5 puppy tips for a wicked Halloween

Spooktacular costumes, killer music, horror films, sweet treats and creepy decorations. An excuse to be fabulously revolting! 

What’s not to LOVE about Halloween, right?

But whilst we’re dead busy preparing for our Halloween shenanigans (I’ll stop with the play on words now) it can be easy to forget how strange and unnerving this time of year can be for our pups. 

• We (and others) might seem scary to a puppy dressed in a weird costume.

• The extra noise outside and at the door could be unsettling.

• And there’s puppy safety to consider too. 

In this blog post we’ll share the 5 examples of puppy tips and why they’re key for a wicked Halloween. 

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1 – Resist the temptation to dress your puppy in a Halloween costume

We need to be honest here, dressing a puppy in a Halloween costume is for human pleasure, not theirs. 

Puppies do not enjoy dressing up. Why would they?

I’ve not seen a photograph yet where a puppy looks happy whilst dressed up. Take a look at this stock photo below. A picture paints a thousand words, so they say. 

And if you’re desperate to capture a Halloween photo of your puppy, try these ideas instead. Take a photo of your puppy:

• Next to a pumpkin or Halloween bunting. 

• Doing their favourite TRICK.

• Enjoying a Halloween themed TREAT. There’s lots of natural, dog friendly recipes online. 

Our job as their guardians is to help them feel safe whilst they’re with us and to trust us. Not to dress them up for our pleasure. 

2 – Expose your puppy positively and sensitively to costumes

If your puppy has never seen a Halloween costume before they might be a little wary when you or family members put them on, so it’s important to go steady and let your puppy decide the pace. Never just wait and see what happens. 

Follow the steps below to introduce your puppy to all sorts of clothing, costumes and fancy dress so that they are confident and relaxed with everything they see in life.

Click on the video below to learn more and watch a tutorial.

3 – Plan to walk your puppy before dark

You may need to adjust your usual routine to make sure your puppy has had a chance to burn off some energy before the ghouls and ghosts come out to play. 

Even if your puppy is comfortable around costumes, the sheer volume of people, extra noise and flashing lights is going to be too overwhelming for most pups and they’re going to return home excited or stressed which is going to make the rest of your evening more difficult.

In the UK the sun will set at 4.40pm. In the USA the sun will set at the later time of 6.10pm. So, arrange to finish work early if needed or call a family member to help. 

Plan to play your pups favourite game, walk somewhere interesting and add in some sniffing games, so your puppy returns home happy and relaxed.

4 – Prepare food enrichment items

It’s going to make all the difference if you’ve prepared food enrichment items to keep your puppy busy and more settled whilst trick or treaters are knocking or walking past your door. 

You can find some recipes here which can be used to fill a Puppy Kong or Zogoflex Toppl. It’s always worth testing different recipes to find out what your puppy prefers.

Start with food that’s easy to access and gradually increase the difficulty until your puppy is confident emptying a frozen toy. 

Of course, natural chews are another great option if you’re able to supervise your puppy. 

5 – Review your management

You don’t want your puppy with you at the door whilst you dish out sweets. 

As previously explained, you risk your puppy getting a fright, becoming overwhelmed or excited. 

Your puppy could run out onto the front street, possibly getting lost, injured or worse. Even with a gate on your front forecourt you can’t rely on children closing it behind them. 

And there’ll be sweats dropped on the floor your puppy could find and eat. That could mean a visit to the vets. 

You may already have your puppy’s crate set up, but do you need to borrow a baby gate or puppy play pen so they have more freedom, but are safe during the Halloween antics? 

If it’s very busy around your neighbourhood, do you want your puppy inside their crate for a long length of time? 

A house line attached to the back clip of your puppy’s harness is another option. Secure the house line in a room where your puppy feels comfortable and is safe when you’re not supervising them. 

And if you plan on having a Halloween party yourself? Well, I’d reschedule for next year or go out, leaving your puppy with a trusted family member or friend. 

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In this blog post we’ve shared the 5 examples of puppy tips and why they’re key for a wicked Halloween. 

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As mentioned in the video above, the clips are taken from my Puppy Wise Academy membership. 

Inside there’s over 80 video tutorials, handouts and trainer notes that are going to help you sail through puppyhood and beyond! 

THIS ISN’T A DIY COURSE!

I want to set you and your puppy up for success. So, you’ll never be alone in your training. 

I know you’ll have questions, need support and may even need some accountability to keep you going when life gets busy!

Your membership gives you exclusive access to our private community group where I host weekly Q&A sessions, monthly online classes and am there to offer continuous support whenever you need it. 

Post questions, share your training videos and get fast feedback to keep your training on track and nip problems in the bud. 

PLUS, get discounted 1-2-1 training sessions with me whenever you need them. 

You’ll never have to run the gauntlet of Google advice ever again when it comes to your puppy!

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Happy training!

Lindsay xx