly after, which it turns out may have saved his life. My parents and I didn’t know this at the time, but chocolate is highly toxic for dogs!
Pepi lived only 2-3 years after that. And during that time, he had kidney issues and actually went blind. I can’t help but wonder if eating those chocolates that day hurt Pepi terribly.
So please keep the Halloween candy in a place where your dog can’t get it. Not only the bowl of candy you have for trick-or-treaters, but the candy your kids come home with.
For information on which foods are toxic for dogs, read my post, Foods That Are Poisonous for Dogs and Cats (includes video), or feel free to request a list of foods that are toxic for dogs below. You’ll likely be surprised by some of these!
2. Be careful with Halloween decorations. You might put things up around the house that you don’t normally have, like Halloween candles, lit pumpkins, or decorations you plug in that have an electrical cord. You might also have some decorations small enough to be swallowed choked on by the dog.
So once you’ve done the decorating, take a good look around to make sure you haven’t put out anything that could harm your dog.
3. Consider your dog’s reaction to visitors and the doorbell. The constant ringing of the doorbell and visitors coming to your home (especially in costumes!) can be enormously stressful for your dog.
If you have a dog who may be frightened by the activities, consider putting them in a quite room for the day or evening. Give them food and water, a favorite toy, and set up their dog bed in the room. You could even play soothing music to muffle out the sounds of what’s going on in the living room!
Side note: My father used to make fun of me because I had a mini doxy named Maggie for years and I always turned a radio on for her before I left for work.
I did it because when dogs are home alone and it’s quiet, they can hear every car door, every person walking by or riding a bike, the neighbor’s dog barking, etc.
The radio prevented Maggie from hearing every sound and barking all day!
If you have a dog who is fearful, on Halloween or any time, read my article, Help Your Fearful Dog (includes video). It’ll help!
4. Make sure your dog isn’t getting stressed out. Don’t forget about your dog during all the chaos of Halloween. Make sure you’re checking on them often to make sure they aren’t showing signs of stress like pacing, panting, whining or even trying to hide or get out.
You can consider using a dog calming aid like a pheromone spray or collar to help your dog, or ask your vet for advice about calming medications or calming treats for your dog. You can find an assortment of dog calming products here. But please consult your vet before using these.
5. Make sure your dog doesn’t get out! Even if your dog is allowed outside without a leash normally, Halloween night isn’t a good time for your dog to be running free. They can get overly excited, jump on people, or get lost or hit by a car.
Realize that with the door opening constantly for trick-or-treaters, or if you have a Halloween party, the dog might bolt out the door. It’s ok to let your dog enjoy the festivities, but you might want to consider putting the dog on a leash (in the house or outside) or using baby gates to keep the dog away from the front door.
6. Your dog should be wearing identification: Because many (many!) dogs get lost on Halloween, please consider getting a tag for your dog’s collar with their name and your phone number. You can get these inexpensively at PetTags.com.
If your dog has a microchip, this may be a good time to make sure your contact information is up to date. By the way, when I asked my veterinarian if I should have my kitten, Whiskers, microchipped, she said it was a good idea.
But she also said a big problem with microchipping is that people forget to update their contact information so no one can reach them even if the pet is found.
7. Take your dog out before or after your neighborhood’s trick-or-treating hours. It’ll prevent having any problems with your dog getting too excited or frightened by all the kids and parents walking around outside, which may even prevent your dog from doing their business!
Remember there are usually very young children out trick-or-treating, maybe even for their first time. They have enough to take in without also being frightened by dogs.
Never let your dog run loose in your neighborhood, especially on Halloween, no matter how much you think kids will love your dog.
Dog Halloween Costumes
It’s fun and cute to dress your dog up for Halloween. But many dog owners don’t realize the seriousness of a dog Halloween costume that is not only uncomfortable, but unsafe for the dog.
Professional Dog Trainer, Doggy Dan, has written a free tutorial on whether you should dress up your dog for Halloween and what comfort and safety issues to consider (more about Doggy Dan later in this post…) The tutorial is called, Is It Cruel to Dress Up Your Dog for Halloween?
You can go directly to his tutorial, or read my post, Best Dog Halloween Costumes (includes video).
What Happens When You Skip Dog Training?
Having a dog that isn’t trained properly can cause all sorts of problems, for sure. But on days (and nights!) like Halloween, not having control of your dog can be downright scary.
For example, if your dog jumps on people, it can be particularly problematic with trick-or-treaters everywhere. Small children can be easily hurt by a dog who jumps up, even of the dog doesn’t mean any harm.
If you have a dog who gets excited easily, all of the activity of Halloween may make it impossible for your dog to control their impulses, resulting in bad behavior around strangers and children, whining or barking, or possibly running out the front door and getting lost or hit by a car.
Dogs who aren’t trained are often afraid, lack confidence, and can be very unpredictable. If you haven’t done training with your dog, Halloween can be scary for your dog, and not in a fun way!
These are just a few of examples of the problems an untrained dog could have on Halloween.
Doggy Dan has created a free tutorial all about the dangers of untrained dogs on Halloween. I think you’ll find his tips extremely enlightening and surprising! The tutorial is called, The Scary Realty Behind Forgoing Dog Training. Feel free to check it out here;
Have Fun and Be Safe!
Have Fun and Be Safe!I personally loved Halloween when I was a kid! My brother and I would walk for miles in our neighborhood trick-or-treating, with our parents following along behind us in the car.
We always came home with a huge bag of candy, and it was so fun to dump the candy out onto the living room floor to check out our fortune!
I’m 56 years old, so I know how much Halloween traditions have changed over the years for sure! I just hope kids today are allowed to have as much fun as I did. Halloween is one of my fondest memories from childhood.
Please keep your kids (and your dogs!) safe this Halloween, and enjoy!
For more Halloween safety tips, read these articles:
ASPCA: Your Guide to a Pet-Safe Halloween
American Kennel Club: Halloween Safety Tips for Dog Owners
Who’s Doggy Dan?
Who’s Doggy Dan?Doggy Dan is a Professional Dog Trainer and Behavioral Specialist. He’s the founder of the online dog training website, TheOnlineDogTrainer. His dog and puppy training have been my #1 recommendation for more than 8 years!
Doggy Dan’s dog training techniques are easy-to-follow, effective, and kind. You can find out more about Doggy Dan and his dog training philosophy by reading my post, What is Doggy Dan?
Doggy Dan offers three days of full access to his dog training website for $1. If you’re having any behavior issues with your dog, go ahead and check it out!
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Please share this Halloween safety post with your friends who have a dog. Thank you! Debra
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