Dog Safety On Halloween

With Halloween right around the corner, it's time to plan for your dog's safety. With the fun of trick or treating, scary movies, dressing up, and haunted houses, dog safety may be something you've not carefully considered, but this is very important. Every Halloween there are reports of animals being tortured and even killed. That's why it is important to keep your dog and cats indoors, especially on Halloween. Dog's left outside can also be frightened, teased, or even stolen. This is the most important tip of all, keep your dog safely indoors on Halloween!

Most dog owners are aware of this, but just in case you're not, chocolate is poisonous to dogs. It's not a good idea to give candy to dogs. Dogs could choke on some hard candy and lollipop sticks, and tin foil wrappers can get stuck in their digestive tract.

Understand that many dogs are not interested in dressing up for Halloween, and it could cause undue stress. Do not make your dog wear a Halloween costume, especially if it makes your dog feel uncomfortable or nervous. It may be cute, but it's just not worth it, if it makes your dog unhappy.

Trick or treaters coming to your door, is another consideration. Constant doorbell ringing and noisy kids coming to your door can be stressful, for even the most well adjusted dog. In this type of situation, a dog may feel fearful and protective, and would be more likely to bite. You will also want to make sure your dog doesn't dart out the door, while you're handing out candy. That's why I put a lock on my gate so the trick or treaters can't get in. Ha Ha, I'm the Halloween scrooge, I know. But if you do hand out candy, plan ahead to keep your dog safe.