• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Animal Behavior College

Animal Behavior College

Where Animal Lovers Pursue Animal Careers

Feefo logo
Live chat
Live chat
800-795-3294
  • Alumni Login
    • Dog Obedience Program Alumni
    • Cat Training Program Alumni
    • Grooming Instruction Program Alumni
    • Veterinary Assistant Program Alumni
    • Veterinary Assistant Program (Canada)
    • Aquarium Maintenance Program Alumni
  • Student Login
    • Cat Training Program
    • Dog Obedience Program
    • Grooming Instruction Program
    • Veterinary Assistant Program
    • Veterinary Assistant Program (Canada)
    • Aquarium Maintenance Program
    • Zookeeper Assistant Program
MENUMENU
  • Programs
    • Dog Training School
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Career
      • Certification
      • Success Stories
      • Students Saving Lives
      • Find A Dog Trainer
    • Veterinary Assistant School
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Careers
      • Success Stories
    • Pet Grooming School
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Careers
      • Success Stories
      • Find A Pet Groomer
    • On Campus Dog Trainer
      • Traditional Classroom Environment in Los Angeles California
    • Continuing Education
      • Short Term Programs
    • Cat Training School
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Careers
    • Aquarium Maintenance School
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Career
    • Zookeeper Assistant School
      • Tuition
      • Curriculum
      • Alumni Benefits
      • Career
  • Military Benefits
  • GI Bill® Benefits
  • Locations
  • About ABC
        • About Animal Behavior College
        • Our Expert Faculty
        • Press, News & Info
        • Press Releases
        • BPPE Disclosures
        • Contact Us
        • Why ABC?
        • Students Saving Lives
        • Licensure, Ratings & Approvals
        • Sponsors & Associates
        • Post a Job
        • Search for a Job
  • Blog
  • Alumni Login
    • Dog Obedience Program Alumni
    • Cat Training Program Alumni
    • Grooming Instruction Program Alumni
    • Veterinary Assistant Program Alumni
    • Veterinary Assistant Program (Canada)
    • Aquarium Maintenance Program Alumni
  • Student Login
    • Cat Training Program
    • Dog Obedience Program
    • Grooming Instruction Program
    • Veterinary Assistant Program
    • Veterinary Assistant Program (Canada)
    • Aquarium Maintenance Program
Home » Pet Words » Safe Halloween for Your Dog

Safe Halloween for Your Dog

With these precautions, your dog can have a howling good time.

By Audrey Pavia

Halloween is a fun time for kids and grown-ups alike, but it can be scary and even dangerous for pets. You can keep your dog safe this year—and even enjoy his participation—by following some precautions.

Trick-or-treaters can be a real hoot, but all that door-knocking and bell ringing can drive your dog crazy. To prevent your dog from barking all night and stressing out over the strangely clad visitors, consider keeping him in a back room of your house or apartment. Leave a radio or TV on to help block out the noise, and give him something to chew on to divert his attention. If your dog is particularly high-strung, consider administering a dose of a natural calming product to help ease his anxiety. (Rescue Remedy is one such product, available in health food  and pet stores.)

If you won’t be home on Halloween, keep your dog inside the house or locked in a garage while you are away. Dogs can become frightened by all the activity on the street and can escape from a yard. They also need to be protected from pranksters, who might gain access to them from a gate. Turn the lights off in your house so trick-or-treaters will avoid your home in your absence.

If you plan to take your dog trick-or-treating with the family (a good idea only if your pooch is friendly to strangers, well-behaved and not easily stressed), be sure to fit him with a secure collar and ID tag. Keep him on leash at all times for his safety and the safety of others. If he will be wearing a costume, make sure he’s not upset about wearing it and that it’s comfortable. Watch out for strings, straps and any other part of the costume that might restrict your dog’s movement or sight, or wrap tightly around his neck. Keep an eye on your dog while he’s wearing his costume to make sure it doesn’t affect his ability to move. Some dogs will even chew on their costumes and swallow it in pieces, so watch for this dangerous activity as well.

Halloween decorations can also pose a safety hazard for your dog. Keep an eye on your pet to make sure he doesn’t chew on decorations (especially strings of lights) or knock over lit candles. Some dogs have a hankering for pumpkin, so make sure your jack-o-lantern is out of reach. While it won’t seriously hurt your dog to eat an entire pumpkin, it will mostly likely give him digestive upset.

Candy gathered during Halloween can be dangerous to your dog, too, if he gets into it. In large amounts, chocolate can even be fatal. Theobromine, a chemical found in chocolate, can cause serious damage to a dog’s heart. The fat and sugar also present in chocolate can cause pancreatitis if consumed in large quantities. Xylitol, a natural sweetener that is becoming popular in candy, is also highly toxic to dogs. It is often found in gum and some hard candies. For this reason, it’s wise to keep all Halloween candy well out of your dog’s reach. Be sure to remind your children to keep candy up high up in their rooms where your dog can’t reach it.

With the right amount of precautions, your dog will stay safe and sound on Halloween.


About the Author: Audrey Pavia is an award-winning freelance writer and author of “The Labrador Retriever Handbook.” She is a former staff editor of Dog Fancy, Dog World and The AKC Gazette magazines. To learn more about her work, visit www.audreypavia.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adam says

    October 17, 2013

    Now you can really get the message behind
    “Hallow-Weenie” Lol

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Main
    • Locations
    • Find A Dog Trainer
    • Find A Pet Groomer
    • Post a Job
    • Evolution of ABC
  • Dog Trainer Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Veterinary Assistant Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Dog Groomer Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Cat Trainer Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Aquarium Maintenance Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login
  • Zookeeper Assistant Program
    • Program
    • Tuition
    • Curriculum
    • Student Login

Footer

Apex Career School - A subsidiary of Animal Behavior College


Interested in a career outside of the animal industry?
Visit our subsidiary school!

bbb logo

Rating A+ The BBB only accredits the business management of a school, not the quality of the curriculum, or training programs.

STATE LICENSURE AND APPROVAL
Animal Behavior College is a private vocational school approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (www.bppe.ca.gov) under the California Private Postsecondary Education Act of 2009 and Title 5. California Code of Regulations Division 7.5. Private Postsecondary Education. The Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education approval means that this institution and its operation comply with the standards established under the law for occupational instruction by private postsecondary educational institutions. Institutional approval is subject to continual review and the institution must reapply for approval every five years.
DISCLAIMER
Please be advised that Animal Behavior College ("ABC") is the exclusive entity authorized to provide certifications and/or degrees from Animal Behavior College. Moreover, such certifications and/or degrees are only conferred by ABC following a student's completion of an ABC-administered program. No other entity or individual has authority to confer certifications and/or degrees on ABC's behalf. Any other entity or individual who attempts to do so is acting without express or implied authority from ABC.
GI BILL® TRADEMARK ATTRIBUTION
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Click here to view Animal Behavior College’s Annual Reports
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
Animal Behavior College, 25104 Rye Canyon Loop, Santa Clarita CA 91355-5004 Contact Us
© 2000 - 2021 Animal Behavior College. Questions? email@animalbehaviorcollege.com