20 Halloween Tips for Dog Owners

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

courtesy S. Gilbert

During our #Coupaween Twitter Party, I shared a good many Halloween safety tips, alongside Arden Moore's expert tips. I've combined some of our tips to make this a quicker read that is even more helpful.

If you missed the party, or simply found it tough to keep up, I hope the following tips will get put to good use on Halloween evening or if you have a themed party. Feel free to leave your additional thoughts in comments below.

1. Avoid K9 bolters by keeping dogs on leashes or in a closed room when you green trick-or-treaters.
2. Make sure your pet sports a reflective collar for visibility with ID tags, name, your cell phone number and microchip.
3. When opting for costume wear, check for fit and comfort. Do a dress rehearsal a few days early to allow time for modifications.
4. Have important numbers available: vet, ER vet, ASPCA poison control hotline.
5. Making your pet's costume yourself? Avoid buttons or small items that can be swallowed.
6. Consider pet's visibility when selecting costumes. Dogs may be more easily frightened when they cannot see well.
7. When checking for fit, also look at body language. Nothing too tight?
8. Simple, yet stylish goes a long way. Velcro bow ties or pleated tuxedos on male dogs is very dapper.
9. When taking Fido out to trick-or-treat, choose light-colored costumes for best visibility by others.
10. Black costumes are very hard to see in the dark AND difficult to recognize when worn on a black dog. Choose contrasting color to your dog's fur.
11. Dogs will often hang their head when extremely unhappy with costume. Consider removing headpiece or footwear.
12. Be sure costumes are made of breathable fabric and are fire retardant.
13. Help your dog become more comfortable with costume by daily practice with treats and praise. Go slow!
14. Reduce stress by treating your dog to a brisk walk before sundown on Halloween eve.
15. Associate costume with pleasurable activity by letting Fido wear it while eating.
16. Dogs who won't wear costumes will often tolerate a bandana, reflective collar or collar light.
17. ONLY take well-socialized dogs on house to house trick-or-treating.
18. Candy and wrappers all out of reach!
19. Candles are dangerous. Choose battery-operated versions for safety.
20. Simplify costumes by using only the key components. Example: Wizard of Oz's Dorothy's red slippers can be easily made to slip over dog's paws without being slippers. Think out of the box!

Happy Halloween,