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 Halloween is lots of fun
for us humans, but dogs do not understand what's going
on. Here are some tips for helping your dog to handle
the trick-or-treaters who come to your door on
Halloween night.
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High-strung dogs may
become over-stimulated or hyperactive during
trick-or-treating. If shouting or objects such as
brooms or flashing lights unnerve your dog, it's best
to remove him from the trick-or-treat activity.
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Assure that all entry
doors and yard gates are closed so that your dog does
not escape. Do not put your dog in the back yard; he
could become a target for pranksters.
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If you're wearing a
costume, wear it around the house before the big night
to let your dog become accustomed to it. Let your dog
watch you put it on so you don't scare her.
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Keep your movements and
voice calm when the doorbell rings. Don't jump up and
speak excitedly. Simply get up and move in a normal
pace toward the door.
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If your dog barks at
trick-or-treaters, ask a family member to put the dog
on a leash before you open the door. Dogs can seem
threatening to children, especially when they're
barking at them.
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Keep candy out of reach of
dogs, as chocolate can be fatal, and candy wrappers
can interfere with digestion.
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It's fun to ask
trick-or-treaters if they have a dog, and give them a
little dog treat for the dog. Some kids are more
excited about this than they are about the candy,
especially by the time they get to the 20th house.
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If you have a steady,
laid-back dog who likes children, the children may
want to pat the dog. Some dogs are very well
socialized. They love the attention and are good with
children. But remember, this increases your liability.
If you're unsure whether your dog is unflappable, even
with costumes, don't risk it. Remember, a dog's
instinct is to protect his den and his pack.
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Keep in mind that most
dogs prefer a quiet room, a toy and a calm human who
can keep her company.
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If you have a storm door
with a top and bottom panel of screen mesh or glass,
consider removing the top panel so you can reach
through to hand out candy without opening the door.
A Training
Opportunity
Distracting situations can
be a good opportunity to reinforce some basic commands
with your dog. Assuming you've been working with your
dog on basic commands, it can be helpful to practice
at the dog park or other area with built-in
distractions. Halloween can be one of these
opportunities, although it's not the time to be
teaching new commands.
Each time the doorbell
rings, you can work on basic commands such as sit.
Talk with your trainer about how to use the
opportunity to work on behavior problems such
as barking at visitors, jumping on visitors, and
running out the front door when it is opened. Then use
Halloween as a built-in school for reinforcing and
rewarding good behaviors.
Before You
Begin
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Assign a family member to
answer the door and dole out the candy, so you can
focus exclusively on your dog.
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Have a leash handy and
leash your dog before answering the door.
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Begin training a week or
two before the big night. Practice every day. You dog should
know the drill before Halloween.
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It's a good idea to ask
your trainer to come to the house for any retraining
you might attempt on Halloween.
Throughout
the Night
Watch your dog for signs of saturation or
over-stimulation. His focus on you should become
better as the night goes on and he begins to
anticipate what to do for the treat. If you find it
increasingly difficult to get him to perform, he's
probably had enough.
If the little visitors to the house are just too much
for your dog's attention span, take her to a quiet
part of the house for the remainder of the evening. If
she enjoys her crate, it might give her some security
to have a toy or chew to work on in the crate.
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