Halloween can present many hazards to our dogs, whether we stay home passing out candy or if we take them out with us trick or treating. Although I wouldn’t suggest taking your dog with you trick or treating, I have seen first hand many people do so. If you are going to take your dog with you, do you know how to keep your dog safe when trick or treating?
5 suggestions on how to keep your dog safe when trick or treating
- Make sure your dog is wearing reflective gear, such as a reflective harness, collar, or flashing lights so others can easily see your dog in the dark. You want your dog to be view-able to people driving cars as well as adults or kids who are out walking. Amazon has a variety of reflective harnesses, collars and leashes to choose from for your fur-kids.
- Keep your dog on a short leash so you can control and watch where he/she is going.
- Do not allow kids or other people to come up to your dog unless your dog likes interaction from strangers. You may also want to make sure the child or adult approaching your dog knows how to properly introduce themselves to your pooch before petting him or her.
- Bring a bright flash light to help keep your dog view-able and to point on the ground where your dog is walking. This will help ensure your dog is not eating any candy or Halloween decorations that can cause harm. If you see or think your dog ate chocolate, you should take your dog to your Veterinarian or closet Emergency Pet Hospital. Chocolate can be toxic to dogs. Check out this Dog Chocolate Toxicity Meter article on petMD to learn about symptoms to look for based on your dogs weight and the type of chocolate ingested. You can also call the Pet Poison Helpline. By clicking on this link for the Pet Poison Helpline, you can read more about signs to watch for if you pet eats chocolate and you can read information on how the Pet Poison Helpline can help you over the phone for a nominal fee.
- When you walk up to people’s front doors, do not let your dog near the entry way. You never know if there will be a dog on the opposite side of the door who is friendly. You also do not know if the person opening the door is allergic or afraid of dogs.
If you would like other suggestions for how to celebrate Halloween with your furry companion, you may like our article on 5 Fun And Easy Ways To Celebrate Halloween With Your Dog.
Do you take your dog trick or treating with you? If you do, do you have any other suggestions on how to keep your dog safe when trick or treating?
*This blog was updated in October 2017.*