A Barking Good Halloween!

How will your pet celebrate Halloween?  Like many pet parents, we delight in selecting costumes for our dogs that suit their personalities.  From the warlock costume worn by our Weiner-dog who keeps visitors spellbound with his tricks, to the black and white striped convict costume worn by our mischief-making Staffordshire Terrier - our pet costumes make a statement!

Halloween is overwhelming on the senses for many humans…imagine all the new and strange sights, sounds and scents that your pet pal experiences!  Here are a few tips for a "spooktacular" evening:

Take extra care when opening the door to trick-or-treaters if your dog is an escape artist.  You may want to keep your dog on a lead and ask him/her to sit nicely each time the door opens.  The lead should keep him/her from darting out the door or knocking down small children in his/her excitement.  Halloween is a holiday of treats, so you may even want to reward your pup's good behavior with a tasty treat after each costumed visitor. 

Halloween candy is delicious and your dog thinks so too.  But candy, in particular chocolate, is NOT good for dogs.  In fact, chocolate is poisonous to dogs and can lead to death if enough is consumed.   Hyperactivity is one of the early signs that a dog has consumed a toxic amount of chocolate.  Other early symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, and these may not exhibit immediately, but the following day.  If your dog consumed chocolate, seek immediate emergency veterinary care.

Anxious or nervous pets need special attention.  Pet anxiety can cause undesirable behaviors such as barking, chewing, clawing and the general ruin of furniture.  It can be helpful to remove your dog from the situation entirely and keep him/her away from all the trick-or-treat action.  If you're looking for special products to help with this problem, learn more about Calming XL for Dogs or check out one of the newest products on the market - the Thundershirt, which is similar to a coat for your dog, yet exerts gentle pressure to calm him or her.

Have a Happy & Safe HOWLoween!

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