SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

Skeletons Out of the Closet:

Halloween and Dogs

Halloween is coming sooner than you think. You and your dog are likely already encountering spooky decorations on your walks. 

Even the most confident dogs can be thrown for a loop when the front of the house on the corner has a giant inflatable cat in front of it and starts playing Monster Mash at top volume when you walk by. If your pups have never experienced Halloween before this may be an especially big surprise.

Remember that your prime directive is to keep your pups feeling safe and secure. If they think something is scary you can support them through it. Support can look like:

• Turning around or crossing the street so your dog can move away from something scary

• Always carrying high value foods on walks so you can feed them (counter condition) to scary things

• Running past something so the exposure is shorter

• Choosing walking routes that are quieter and less well-decorated

• Changing the time of day when you walk so that decorations aren't powered up and at their scariest.

Especially at Halloween, please make sure that your dog is always wearing tags with updated information, is microchipped, and the chip is properly registered to you. Check your leashes, collars, and harnesses regularly to be sure that they fasten securely and that if any one piece of equipment fails, you are still attached to your pup.

If you need help, please fill out the contact form so I can support you while you support your pup!