Keeping Your Dog Safe On Halloween

Oct. 26, 2007 - PRLog -- Fall is in the air, the leaves are blowing and pumpkins are piling up around the neighborhood.   That must mean it’s time for ghost and goblins.   It is fun to dress up in a costume and play pretend for a while.  Keep in mind that dogs and pets don’t always find an evening of tricks and treats as thrilling as we do.  Dogologie would like to stress for everyone to think safety first when planning for any dog or pet related festivities.
So you want to enter the neighborhood costume contest and fido is going with you. There are some basic common sense things that we have all probably heard at least a million times in relevance to kids.   Make sure your dog can breathe and the costume does not construct any airways.    Check the weather and warmth of the outfit.  Do not overheat your dog.  Next check out how figure friendly the costume is.  Check to see if it restricts movement.  

Be sensitive to the comfort level of your dog.  Not all dogs will accept wearing foreign objects and you need to be willing to let it go.  Help your dog adjust to dressing up by slowly acclimating the costume.  Let your dog where it at home for short periods before you decide to head down the street.
Now that you have dressing down, there are a few other things to keep in mind.  Normally good-natured dogs may be very leery of children in costumes, and it is a good idea to prohibit children from hugging, cornering, or otherwise being too forward with your dog.  Dogs should be supervised by an adult and on a leash at all times.   If you are taking your dog along for trick or treating, keep them with you at the bottom of the drive as any resident dogs will be overly emotional about their territory, especially on this evening.  Any evening you are out in the dark, be sure to have reflectors and lights on your and the dog.  There are some great collars and leads with built in lights and reflectors.

Will you be hosting a party?  Keep your dog away from the door if you are hosting a party or are expecting trick-or-treaters. Even if your dog is not easily aroused to territorial barking, avoid over stimulation by restricting him to another area of the house. Even a friendly dog's booming alert bark may be quite frightening to children, and you want to do all you can to reduce the risk that your dog may do something crazy or harmful to someone.

It's nice to want to include your dog in activities, most dogs are happier in the quiet comfort of their home.  Don't leave your dog unattended outside on Halloween. Even dogs contained in fenced yards are not necessarily safe. Candy, and other materials may be thrown at dog and consumed. Mischievous youths may leave fence gates ajar or enter fenced areas, even if "beware of dog" signs are posted. Make sure your dog does not have unsupervised access to visitors, nor they to him.

Be careful about what your dog eats on Halloween. Candy can make any of us nauseous in sufficient amounts, and dogs generally eat wrapper and all. Chocolate, in particular, is toxic to dogs. Some dogs will find Halloween make-up, candles, and other small-sized items appealing and try to eat them. The day after Halloween, you may find broken eggs strewn on lawns and streets. All of these temptations are items that your dog should not be allowed to eat.

Remember that dogs don't grasp that Halloween is a holiday, and they may find throngs of loud, raucous, peculiarly-costumed children genuinely frightening and traumatic. Be sensitive to your dog's stress level and safety, and have a Happy Halloween!  If you have any questions about dog costumes or other safety issues contact Dogologie at events@dogologie.com.

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