Many families choose to partake in Samhein, Halloween, or simply
trick or treating. Religious debates aside, many people involve their
kids - and pocket books - in one of the biggest financial holiday there
is. There is however a fast rising trend to involve pets. This is a
disaster waiting to happen. Some dogs can handle it, absolutely. We're
not saying all dogs can't handle Halloween celebrations. However, MOST
cannot, and should not - and there are many reasons why they should
simply be left at home.
1) Humanizing dogs is an epidemic that is
causing bratty dogs. These animals are animals. They aren't little
humans. They're not furry toddlers. They are animals. Treating a dog
like a small human is not only unfair to the dog, it creates many
problems that trainers all over the world have to repair.
2)
Costumes are foreign, frightening, and confusing for dogs. 99.9% of the
time, humans don't dress in costume. Dogs get used to specific
stereotypes in order to know what a "human" is, beyond scent. Costumes
are not only completely different and strange, it can also change how a
human looks entirely, and cause a dog to become bewildered. Its a human,
but it doesn't look like a human. This smells like my person, but it's
not my human. Some dogs even react out, negatively, and with suspicion.
Some dogs can even associate your scent with that frightening
occurrence, causing huge mistrust and relationship damage.
3)
Fireworks are terrifying and loud. Imagine what it would sound and feel
like to have your neighborhood blown up. Now imagine you're a dog, who
doesn't understand what's going on, be trapped inside (or outside), and
be unable to get away, or identify the sounds (which are quite louder
for dogs, as a side note).
4) Halloween candy which is
everywhere on Halloween is deadly for dogs. Many children often drop
candy. One piece is enough to seriously hurt or even kill your dog.
5)
Mass crowds and large collections of people is frightening for many
dogs. To make it worse, most of them are acting excited and out of
character, but are also dressed strangely. Continued exposure to crowds
(when not guided by a trainer) can cause a large number of behavioral
issues.
6) Stressed dogs are far more likely to bite - even dogs
that have never bitten before. This chance increases a lot with dogs
that are more fearful, or very assertive. You wouldn't feel happy at all
if your dog bit someone's child.
It is always wiser to leave
your dog at home, or even better - at a kennel where there will be no
fireworks or people in strange clothing.
What if my dog has a reaction to festivities?
Rehabilitating
a dog from a fear reaction is difficult. It requires time, patience,
and repeated, controlled exposure to the stimulation that frightened
them. In the case of fireworks, loud noises, or things such as vehicle
engines, jets, ect, we use YouTube! You're going to play the target
sounds over and over, as low as it needs to be so your dog doesn't pee
or react too strongly, and you're going to initiate some high intensity,
high excitement play time. It is far easier to correct excitement at
sounds than fear. You will be creeping the volume up until you can play
with your dog with these sounds very loudly without fear. The same
concept works with other things; if costumes set your dog off, rework
this idea so that the costume can be on the floor on the other side of
the room, closer, then immediately beside the dog, and finally, either
on a human, or stuffed animal. Crowd fears will not be so easy to fix,
however you can utilize the same exact concept by entering the core of
your city or a busy park while playing with a favorite, high-energy game
like tug or fetch.
What if my dog has completely shut down?
If
something has set your dog off so badly that they pee, shiver and
cower, or run and yelp at the sound or sight of the problem, you will
need to get a trainer in right away. This type of reaction warrants an
expertly timed hand, and one that knows exactly when to encourage,
press/stretch the dog, and when to back off. A misstep here could cause a
permanent, lifelong problem, because it could cause your dog to include
you in the association. A very big, common Halloween fear is sudden
reactivity at door noises, children, or people carrying bags or large
hats.
What if my dog has gotten in to Halloween candy but looks fine?
Whether
your dog looks fine or not, you need to see a vet immediately. Symptoms
will pop up between 4-24 hours after ingestion, and they can
deteriorate quickly. Bigger dogs can handle more chocolate than smaller
dogs, but this does not mean that they may be okay. Be on the look out
for vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness/hyperactivity, rapid breathing,
muscle tension, poor coordination, fast heart rate, and seizing. Your
dog will have to vomit. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING AT HOME UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCE, unless you already have medication to do so on hand from a
vet. Drop what you are doing as soon as you realize your dog has had
chocolate, and go immediately to a vet.
My dog is now reacting aggressively to kids, costumes, bags, or something else because of festivities. What do I do?
If
you are not experienced in rehabilitating reactive fear, please call a
trainer. This is not something that is safe to self-correct. If however
you're well versed in corrective training but simply unsure of how to
correct this behaviour, typically we do slow, safe, controlled exposure,
and only reward calm reactions - never any other kind. If you reward a
lesser fear reaction, you're going to INCREASE the problem.
Always leave your dogs out of Halloween. Have a great day everyone!
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