Halloween and Fireworks night can be an incredibly fun time of year for many of us but not really for our pets as many can be left feeling stressed and anxious. Our dogs should be members of our families who take part in almost everything we do. However, there are steps that owners must take to manage dogs on Halloween and fireworks night to ensure they cope safely.
Read on to learn more.
Adapt Your Routine
The end of October and the beginning of November are celebratory times for millions of people across the world. The streets will be filled with children in fancy dress, and there will be lots of loud noise with fireworks going off.
All of this can be very frightening for dogs, especially those with more nervous temperaments. For this reason, it’s important that you’re prepared to adapt your routine at this time. Take your dog out for their evening walk earlier than usual, while the streets are still quiet. If you do bump into some Halloween guisers on your walk, make sure you’ve got some treats to hand to distract your dog.
When you’re back at home, there might be visitors at your door looking for sweets. Give your dog their evening meal earlier than usual. This way they can eat in peace without being disturbed by any potential visitors you might receive.
Safe Place
Give your dog a safe quiet place to hide particularly when fireworks are being used This could be a dog crate or the bottom of a wardrobe – anywhere your dog feels safe Turn up the TV or radio to help disguise the noise of the fireworks going off outside.
Don’t Dress Up Your Dog
As tempting as it might be to dress up your dog in something Halloween-themed, this is definitely something you should avoid doing. Dogs don’t understand the concept of dressing up or wearing clothes at all, and doing so can leave them feeling stressed, uncomfortable and unhappy.
Dressing up dogs on Halloween can be dangerous and definitely isn’t worth the photo opportunity.
If your dog is particularly sensitive to strangers at the door, it might be worth securing them in another room. Or you could put up a sign discouraging people from visiting your home as it may upset your dog.
Keep Sweets Out of Reach
For many people, the best part of Halloween is the near-endless supply of sweets, treats and chocolates. If you’ve got children, they will no doubt return home with armfuls of sugary snacks, often enough to last them through Christmas.
However, while we all enjoy indulging on some Halloween candy, human sweets can be extremely toxic to dogs, especially those containing chocolate. It’s absolutely essential that you secure all Halloween sweets away where your dog can’t access them.
Conclusion.
Halloween and fireworks are enjoyed by some people but it is fair to say many animals especially our dogs do not feel the same A bit of forward planning can help enormously with reducing their potential stress and anxiety.