Episode 2 - Dogs and Halloween

Show Notes

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Preparing your pup for people in costumes and approaching your home

• Begin the the process early, you should start the process a few weeks in advance.

• Practice having people come to your door and ring the bell

• Install a baby gate to keep pups away from the door

• Create a pet space. A spot for your pup to go when people come to the door, alway reward your pup with a high value treat for going to their spot. Lauren talks about the dog bed Sassy sits on when people come to the door. Sassy is always rewarded with treats for sitting patiently!

• Slowly introduce your pets to your Halloween costumes, first just on a hanger. When they are comfortable and will approach you while holding it then you can put it on. Allow your pup to get used to it and approach you on their own. If at any point they are nervous, go back to the previous step and try again.

• Always have a plan B. If your pup is not ready to have people come to the door in costume, find a room for them to hang out in away from the door. You can turn the radio up or TV on to drown out some of the noise.

Dogs and Costumes

• Choose the right costume for your pup! They should have free range of motion and their tail should not be confined in any way. They should also have the ability to relieve themselves while in the costume.

• Slowly introduce your pet to their costume. You should allow them to feel safe around it prior to putting it on and always use treats when they are comfortable to approach it.

• Slowly introduce putting the costume on your pup, use treats and praise. If at any point your pup is uncomfortable stop and go back to the previous step and try again.

• Never leave the costume on too long!

Desensitize your dog to face masks

• Prepare your pup for seeing you and others with facemasks on. Dogs are used to reading our faces for clues and it is difficult while our mouths are covered.

• Introduce your pup to the facemask before you are wearing it. Once they are used to it off of you, put it on and reinforce positive behavior. A good tip is having them watch you put it on as well.

• Don’t forget about your cats! Make sure your kitties are desensitized to seeing humans in masks as well.

Dangers of Candy and Dogs

• The week of Halloween is the busiest time for calls to the pet poison hotline.

• Chocolate is very poisonous to dogs, the darker and more bitter, the more poisonous. Dogs are naturally attracted to the scent of chocolate and you must keep away from pets.

• Candy or any treat that is high in sugar and high in fat can cause pancreatitis in dogs and may take a few days present. Since dogs don’t bother to unwrap candy before they eat it, candy wrappers can cause blockages in the digestive system and potentially can be fatal.

• Xylitol is an artificial sweetener and is extremely poisonous to dogs. Xylitol causes severe low blood sugar that can occur within as little as 10 minutes. Peanut Butter is a great treat for pups, but a lot of brands of peanut butter have Xylitol in it and you should always check the label before giving your pups a lick.

​​If you have questions you would like to hear answered or ideas for topic you would like Lauren to dive into, email us podcast@petpawcast.com

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