Halloween is one of my favorite holidays of the year becasue it involves everything a holiday should – fun, silly, and chocolate.
Halloween also happens to be the day we adopted Boo –click here for that story.
The air is crisp and kids are running around super energized and dressed strangely. There are knocks on your door constantly and there’s food being handed out from bowls that are probably at dog height.
Where to put the candy?
The bowl of candy (we know is mostly chocolate) should be up and away from the dog. Your dog should not be able to reach it by jumping or putting his paws up, or knocking it over.
Halloween activities are all great fun for us, but can you think of a combination of things that could put a dog more on-edge? (Unless, of course, you added firecrackers into the mix?)
One of the reason we like holidays so much is that they are a departure from the norm of everyday life. We do different things. We adopt different schedules. For a large number of dogs an unexpected change in routine is like fingernails on a blackboard and can set off a spiral of stress-related, unhealthy behaviors. Watch your dog for signs of stress so you can give them a break from the merry making.
Your dog doesn’t need to be right by the door. Have your dog in another room as far from the door as possible. Give your dog a stuffed kong, filled Pupsicle, or other puzzle toys so he/she is happily occupied. A stuffed bone, or goat or lamb horn would be good too.
I have written a number of blog posts on anxiety aids and are a few of my favorite OTC anti-anxiety supports.
If none of the anxiety aids or toys help and it seems like your dog is having a canine panic attack, you will want to consult your veterinarian and or a veterinarian behaviorist who can prescribe medication to help your dog (or cat, too) through these stressful holidays.
Then it will be time to call a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and/or a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant so you can work on skills and exercises for next year. So, you and your dog can have a…
Happy Halloween!!!
