[Video] The Key to a Stress-Free Halloween With Your Dog | Pupford

Halloween with a dog can be extremely overwhelming.

You've got kids knocking on your door. They're wearing costumes sometimes with scary or weird masks and candy is involved. All those things can be problematic and challenging.

So in this article, I'm going to give you the key to a stress-free Halloween with your dog.

The number one key to making Halloween less stressful and honestly enjoyable for you is managing the environment. What I mean by managing the environment is this... If your dog is prone to jumping on guests or bolting through the door or reacting to people who they're not used to, all of those things can be avoided by keeping them away from that situation.

Let me give you a quick disclaimer here.

Obviously, I'm not saying you never train your dog and you don't try to overcome those bad behaviors… Because that is exactly what you should do! Training is the most important thing you can do to truly have stress-free holidays.

But if you're watching or reading this close to Halloween, you're probably worried about it and you may not have time to fix those behaviors before Halloween.

Managing the environment is not giving your dog access to the problematic situations that are going to cause you stress and potentially cause issues. Those issues around Halloween could be your dog jumping up on or knocking kids over or stealing candy from a kid's trick or treating bag.

I'm going to give you three ideas and they're going to start in the most “extreme” way of limiting your dog's environment or managing their environment down to the least “extreme”.

So let's dive right into it.

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MANAGEMENT - HIGHEST LEVEL: USE A CRATE

Number one is using a crate.

If your dog is crate trained and you're nervous about what's going to happen on Halloween then just have him/her in their crate for the duration of trick or treating time.

And I know that sounds not enjoyable for your dog, but if it keeps your dog from getting into problems, that's what's important. Plus, we’re just talking about one night.

Plus, for many dogs, a crate can be a comforting “safe place”.

PS- If you need help with crate training, check out Amber Aquart’s Crate Training Class here!

MANAGEMENT - MID-LEVEL: BABY GATES AND DOORS

Your second option is baby gates and doors.

If your dog is behind a door where they don't have access to the front door, they can't jump up on kids. They can't bolt out the door.

It's not possible.

And the same thing goes for baby gates. You can use baby gates or a playpen to block off certain parts of the home

Using something like a gate or pen is also a great way for your dog to be involved and see what’s happening at the door without giving access.

Related Reading: How to Stop a Dog from Running Out the Front Door

MANAGEMENT - LOWEST LEVEL: USE A LEASH

And the third option is to keep your dog on a leash.

This is good if you want your dog to be quite involved, but you're still nervous about how they're going to behave around children.

I know that sounds so simple, but doing that can save you from so much stress. If you have your dog on a leash, it's going to be much more difficult for them to jump up on kids, bolt out the door or whatever else it might be.

WHAT ABOUT TRAINING?

As mentioned above, the most important part of a stress-free Halloween is proper training.

If you haven’t already, download the Pupford App where you can access free video training, courses, and more.

Plus, if you get access to Pupford Academy you’ll get even more courses covering topics like Impulse Control, Leash Walking, Crate Training, and more!

But if you're crunched for time this Halloween season, remember to manage your dog’s environment. That is the key to a stress-free holiday!

What else has worked for you on Halloween? Any tips or tricks that other pup parents might enjoy and find helpful?

Please leave them in the comments below! Happy Halloween!

PS- Speaking of stress, learn about common signs of stress in dogs here.