Front Door Fright Nite
Whatever your 2022 Halloween plans are, I hope you and your pets stay safe this Halloween.
If you have a dog who loves children and dogs in costumes standing at your front door, you essentially have a unicorn. We are all jealous of you. If you have a dog like the rest of us, let’s make a plan for Halloween.
Canine Costumes. If you’re considering dressing up your dog, try before you buy. Put a tee shirt on your dog. Does your dog freeze or wag his body from the shoulders back? A freeze indicates your dog is uncomfortable and wiggly wags from the shoulders back indicates a dog who is comfortable. If your dog freezes, don’t dress him up. Take a cute picture next to some Halloween decorations instead. Add a hat or costume to the picture with emojis. If your dog loves being dressed up, keep it simple. Look for a costume similar to a tee shirt that doesn’t obstruct his vision or ability to move.
Trick or Treat. Should you take your dog trick or treating? That depends on your dog. Dogs notice movement. There is a lot of frenetic movement during trick or treating. Some Halloween decorations pop out and make noises for jump scares. People’s shadowy silhouettes change when they wear costumes. These strange sights and sounds could lead to a mutt meltdown. It takes an incredibly social dog to handle fright nite nonplussed.
Who’s there? Should your dog be at the front door while you give out candy? If your dog has a bombproof sit/stay, is quiet with doorbells/knocking, and is the unicorn who loves seeing children and dogs in costumes, then maybe yes. If not, put your dog in a bedroom or crate with a frozen stuffed food puzzle. Play some Through a Dog’s Ear music to mask the sounds of the doorbell and knocking.
Let’s socialize! We host a Halloween porch party every year. We invite neighbors over to sit in our driveway with us and hand out candy (thus avoiding door knocks and doorbells). We have an outdoor table with chili, snacks, and drinks for our friends. Our dog stays inside working on her frozen stuffed food puzzle, blissfully unaware of the creature features outside.
Halloween is a strange time, especially for our dogs. Don’t be afraid to let them sit this one out if they’re not up for a howling good time. Sorry, not sorry.