Why should our dogs miss out on all the trick or treat fun? We’ve come up with some dog friendly activities to include in your halloween celebrations. 

Trick or treat food and activities

Exploring different foods is a great enrichment activity for dogs. However, we must always ensure the ingredients are safe for our furry friends. Traditional halloween treats such as sweets and chocolate are bad and even poisonous to dogs. Instead, make or purchase some tasty treats such as:

• Dog friendly pumpkin shaped biscuits (here’s a yummy looking recipe we found)
• Tasty sweets made just for dogs (check out these on Etsy – please check all the ingredients when considering dog friendly sweets)
• Gravy bone fountain using low sodium gravy instead of melted chocolate!

It’s not all about the treats either. It wouldn’t be Halloween without a trick or two. What about:

• Brussel sprout roulette. Set out three or 4 cups with most containing a dog biscuit and one containing a sprout, rotate them around and see which your dog gets. 
• Apple and tennis ball bobbing. Put a plastic bowl or bucket of water out for your dog to search for their favourite ball or a healthy apple. 
• Put blueberries in the kibble dispenser instead. It sounds like a trick, but actually blueberries are so good for dogs, swapping kibble treats for a handful of blueberries is really a nutritious treat. 

Trick or treating with the humans

If you want your dog to accompany the family trick or treating, to ensure the dog is safe and comfortable, here are our tips:

• Refrain from dressing your dog up. Your dog may be accustomed to a spot of dress up at home, but swap the costume for some light up or reflective wear instead so your dog is seen in the dark streets by cars and other trick or treaters. 
• Take your dog home if they aren’t enjoying themselves. If they are barking, pulling, whining, cowering or shivering, it might mean that your dog isn’t comfortable with the amount of people, the added noise or the different costumes. Don’t force them to endure it. 
• Keep your dog on a lead. It seems obvious, but keep your dog on a short lead at all times. 

Saying no to trick or treat

If your dog will find the increased footfall outside your house, or constant ringing of the doorbell stressful, it might be better to avoid trick or treaters. You can do this by turning off bright lights and not displaying a pumpkin. Having a sign can also alert people you are not offering sweets.

Giving your dog a safe space like their bed or crate in a back room away from the noise will help them feel calmer. You can play relaxing or classical music or even use a calming diffuser.

Alternatively, you could put some sweets out at the end of the drive where your dog is less likely to hear people. That way, you don’t look like a spoil-sport, but your dog is still happy! 

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