Practical guidance for dogs at Halloween

[UPDATED AUGUST 2023]

Trick or treat?

It’s well known that Bonfire Night is scary for dogs, with all those loud bangs and bright flashes. It’s enough to make even the most well-adjusted dog want to hide under the sofa until morning.
 
But have you thought about Halloween from your pooch’s perspective? In many ways, it’s just as frightening as the 5th November.
 
There’s an endless stream of strangers ringing at the door, rattling skeletons and creepy decorations dangling from the ceiling, and their favourite humans have apparently been bewitched and turned into terrifying ghosts and monsters.
 
Not to mention the risk of candles burning perilously close to furry tails and potentially poisonous chocolates scattered about the place. On that note, switch tealights for LED lights.

How your dog feels at Halloween

No wonder Halloween can be an unsettling time for your canine best friend. Put yourself in your dog’s paws for a moment and think about how it might feel to them.

Tell-‘tail’ signs that your dog is experiencing anxiety

Now you’ve got an idea of how your furry best friend might be feeling over Halloween, you might wonder how you can spot these feelings in practice. Here are some signs to look out for:

• Hiding
• Shaking
• Refusing food
• Seeking comfort from you
• Yawning and pacing
• Licking their lips
• Panting

What stresses your hound at Halloween?

Halloween can be nerve-wracking for your pup for a variety of reasons.

• Loud noises – It’s really common for dogs to be spooked by loud noises, whether they’re sudden shouts from children at a party or things that go bump in the night. When you remember that their sense of hearing is four times as sensitive as ours, imagine how scary it must be to hear a strange noise and not understand what’s causing it. For some dogs, the loud noises at a Halloween party can easily trigger a stress response and have them diving for cover.
• Neophobia – Neophobia is the fear of new things. It can affect puppies and dogs who haven’t had the chance to be exposed to new objects and situations. That’s why animal trainers suggest we should introduce puppies to new people and other dogs early on, and occasionally wear accessories such as a hat or sunglasses, so they can get used to us looking a bit different. Now picture a Halloween party, where all your pup’s best-loved humans are in disguise, dressed up as wizards, witches, vampires and zombies. For a nervous dog who is easily spooked or frightened, it can be a nightmare scenario.
• Overload – There’s an interesting theory called ‘situation stacking’, where lots of small events, each fine on their own, add up to stress overload for your pup. On Halloween, this might mean the combination of lots of visitors, new faces, different food, trick or treaters and people in costumes could end up being too much for your dog.

Desensitising your dog to the doorbell

Some dogs become excited, and even stressed, whenever they hear the doorbell going off. It could be that they're expecting a loved one home, or they might associate the bell with the threatening presence of strangers. It could even just be that the noise itself startles them.

Whatever the case, your doorbell is likely to ring a lot more on Halloween than it normally would. So for the sake of a calmer canine, it pays to take steps to desensitise your dog to its sound.

Try these steps to desensitise your dog to the doorbell:

• Sit near the door with your dog, and have a neighbour or friend ring the bell
• Completely ignore the ringing, and your dog's barking, when they react to it
• Wait until your dog is calm and silent before getting up and opening the door
• Let your dog greet the guest and then receive a reward
• Repeat this process as often as needed, until your dog stays calm when the bell rings
• Be patient! Some dogs take longer to learn than others

Countdown to a calm Halloween

What can you do to help your pup float serenely through the Halloween festivities? Here are a few practical suggestions.

1. Get help from an animal behaviourist

   If your dog’s nervous or shy, now's the time to start working with them to make Halloween – and Bonfire Night – less stressful. We recommend talking to your vet or a certified animal behaviour expert to create a special programme to calm their fears. This might include positive reinforcement exercises to build their confidence around unexpected loud noises or to help them stay calm when lots of people are knocking at the door.

2. Soothe stress with a supplement

   Try a calming supplement like YuMOVE Calming Care for Dogs. This has a clever combination of scientifically proven ingredients, including Lemon balm, L-tryptophan and B Vitamins, that work on the calming pathways in the brain to help reduce stress. For the best results, start giving YuMOVE Calming Care to your dog at least 3 weeks before Halloween and Bonfire Night.

3. Create a safe space for your dog away from the human fun

   Creating a calm, quiet den where your dog can retreat is a great idea both for Halloween and Bonfire Night. A few days before you expect your first visitors, set up the space and help your dog build positive associations by offering them treats or a stuffed Kong while they’re in the den.

   By keeping your dog away from party central, you’ll help them avoid the stress of seeing a big influx of visitors dressed in potentially scary costumes. You’ll also avoid the scenario where your lovely new Halloween decorations end up as chew toys!

   Alternatively, if you don’t have a quiet space where your dog can retreat, perhaps see if a friend or relative can look after your pup until things are a little less spooky at home.

4. Go for walkies during the day

   Even calm, confident, well-socialised dogs can find costumes, noises and lots of people scary, and scared dogs can behave unpredictably. That’s a risk that’s not worth taking around little ones.

   So on Halloween, swap your evening walk for a daytime adventure to minimise the chance of running into people wearing costumes. It also follows that it’s a wise idea not to take your pup out with you on a trick or treat mission.

5. Think twice about doggie costumes

   If you choose to wear a werewolf mask or swathe yourself from head to foot in mummy-style bandages, that’s up to you. But, given the choice, your pup probably wouldn’t choose to wear a costume, even if it is a self-illuminating unicorn cape complete with realistic golden horn.

   On top of all the other small stresses of Halloween, wearing an uncomfortable costume could be the last straw for your pup. If you’re not 110% sure that you can read the subtlest signs of stress from your dog, avoid the outfits.

6. Watch out for the treats!

   Human sweets aren’t great for dog digestion. Chocolate can be poisonous, and these days, some sweets also contain artificial sweeteners and can be a doggie choking hazard. If your pooch finds their way into your Halloween candy stash, you may end up having to make an emergency trip to the vet. So make sure you keep chocolate and sweet treats safely out of reach of those paws.

   When out walking in the days after Halloween it’s also a good idea to keep an eye out for, and avoid, dropped sweets and wrappers.

7. Try some soothing sounds

   Did you know that you can now get special CDs and playlists to calm down excited or stressed pets? We like this Spotify playlist.

8. Take care last thing at night

   When it’s time for a late-night toilet trip, be sure to keep your dog on their lead, even if your garden is fenced as they may bolt if spooked. Scared dogs have been known to clear 6ft fences, so better safe than sorry!

Get help to choose the best calming supplement for your dog.