Are Hallowe’en decorations tough on you and your pup? (Photo: French bulldog wearing a ghost costume)
Hallowe’en brings a trifecta of terror to many dog owners.
First, there’s the decorations. Even the “regular” kind that don’t move, like skeletons or zombie arms jutting out of the ground, can be scary to some dogs.
How is your dog doing with the motion-sensor decorations so far? The ones that light up, move, and make noise.
Which decorations scare your dog the most? (Photo: life-sized skeletons pose in a yard)
How about the large inflatable jack o’ lanterns and cats?
How about the plastic tape snapping in the wind?
Ghosts swinging from tree branches?
Let us know in the comments what your dogs struggles with.
Whether stationary, moving on their own, or blowing in the wind, Hallowe’en decorations can be scary for some dogs (Photo: zombie hanging from a tree)
The second struggle that comes with Hallowe’en is people in costumes. Adults wear ENORMOUS…well, I’d call them masks, but really they are heads. These can be quite alarming to some dogs, especially when paired with HUGE fake hands.
For dogs who are afraid of children, or people carrying objects, Hallowe’en is no fun at all. Not only are there children, but they are RUNNING, SCREAMING, and MOVING TOWARD YOUR DOG VERY QUICKLY while you’re out walking. Some rescue dogs really struggle with children waving swords, lightsabers, and pitch forks.
Does your rescue dog cower in fear when people carry lightsabers…or golf clubs? (Photo: Darth Vadar pointing a lightsaber at the camera)
The third issue is people BANGING ON THE FRONT DOOR. This is something that many people struggle with on a daily basis, often locking their dog up when they have guests over. Hallowe’en is a gentle reminder to many people that their dog could really benefit from some training in this area. Wouldn’t you LOVE for your dog to be a part of your family gatherings?
Trick or Treat? Are you and your dog ready for scary visitors? (Photo: person wearing a Freddy Kruger costume)
Let’s spend some time chatting about decorations because a) they are still going to be up for another couple of weeks and b) Christmas decorations are right around the corner.
If your dog is concerned about decorations (nervous, running away from, won’t “let you” walk past them) there are a few tips you can try. None of us want our dog to live in fear. It’s a terrible way to feel.
All dogs are different, so this may not work for every dog (depending on how fearful they are,) but if that’s the case, you can always schedule a FREE phone call with us and get some one-on-one coaching to help you out. The TAKE ACTION button will lead you straight to your FREE PHONE CALL.
BE CALM — If your dog has previously been afraid of decorations, you may be on edge and worried before you even pass by. Take a deep breath, relax, and look at your leash — it should be loose. Our own nervousness will travel down a tense leash and straight into our dogs. Breathe and believe!
2. DON’T AVOID…TEACH — A lot of us do two things when it comes to dogs. We either AVOID the situation altogether (lock up your dog when people come over, store all food high up so they can’t reach it, never walk by certain houses because of decorations or backyard barkers.) When we do this, we miss an OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH. Take the opportunity to HELP your dog through the situation, instead of just brushing it under the rug. The other thing we tend to do is RUSH. We leave the house and only have time for a five minute walk (already in a rush,) and then scurry past scary decorations (because we think that will make it better, like ripping off a bandaid.)
Being on your phone and in a rush isn’t going to help your dog relax (or you!) (Photo: hand throwing away a cell phone)
Be in the moment. Leave your house with a clear goal of desensitizing your dog to ONE particular type of decoration. You don’t have to do all of them on the same walk, just try ONE thing. Experiment with walking past the object from a distance. Observe when your dog is uncomfortable (are you 30 feet away, 20 feet away, across the street?) Write all of these things down for your dog behaviourist. Every bit of information helps solve the puzzle. If you feel confident that you can tackle this on your own, hang out with your dog at a distance where they can ignore the object and LISTEN to a command. It’s okay if it’s far away, you can move closer gradually — and you don’t need to do it all in one day.
3. REWARDS — be sure to reward your dog when they are calm and relaxed. It may take awhile for them to be relaxed around the object, and that’s okay. Stand with them, with no leash tension, and simply be a calm source of energy. They will look to you for advice — if you look calm, they will feel safe. The reward doesn’t have to be food. You can rub their chest, say “good settle,” or engage in some tug of war. If they can play near the object, you’ll know they’re comfortable. If they are very food motivated and will NOT take a treat, you’ll know you still have work to do. And that’s okay. All good things are worth working for.
Remember to be consistent with your dog. If someone in your family is petting Daisy when she is shaking with fear beside a giant spider, they are reinforcing the fearful behaviour. Be sure that you come up with a solid plan about how to help your dog past her fear and GET ALL FAMILY MEMBERS ON BOARD.
It’s the same for a dog who jumps up. If one family member allows jumping up, the dog will continue to be confused and jump up.
I hope you have an amazing Hallowe’en season and that you are able to help your dogs move past their fear of decorations.
Alyssa
Photos by: Sarah Shull (French bulldog wearing a ghost costume,) NeONBRAND @neonbrand (life-sized skeletons pose in a yard,) Bellava G @bellava (zombie hanging from a tree,) Jose Martinez @jmartinez143 (Darth Vadar pointing a lightsaber at the camera,) Ilya Shishikhin @shishilya (person wearing a Freddy Kruger costume,) and Stanislav Kondratiev @technobulka (hand throwing away a cell phone.)