Thursday, October 8, 2009

Safety tips for Halloween

Holleween can be a stressful day for pets. All those scary faces and the doorbell ringing over and over again. To help prepare get your costumes out early, put them on and give your dog some really yummy treats. This is the same method we use for socializing to new things. Pair up the treat at the same time the new thing is introduced. Now the association becomes a positive one. Some treats that I use are string cheese, tiny pieces of hot dog, cooked chicken, Natural Balance, or something beefy. Here are some safety tips for Halloween.

Don't leave your pet out in the yard on Halloween. There are plenty of stories of vicious pranksters who have teased, injured, stolen, even killed pets on this night.

Keep you outdoor cats inside several days before and several days after Halloween. Black cats in particular may be at risk from children's pranks or other cruelty-related incidents. Many shelters do not adopt out black cats on Halloween as a safety precaution.

Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets. Chocolate is poisonous to many animals, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.

Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin. Pets may knock it over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.

Don't dress the dog or cat in costume unless you know he or she loves it. Otherwise, it puts too much stress on the animal.

If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement, hearing or ability to breathe or bark. Also, there should not be small, dangling, or easily chewed-off pieces on the costume that your pet could choke on.

Be careful not to obstruct your pet's vision. Even the sweetest animal can get snappy when he or she can't see.

All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room during trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary for a dog or cat.

When opening the door for trick-or-treaters, be very careful your cat or dog doesn't dart outside.

Make sure your dog or cat is wearing proper identification. If for any reason they escape and become lost, you increase the chances that they will be returned to you.

Hope these tips are helpful.

Join us for our Halloween party at our training studio.
Find out the details at http://Paws4training.com







No comments:

Post a Comment