We may find Halloween a fun celebration of all things ghoulish; but most pets experience some form of stress.
Here are a few ways to alleviate them.
- Leave your dogs at home.It may seem like a good idea to bring your Dog trick- or- treating but even the best trained Dogs can become spooked or aggressive when exposed to running and screaming children in strange masks and costumes. Some children may even become scared of a Dog, especailly if the Dog becomes overly excited and jumps on children passing by on the sidewalk.
- Place a baby gate across the front door. When you are continuously opening and closing the door for trick-or-treaters, dogs and cats can very quickly escape. Use a baby gate across the front door to ensure this won’t happen. Be sure your pets are wearing their collars and microchiped in the event they do escape and become lost.
- Wait outside for trick-or-treaters. Hand out treats from your porch. This is a great way to enjoy the fresh air and it elevates the stress on your dog from the constant ringing of your door bell. Some children can become frightened of barking dogs.
- Pet costumes. Make sure the costume you put on your pet is comfortable and they enjoy wearing it. Repeat this little exercise a few weeks prior to Halloween; you can make it fun for your pet by feeding yummypet treats while putting the costume on and taking it off. If you have a puppy this is a great way to teach handling. Be sure their vision is unobstructed as well as their hearing. Avoid tying anything around your pet’s neck to prevent choking.
- After dark.If you do take your Dog out trick-or-treating with the kids; add reflective tape to your Dogs costume. Be sure they are wearing up to date Dog tags.
- Keep candy out of reach. Children love to dump their loot of candy all over the floor to check out what they received. If your pet has a chance to get into it you could be spending Halloween at the Vet emergency clinic. Chocolate and raisins are toxic to pets!
Follow these tips and have a safe and happy Halloween!
Written by
Laura Scarfo
www.homecheckpetcareservices.com
