Halloween is coming! The 31st October is a very exciting time, especially for the little people in our lives. The sales of pumpkins and sweets go through the roof; strange and scary costumes abound and (despite the illegalities of both) the aroma of bonfires and the noise of fireworks will be ever present through much of Ireland.
It is not however, such a fun an exciting time for our real best friends, aka our dogs and other family pets. In fact, if dogs could talk, I would suspect, the 31st October is the worst date on the calendar, one that brings fear to many of them every year.
So what can we do, to help our dogs this Halloween. In this post we discuss how we can keep them safe, secure, calm and healthy, ensuring everyone in your household has a ghoulishly great time!
Top tips:
- Keep your dog safe. Ensure they are in a room they are comfortable in and they cannot get out of
- Don’t leave your dog outside, loud noises can be very scary to dogs
- If you normally take your dog for a walk at night consider doing this earlier in the day when there will be less fireworks and bonfires
- Ensure your dog is wearing a collar on the off chance they do get out they can hopefully be easily returned to you
- Keep your dog away from the door – the site of strangers in weird clothing and lots of noise can be unsettling
- Don’t be tempted to give your Dog chocolate. Chocolate poisoning in dogs is unpleasant and potentially fatal for your pet. The toxic component of chocolate is theobromine and dogs cannot easily metabolise this
- Don’t keep lit pumpkins around your house as your dog could easily knock them over presenting a real fire hazard
- Don’t dress your pet up and less you know they are comfortable in clothing
- If you know your dog gets stressed by the sound of fireworks talk to your vet. Medication exists as do anxiety vests that can help keep your dog calm
- Don’t take your dog out trick or treating. They are not going to appreciate these unfamiliar sites and noises
- Don’t let your dogs near bonfires or fireworks
If you follow these tips, Halloween needn’t be a frightening or unsettling time for your dog at all.
If you do other things for your dog that help them through Halloween, we not head over to our Facebook page and post with the hashtag #dogshalloween