Have a Safe Halloween with Your Dog

Halloween and Holiday Safety for Pets

A lot of us enjoy Halloween and we want to include our pets in the fun, but we must be careful because our pets can become scared by all the noises, strange costumes and visitors coming to the door. Plan ahead for the holiday, if your pet is prone to bolt out the door, then confinement to a back bedroom may be necessary. Be safe by making sure your pet has an ID tag, microchip or even a GPS tracker in case he escapes or gets lost.

Halloween has the highest incidence of lost dogs, injuries from car accidents, and accidental poisoinings than any other holiday. The Halloween holiday has a higher number of dog bites to children and to people the dog is normally social around. You are responsible for controlling your pet and protecting him from escape or biting the little ghouls and goblins that come knocking at your door.
Halloween costumes can be scary to or pets. Be careful that your dog won’t be scared or try to attack the stranger in the costume. Even if your dog is familiar with a person, a hat or mask can confuse your dog or trigger territorial instincts. Even my own dog, Jake, did not like the “monster” that had swallowed my son and tried to pull the costume off of him. We had to take our son with the coustume in a bag to his friends house to change and go trick or treating. We also tried to put a costume on Jake, and he did not tolerate that well either. Some dogs love it and some dogs loathe it.

If you want your dog to wear a costume for Halloween, make sure he is comfortable at all times. Avoid costumes that use rubber bands or can restrict circulation or breathing. Be watchfull for any toxic paints or dyes. You may want to dress him up a few days earlier to get him used to the idea rather than wait for Halloween when all the excitment is at its highest. If your pet is uncomfortable in any way, get a quick picture, then let him “Trick or Treat” in his “birthday suit”.
Once your child returns with their goody bag, be sure to place the treats far out of reach of your pet. Not only is chocolate toxic to dogs, but they can also consume the wrappers and sticks. Also, watch your treat bowl. A treat bowl filled with goodies is tempting to your pet.By keeping your pet safe this Halloween, you can avoid a costly trip to the animal emergency hospital.
Halloween can be fun for you and your pet with a little safety planning and protecting him from escape, injury or accidental poisoning.

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