Halloween Safety

Halloween can be a fun time, but there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to safety. Here are some tips to keep your Halloween a fun, stress-free, safe one-

• Keep dogs away from candy. Chocolate and xylitol (an artificial sweetener) are toxic to them and candy, in general, is unhealthy for them. Wrappers can cause chocking or blockages, too.
• If you let your dog alone in the yard, bring him or her inside for the night to avoid them being the target of a prank. If you do let them outside, supervise them the entire time.
• Decorations should be something they cannot ingest or get into. Keep them out of reach or make sure that it's something that your dog will leave alone. Be extra careful with electrical cords, preventing them from getting chewed on.
• Prepare before trick or treaters come to your house. Having your door opened many times during the night provides a lot of opportunities for your dog to dart. They can also become stressed out with the constant doorbell ringing. If you have a dog that is fearful of strangers or easily stressed, it's best to stay outside your door to hand out candy or keep your dog in a quiet room of the house.
• If you want to dress your dog up in a costume, be sure that they're comfortable in one first. If not, there are other options to adorn them in fun Halloween gear.
• If you decide to bring your dog trick or treating, keep them close to you. Check the ground for dropped candy so that they don't snatch it up & eat it. Keep an eye on if they get nervous around all of the people and strange sights & sounds. Consider putting a blinking light or reflective gear on them so that others will see them. This will help to avoid excited children running into your dog. As always, make sure they have an ID tag on, just in case.