10 Halloween Safety Tips for Dog Owners

With Halloween right around the corner, you’re probably thinking about buying costumes, decorating your house, and buying candy to hand out to all of the trick-or-treaters who are going to be stopping by your house. But, with Fido around, there are some important things to keep in mind to ensure that your pooch is safe and happy on Halloween night.

Here are our most important Halloween safety tips.

1. ID Tags

If you are going to be opening up your door over and over again all evening greeting trick-or-treaters at your door, make sure your dog has up-to-date ID tags on their collar or is microchipped. As the door continues to get opened, it can look like an easy escape route for your pup, and if they do manage to sneak away, you’ll want to ensure that they are able to be easily identified so they can be returned home safe and sound.

2. Prepare Beforehand

If your dog is likely to bolt out the door, gets skittish around strangers or large groups of people, or goes crazy when someone knocks or rings the doorbell, prepare for the night beforehand. Make sure your pup gets plenty of exercise during the day to get them extra tired for the night, get them a good toy or bone to chew on throughout the evening or consider dedicating an area of your house where they can be far away from the commotion. You can put them in their crate or playpen, or just lock the door and turn the TV on for them.

3. Don’t Let Fido Have Candy

There are many different human foods that dogs love and can enjoy safely. Unfortunately, candy is not on that list, especially chocolate. Chocolate and other ingredients in candy cane are extremely toxic to dogs so it’s important to keep all candy out of their reach. Keep your candy bowl up high, keep an eye on trick-or-treaters who may want to feed your pup, and make sure they don’t get any candy that may have fallen to the floor.

4. Have Some Treats on Hand

Halloween night may be very stressful for your dog and may be a lot of practice for all that training you have done with your pup. Make sure you have some of their favorite treats on hand so you can continue to reward Fido for all of their good behavior.

5. Don’t Let Your Costume Scare Them

Along with all of the other changes, this night may bring, don’t let your costume be an added stressor to your pup. They are used to seeing you a certain way and a costume may scare them a little. To avoid any anxiety, put your costume on a few times before Halloween so they can see you in it, and on Halloween, put your costume on a few hours before the activities start. This way by the time the holiday kicks off, your pup will be totally comfortable with your attire.

6. Do A Costume Try-On

If you got Fido a costume this year, don’t let Halloween might be the first time they have ever put it on. In the days and weeks leading up to this holiday, let your pup slowly get used to this new outfit. Lay it out in their area so they can smell it and get used to it that way. Reward them for good behavior and then go ahead and try to get them into it. Gently put the costume on and let them get used to having it on their bodies. Look for signs of discomfort in your pet. If you can see that their body language is saying they don’t like it, take the costume off and maybe consider letting your dog go costume-free on Halloween night. After all, their comfort is more important.

7. Prepare the Kids

If you have an army of kids coming over to celebrate, this could be pretty overwhelming for your pup. To help ease anxiety, introduce each of the kids to your pup one at a time so they can recognize the smell of each person and feel safe.

8. Reduce the Noise

If loud noises like doorbells and knocking create anxiety for your dog, consider making some changes to your porch. You could try disconnecting your doorbell or placing a sign on your front porch asking guests to knock quietly. You could also set up camp on your porch and sit outside to enjoy the night. This way no one needs to knock on the door and Fido can hang out outside with you, or stay inside away from the hustle and bustle.

9. Be Mindful of Decor

Halloween decorations are lots of fun and help people get in the mood for the holiday. But be careful of what you put in Fido’s reach. If your pup has a tendency to chew, make sure all of your Halloween decorations are out of reach so they don’t accidentally eat something bad for them. Also, even though jack-o-lanterns are super spooky and fun decorations, having lit candles and your furry friends’ level is a recipe for disaster so keep those up high too.

10. Stay in Tune With Fido

You can’t possibly plan for everything that could potentially happen on Halloween night so just remember to stay aware and keep a watchful eye on your pup to ensure a safe and happy Halloween.

If you follow these safety tips you are sure to have a great night and if you don’t know what Fido is going to be for Halloween just yet, check out these dog Halloween costume ideas. Happy Halloween!