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Nathalie Sari - Tiertraining & Verhaltensberatung

This article was written by TOBALIE in cooperation with Nathalie Sari - Tiertraining & Verhaltensberatung

October 31 is the scariest night of the year. Many celebrate Halloween, which originally served to frighten the souls of the dead. Nowadays it is characterized by creepy costumes, pumpkin carvings and the popular “trick or treat”.

What is fun for many people is often the opposite for our pets. TOBALIE has put together a few tips to help your darling survive the night of horror.

Help, mum & dad are ghosts!

Yes it can actually happen that your darling does not recognize you immediately if you are costumed. Especially frightened and insecure dogs are afraid of the scary creatures. Put on your costume in front of the eyes of your dog and put on masks and similar things, if possible, outside the house.

So many monsters, where do they come from?

It may happen that your darling does not understand that there are people behind those masks. Best is you practice with him and show him that he doesn’t need to be afraid. You ask the little monsters and co. to take off their masks and give your dog a reward. If he doesn’t dare to get them, you reward him. The costumed people should please not go closer to him, but rather take a step back and let the dog come by itself.

Can I have some chocolate?

Our little gourmets would also like some of the good sweets. But please don’t give them any of them, because most of them are poisonous. So that your darling does not become jealous, keep some dog cookies ready!

buy safety harness for dog

It doesn’t stop ringing…!

Does your darling bark with the bell or doesn’t he care? No matter how your dog normally reacts, if it rings so often and strange creatures stand in front of the door, he is probably irritated. “Trick or treat” is an enormous stress for many animals.

If you also have an anxious or stressed dog, just turn off the bell. If you’re worried about Halloween pranks, stick a note on the intercom saying, “Please don’t ring my bell, my dog is afraid” or “Today self-service, take your favorite candy” and put a basket of treats outside your door.

You want me to put something on?

Although it looks sweet and funny for us humans, our animals usually find it less funny to be put into a costume. Think carefully whether you really want to impose this on your darling. If it has to be a costume, look which costume your animal feels comfortable with. For example, if your dog is used to wearing a coat, you could put one on. Watch if your pet shows signs of appeasement and stress, because then you should just let him be a dog.

Nobody’s watching? I’ll just go!

Through the constant door open and the stress it can happen that your darling, in a careless moment, slips through the door. Make sure that your telephone number is up to date at the animal database or attach a dog tag to it, so that your dog can find you quickly in an emergency.

Halloween

Summary

On a scary day you should be considerate of your animal, because it may be very frightened. With some practice, delicious distractions and a few tricks you can get through the day relaxed. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!