Keeping Fido Safe on Halloween

Halloween is a fun time for children but it can be a dangerous time for your pet. Scary costumes and ringing door bells can cause your pet to become very anxious. And anxious pets can do unexpected things. So here are some simple reminders for you to make sure this Halloween is a happy and healthy time for all.

Cute costumes for your kids will confuse and scare your pet.

Your pet is used to barking when the doorbell rings. He is protecting you and the house. Today the doorbell will be ringing for hours. Try to watch for children and open the door before the bell rings. Knocking won't be any better. Don't get angry and yell at your dog if he does this. He is just doing his job.

If you chose to take the dog with you to accompany your Trick or Treater make sure he is on a leash and keep him close. You don't want him scaring children or children scaring him. Dressing up you puppy might look cute but remember it will bring a lot of children over to look and pet. Make sure you dog does not get overwhelmed with too many friendly kids at one time. Even the tamest puppy will snap if he feels frightened.

You will be opening the door often and you pet my run out. Hold on tight so that doesn't happen. You may want to put him in a closed room. But keep in mind he will still hear the noise and be upset by it.

If you expect a lot of traffic in and out of your home you might consider just how upset you pet may actually become and hold off giving him dinner until later so he does not get an upset stomach from reacting to all the sudden chaos.

If your dog is older or tends to get overly anxious you may have already asked your vet for medication for this. Consider using it to help your dog remain calmer.

Your kids are going to bring home a lot of candy. Make sure you dog does not share in the feast. Sugar is very bad for dogs. Give him his favorite treat instead. Talk about this with your kids before they go out so they know not to feed Fido when they return.

If you are having a Halloween party in your home and expect you pup to attend keep in mind that scary costumes will confuse him and you might want to introduce him to each person and left him take a sniff before they enter the party.

In the excitement of getting the kids ready it's easy to forget about your pets. A little planning will go a long way to make this a great play day for all.