As soon as fall hits, we all start to get excited about everything the season has to offer. Whether you’re a fan of pumpkins and spice or you prefer to feel the crunchy leaves under your feet while out on a dog walk, there’s a lot to love about this time of the year. For many of us, that includes Halloween.
One of the things that we all look forward to is trick-or-treating. The whole family gets to choose their outfits and head out around the neighborhood on the hunt for candy. If you’re thinking about going trick-or-treating with your dog this year, you might be wondering whether it’s a good idea or how you can make it work.
In this blog post, we’re going to explore the realities of enjoying dog trick or treating, ensuring that your dog stays safe, and how to get the most out of your experience. Let’s take a look.
Should You Take Your Dog Trick-or-Treating?
Knowing how your dog behaves in crowds or in public is key. You may also want to make sure that you have enough grown-ups or chaperones to look after the kids and the dog at the same time.
It also helps to make sure you have enough time and that your children are prepared to go at your dog’s pace if need be.
8 Tips for Going Trick or Treat With Your Dog
Before you head out on your trick-or-treating experience with your dog, you need to ensure that you’ve got everything you need and you know what to expect.
Here are our eight tips to help you make it a success.
1. Make Sure You’re Prepared
Preparation starts with knowing your dog's temperament and personality. If your dog tends to be quite excitable or gets overwhelmed easily, you may need to plan to make it a short trip.
If you go into this with patience and flexibility, it’ll be a much more enjoyable time for you all.
2. Take Doggie Treats With You
When it comes to the things you need to pack before you head out the door, it’s a great idea to take some treats with you. Rewarding your pooch and keeping them on track with treats throughout the walk is always a good idea.
Just like you do when you head out on a regular walk, you may need to incentivize them along the way. Besides, as they’re unable to have chocolate, this can be a nice Halloween treat for them along the way.
Make sure that you check out our range of treats and stock up before you start trick-or-treating.
3. Create a Killer Costume (Pun Intended)
Is there anything cuter than seeing your dog in their Halloween costume? Whether you want them to go as a ghostly dog or match whatever you have as family outfits, you’ll want to get them some kind of costume sorted. However, you still need to make sure that they’re safe.
Make sure that the costume does not restrict their harness and leash. It is also recommended to have reflective gear incorporated into their costume. It might be a reflective vest or panels, or even a reflective collar and leash–either way, you need to keep them safe in the dark.
That way, if they were to run off, you’ll be able to track them down. Plus, if there are any cars about, they’ve been a lot more visible, and it will help to keep them safe. Placing an Airtag inside their harness or collar is always a good call, not just for Halloween.
4. Understand That it Might Not Go to Plan
If you are super excited to take your dog trick-or-treating with you, you may have visions of how fun it will be. But it also helps to understand that it may not go to plan. Just like children, your god could get tired or grouchy, which may mean that it’s not as plain sailing as you’d hope.
Again, as long as you have an open mind and you’re prepared for a change of plans, you should enjoy some time trick-or-treating with your dog.
5. Prepare to Stop for Doggy Breaks
Another thing to bear in mind is that your dog may need to take bathroom breaks along the way. They can’t always know when they’re going to need to go, but you need to make sure that it’s possible and that their costume isn’t going to get in the way. That’s certainly not the type of accident you’ll want to be dealing with along the way!
At the same time, you’ll need to be prepared for frequent stopping and not get too frustrated about it. Just like when they want to pee on every bush or street corner on your daily walks, they’re likely to do the same while you’re out trick-or-treating.
Make sure that you appoint someone to be in charge of holding the leash, someone who is okay with stopping along the way. And don’t forget the poop bags!
6. Keep an Eye on Your Dog’s Mood
One thing to be extra conscious of is how your dog is feeling. You may find that they are getting tired or even hungry. They may not be able to last the entire evening out walking around with a ton of people. The last thing you need is for them to get agitated in a busy area.
This means that they may start to show signs of distress, agitation, or even want to go home.
7. Be Aware That You May Need to Leave Early
With that in mind, when you plan to take your dog trick-or-treating, you need to be prepared to leave early. Or, at least have one member of the party leave early. It can be common for your dog to become distracted, get overwhelmed, or feel tired. At this stage, you’ll want to take them home.
Make sure to look out for the usual signs that they’re ready to go back, such as leash tugging. You may even want to pinpoint someone in the family to be responsible for taking them home, so you don’t all have to leave.
8. Stay Calm and Enjoy Yourself!
Lastly, make sure that you stay calm and enjoy the experience. Try not to put too much pressure on yourself or your dog, and enjoy it for however long you have. When you’re relaxed and you understand that it may not be the picture-perfect experience you had in mind, it still gets to be a lot of fun for the family and your dog.
What to Do If You’re Staying Home
However, if you’re not sure whether trick or treating with your dog is a good idea, you may be thinking of staying home instead. When that’s the case, you may still need to take precautions.
Make Your Dog Comfortable
First of all, you’ll want to make sure that your dog is comfortable in the house. As there’s likely to be a large number of visitors, you won’t want them to get too startled or unsettled by all of the visitors. Make sure they have all of their comforts and they’re nestled safely in their bed, so that they feel safe and protected, rather than frightened or threatened.
Stay Out Front
If you know that your doorbell is going to ring continuously or there will be knocks at the door all evening long, you may even want to stay out front. Rather than subjecting your dog to an evening of endless disrupting, setting up shop on your porch with the Halloween candy could be a wise idea.
Show Them Lots of Love
Lastly, you’ll certainly want to show them a lot of love throughout the evening. If you know that they tend to get spooked or unsettled at this time of year, especially with all the commotion in the streets, making sure that you comfort them and give them extra fuss (including treats!) can help them feel relaxed.
How to Make Dog Trick or Treating Work for You
It might seem like trick or treating with a dog is going to be hard work–but it can be an enjoyable experience when you prepare properly. Making sure that you know what to expect, and that you have a designated member of the family taking care of your pooch and prepared to take them back home is key.
Not only that, but you’ll also want to make sure that you’re planning a safe costume for taking your dog trick-or-treating and that you’ve packed the poop bags and treats!
If you’re looking for a great selection of treats for walking your dog or for your Halloween trick-or-treating experience, check out our range of dog treats on site now.
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