Simple Tricks & Treats for a Spook-Free Howl-O-Ween
Tricks & Treats for a Spook-Free Halloween
Halloween can be a real treat for us humans, but it’s not all fun and games for our beloved pets.
The spooky season brings its own set of challenges and potential hazards that can turn the holiday into a nightmare for our furry friends. With
some careful consideration and quick fixes, Halloween can be a fun time for all.
Spook-Free Tips & Tricks
Secure Your Pet: When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, there’s a higher risk of your pet escaping. Keep your pets secure in a separate room to avoid any mishaps. The frequent doorbell ringing and unfamiliar voices can also stress your pets, so a quiet room can provide a safe haven. If you have to take your dog outside, ensure that any gates and fences are securely closed, as there may be a lot of foot traffic.
Ghostly White Noise: Leaving a white noise machine, TV, Radio, (or “Alexa”) on can help to drown out unfamiliar voices and reduce the disruption of frequent doorbell rings.
ID Tag & Microchip: Accidents can happen, and pets can escape, especially during the commotion of Halloween. Make sure your pet has proper identification, including a collar with updated ID tags and a microchip. Ensure the microchip is registered with the most up-to-date information, just in case they do manage to get out.
Be Cautious with Treats: While Halloween candy is tasty for humans, many types
of candy and treats are toxic to dogs, especially chocolate and xylitol. Keep all candy out of their reach, and remind guests not to feed your pet any sweets.
Dangerous Decor: Be mindful of decorations that can pose a threat to your dog. Items like electrical cords, lit candles, and small decorations are tempting but dangerous. Opt for pet-friendly decorations and use LED candles instead of real flames, and be cautious of small parts that your pet can ingest.
Scrumptious Treats
Before the Halloween festivities begin, give your pet some extra exercise to help them burn off energy and reduce anxiety. Offering options such as toys, food puzzles, licky mats, or Kongs for enrichment to keep your pup mentally and physically engaged. Pumkin can be a great addition to a licky mat or topple feeder. There are various Halloween/ fall themed puzzle toys available, or you can make your own!
Here are some fun Halloween themed enrichment ideas, to keep your fur-child entertained and in with the celebration:
Pup-kin Treat Dispenser:
Carve out a small pumpkin and use it as a treat dispenser. Stuff with your dog’s favorite treats or kibble. Let them roll it around and figure out how to get the goodies out.
Ghostly Frozen Treats:
Dogs: Create Halloween-themed frozen treats by mixing dog safe ingredients like plain yogurt, mashed banana, and a few pieces of pumpkin, then freezing them using halloween shaped molds.
Cats: Offer your cat a small amount of plain, unsweetened pumpkin puree as a special treat. Pumpkin is safe for cats and can be served in small quantities. You can even create small pumpkin-shaped treats using pumpkin puree and freeze them for a chilly delight.
Spooky Sensory Box:
Dogs: Fill a cardboard box with Halloween-themed items like crinkly tissue paper, mini pumpkins, and your dogs favorite kibble or treats. Close the box, and cut a few holes to allow your pup so sniff the goodies. Let them your pup figure out how to open and retrieve the goodies! Be cautious to avoid using any small, non-digestible items.
Cats: Fill a shallow box with Halloween-themed items like crinkly tissue paper, plastic spiders, and mini pumpkins. Let your cat explore the box, paw at the items, and enjoy the sensory experience.
Remember to always prioritize your dog’s safety and monitor them during these activities. Ensure that all treats and toys are dog-friendly and do not present choking hazards. If your dog shows signs of stress or discomfort, consider skipping the Halloween-themed activities to ensure they have a positive experience during the holiday.
Everyday Enrichment
Enrichment is a vital tool that enhances the happiness, health and vitality of your dog. Pets need enrichment because their brains need to work as much as, if not more than, their legs! Enrichment is known to lower stress (theirs and yours!), encourage animals to learn more efficiently, and increases problem solving skills which leads to a more emotionally balanced pet.
Learn more
- Cat Enrichment 101: a guide to easy and affordable cat enrichment tools.
- Enrichment & Toy Resources: a complete list of our favorite dog enrichment tools, written by our trainer Beth MacLeod, CPDT-KA.