Halloween is drawing eerily close and it is worth considering how the old traditions such as dressing in scary costumes, lighting lanterns, and knocking on doors to ‘trick or treat’ can prove frightening and somewhat dangerous to our dogs. Here are a few common sense ideas to make sure that things run smoothly.
Dogs have a natural tendency to fear novel things, so it is understandable that seeing strangers dressed as ghouls and ghosts may alarm them, especially if they invade the dog’s territory. It is also important to remember that dogs can act aggressively, in order to protect themselves, if they feel under threat. The most sensible thing to do, regardless of whether or not you think your dog is likely to act anxiously, is to provide a safe haven in another room and keep your dog away from the front door when people come over to ‘trick or treat’. If you prepare a bowl of offerings for your ‘trick or treaters’, make sure that you keep it out of reach from your dog, as consuming products such as chocolates, raisins or xylitol (found in chewing gum, sugar free sweets, etc.) can prove to be fatal for any dog. If you suspect that your dog has consumed any of these items, contact your vet immediately. Another serious safety precaution is to ensure that all lit lanterns are kept well away from your dog, to prevent them from being knocked over. If you decide to dress your dog up in a Halloween costume, please consider whether or not your dog will enjoy the experience and ensure that it does not reduce your dog’s ability to walk, see or breathe normally. Also, if you intend on leaving your dog home alone, consideration should be made to how your dog will react to regular knocks at the door throughout the evening, by placing them in a room away from the front of the house and providing a food stuffed Kong. A full list of poisonous substances to dogs can be found on the DogsTrust website. Happy Halloween! Following on from our previous blog post, here are a few tips on how to promote family harmony when the baby finally comes home.
Firstly, before allowing the dog and baby to meet, parents should expose the dog to the new baby’s scent, using a worn item of its clothing. On the day when the mother sees the dog for the first time since coming out of hospital, the dog is likely to be very excited. The best way to deal with this is to ensure that they are reintroduced when the dog is tired; by making sure that he has had plenty of prior exercise. This initial greeting should be done without the baby being present, as the dog may jump up. However, when the situation has calmed down, the dog and baby should be introduced in a quiet room, with an adult cradling the baby, whilst the dog is allowed to sniff. After a few seconds of interest, the dog is likely to begin to move away, when he does this he should be praised. All interactions between the pair should always be supervised, and it is important to regularly praise and reward the dog whenever he is demonstrating appropriate behaviour around the baby. This will not only help to develop a strong positive association, but it will also reduce the likelihood that the dog will perform undesirable behaviour in order to receive attention. The dog should also be provided with his own ‘safe haven’, a quiet place of his own where he can go in order to rest and not be disturbed. Finally, it is inevitable that the daily routine for all family members will change following the arrival of a baby, and sometimes this can be difficult for a dog, especially if walks are less frequent as a result. If this is the case, obtaining the services of a local, reputable dog day care or dog walker can prove invaluable. |