Halloween for Dogs
This post is not what you think it's going to be. Sure, we all love how cute a pup is in a costume, and I'll be honest, I enjoy thinking of a joint costume for me & Niska. But what I am really thinking about this spooky season is all of the things that are scary and sometimes dangerous for our dogs during October. Our neighborhood isn't completely in on the festivities, but we have our fair share of people who decorate. Last year was the first time I experienced the scare of running in the early morning and seeing shadows or figures in yards as I ran up- that turned out to be just yard decorations. As a woman running in the dark (don't worry I always run with a light!), my senses are usually pretty heightened. So I kept having a little jump scare that I might actually be in danger.
This year, I've been thinking about those decorations, and I've noticed Niska stopping in her tracks on our walks while she looks a few houses down. And while I can't know for sure what she's thinking, my mind immediately goes to how scary those figures were when I was running and it was dark. And then, I started to think about how dogs don't see detail as well as we do, and can't help but wonder- is she experiencing the same thing I did? Is she just trying to figure out what she's seeing? Is her brain searching for an explanation of what the figure that is hanging from a tree, or that is sticking out of the ground could possibly be? I mean, she is, after all, terrified of bikes (which I assume is because she thinks it's a creature with weird circular feet that runs really fast 🤣).
Anyway, this brief interlude on our walk last week also made me think about the other aspects of Halloween- the costumes, trick or treaters, extra candy around, etc. As I mentioned in the intro, I do enjoy dressing Niska up with me, and she's never been too fond of the costume itself. So as much as I talk about doing things for the betterment of our dogs' happiness, I also do enjoy the harmless dress-up that she usually puts up with, even when she does try to eat the costume. But truly, I do think it's worth weighing whether the downsides outweigh the enjoyment I get. If she were ever too uncomfortable in the costume or if it was unsafe for her to be in, I wouldn't do it. Usually when I dress her up (or try on new items/designs on her), I observe her to see how she reacts and I watch for small reactions. As long as I don't see her biting at the item constantly, scratching, whining, or tripping, then it usually passes my test. You know your dog best- so I hope you think about what works okay for your dog if you dress them up!
Perhaps one of the more challenging times for Niska is actually on Halloween night. We live in a suburban neighborhood but we don't have street lights or many children, so we don't usually get many trick-or-treaters. However, we still get at least 10-15 each year- and seeing those little kiddies (and sometimes big kiddies lol) walk up to our house in costumes sets Niska off. Sometimes they ring the doorbell if we're not immediately there- and she's gotten into a pretty horrible habit of barking like crazy for several minutes any time the doorbell rings or someone knocks on the door. But even when they just walk up, we've got two things that Niska isn't crazy about- kids who move in unpredictable ways plus guests walking up to our house. Add costumes on top of that, and she's really perplexed.
While she doesn't mind the costume, she's a really cute little dog, and with the costume kids REALLY want to pet her or say hello. I have learned to tell them she doesn't like to say hello, and either hold her, or keep her behind a gate if I'm giving them candy. While we'll still be doing Halloween as usual this year (make sure to check out our Instagram on Oct 31 to see this year's costume!), I'll be thinking about some of these pieces a little more.
And lastly comes the candy. I try not to buy much candy (horrible sweet tooth), but when I do, it’s Reese’s, and Niska watches for every dropped crumb. So our trick-or-treaters usually get that candy (along with whatever assortment it might come with) so that if we have any left, we can enjoy what we like. Chocolate being the main attraction in our house this time of year scares me a little extra. While I knew that xylitol was an ingredient to watch out for in peanut butter, I recently learned that sugar-free candies actually use xylitol to sweeten them, so now I also know to specifically check for those types of ingredients (whether it's chocolate or not!).
What about you- is Halloween a big deal for your pup?
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