While Halloween is a lot of fun for kids and kids at heart, trick-or-treating night can be difficult for our dogs. There are many strange noises, sights and activity, and sometimes dogs are forced to wear costumes they do not like. Some dogs enjoy seeing the trick-or-treaters but can be prone to jumping on them and barking at them, especially since they may be wearing funny outfits. If the doorbell causes your dog to become stressed – even good stress – having it go off very often, can cause your dog to remain in a heightened state of alert and elevated heartrate…which means a higher likelihood to react in barking, jumping, lunging, or growling or worse.
Below are some tips for minimizing your dog’s stress this Halloween.
Plan ahead for trick-or-treating.
(More on this is also in topics below) If you are planning on your dog wearing a Halloween costume (or wearing one in advance of the holidays), please see my separate post on those considerations.
While I don’t recommend your dog greeting the children, if you are planning on it, practice teaching your dog manners behaviors prior to Halloween – and be prepared to make a decision that night to remove your dog if it is too much.
Practice ahead of the holiday recognizing how your dog communicates stress so that you know when to redirect or remove your dog from a situation. I have more on dog body language including videos in this post.
If your dog has a history of being stressed with loud noises and sights, you may also want to talk with your vet about situational anti-anxiety medication.
On the day of Halloween, give your dog more mental and physical exercise before evening.
Prepare food stuffed toys and chewing toys to have available on Halloween evening.
The best place for your dog on Halloween is AWAY from your young visitors.
Remember, even dogs who are not frightened by costumes and noises can become over stimulated by the constant barrage of trick-or-treaters ringing your doorbell and then standing and/or talking (or yelling) just outside. You may also get trick-or-treaters who are either frightened by your dog or who try to grab your dog. Your dog may also try to grab at costumes. Better to be safe than sorry.
On Halloween, sit outside with your candy.
Instead of having kids ring your doorbell repeatedly, consider sitting at your street with your candy. In addition to the fun you will have seeing the activity, your dog will not have to hear the scary and stimulating noises.
If you do want your dog to see the Halloween trick-or-treaters, practice teaching your puppy or dog positive associations with the sight of costumes and decorations in advance.
Just in case your dog or puppy sees costumes and yard decorations (more than likely your pet will see them before they head out to the streets), you can begin the process of teaching your pet a feel-good response to seeing the strange sights long before the holiday. Gradually expose your pet to that potentially scary thing, only at a pace where your dog still has loose muscles, and pair the sight with something of high value to your dog like food. If I can be of help to you in doing this, please reach out for support.
Teach your dog manners behaviors IN ADVANCE of Halloween.
Again, if your dog is going to greet trick-or-treaters (I do not recommend this), I encourage your to teach your dog his manners behaviors before the busy night with a lot of practice using positive reinforcement and increasing difficult distractions. If you have not taught your dog these behaviors in advance, the time to do it is NOT on Halloween night. It is still a good idea to have your dog on a leash when the doorbell rings. You are better off having your dog behind a gate, in another room, in a crate (if your dog is comfortable in a crate), on a leash that is held by someone away from the door, or out of your house.
My interview on Cincinnati WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle about Halloween and dogs:
