10 Halloween Safety Tips For Your Dog

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Halloween is a favorite time of the year for many people, old and young. Kids love dressing up as their favorite TV characters and going house to house collecting all kinds of delicious treats. During all of the excitement, we have to keep safety in mind and this includes Halloween safety tips for your dog.

Halloween Safety Tips For Your Dog

1.  Exercise your dog.

If you live in a neighborhood with lots of kids, Halloween night will be a very busy time for you. Kids will constantly be coming and going and knocking on your door. The old saying, “A good dog is a tired dog.” comes to mind for this occasion. Before the trick or treaters arrive,  take your dog for a walk or a good run. Get his energy out. Hopefully he will sleep most of the night away or at least have less energy when the trick or treaters start arriving.

2.  Keep your dog on a leash.

Some dogs get overly excited when the doorbell rings. Some try to charge out the door as soon as it opens. If this sounds like your dog,  keep him on a leash or put him in another room while the trick or treaters are arriving. Some dogs may enjoy seeing all of the trick or treaters, those dogs can be put in a sit stay on their dog bed while the door is opening and closing. Only allow your dog to approach trick or treaters after asking their permission as some children may have a fear of dogs. The safety of everyone involved has to be considered.

3. Put dogs that are stressed by strangers in another room.

For a dog that is nervous of strangers, Halloween can be a stressful evening. If your dog is not good with strangers or people coming to your door, the safest place for him is in a room without access to your door. Put on the TV or some relaxing music, give him his favorite toys and his dog bed. If your dog can’t handle this, then put your treats out on your front step and let the trick or treaters help themselves. When you run out of treats, turn out the lights. As a responsible pet owner, you have to do what is best for your pet, as well as the safety of the trick or treaters.

4.  Use pet friendly decorations or keep them out of reach.

Think carefully about your Halloween decorations. Make sure that anything that your dog would want to chew or eat is not within his reach. Use a battery operated candle in your jack-o-lantern instead of a candle to prevent a fire hazard. Keep your treat bowl out of the reach of your dog. Keep any garlands or spider web decorations up high so that they aren’t a temptation for your dog. The last thing you need is an emergency trip to the vet so keep your dog’s safety in mind when decorating.

5.  Get your dog used to his costume before Halloween.

If you plan on taking your dog out trick or treating with you, try his costume on a few days in advance. Make sure that the costume fits your dog properly and that he can move freely and see where he is going while wearing his costume. If your dog does not like his costume and doesn’t seem to get used to it, you may want to leave the costume at home, no matter how cute it looks.

6.  Be visible to drivers.

Use a reflective collar and leash so that your dog is visible to drivers.   There are collars that light up which can also be a good option. When having your dog out on Halloween night, make sure that he doesn’t get spooked and is clearly visible to anyone driving by.

7.  Be cautious of children.

Be cautious of children running up to your dog when he isn’t expecting it. Fill your pocket with dog treats just in case you need to distract or redirect your dog. Children are drawn to dogs and in the excitement, they can forget how to properly approach a dog. Always keep your focus on your dog to prevent him from getting spooked by a child that approaches him expectantly.

8. Keep Halloween treats out of reach.

Keep your Halloween treats away from your dog. Never let your treat bag lay around where your dog can grab it. Some Halloween treats can be toxic to dogs. Even the treats that aren’t toxic can cause an upset stomach in your dog. Keep your treats in a pantry or cupboard well out of his reach to prevent him from eating them and getting sick.

9.  Use dog ID or GPS tracker.

Make sure that your dog is wearing ID. Put your dog’s name tag on his collar and be sure that it has his name, your name and your phone number on it. If your dog gets lost, his dog tag can help the people who find him get him back to you. There are also GPS trackers that you can get and attach to your dog’s collars. These trackers can be very handy if your dog ever gets lost.

10.  Keep your dog inside.

Do not leave your dog outside on Halloween night even if you have a fenced in yard. There will be a lot of people out on Halloween night; the safest place for your dog is safely inside your home. If he needs to go outside for a pee break, put him on a leash to take him outside. If you have a fenced in yard, go outside with him and bring him back in when he is finished.

With keeping these Halloween safety tips for your dog in mind, Halloween can be a fun event for all involved, including your dog!