by Carrie Boyko, CEB
During our #Coupaween Twitter Party, I shared a good many Halloween safety tips, alongside Arden Moore's expert tips. I've combined some of our tips to make this a quicker read that is even more helpful.
If you missed the party, or simply found it tough to keep up, I hope the following tips will get put to good use on Halloween evening or if you have a themed party. Feel free to leave your additional thoughts in comments below.
courtesy S. Gilbert |
If you missed the party, or simply found it tough to keep up, I hope the following tips will get put to good use on Halloween evening or if you have a themed party. Feel free to leave your additional thoughts in comments below.
- Avoid K9 bolters by keeping dogs on leashes or in a closed room when you green trick-or-treaters.
- Make sure your pet sports a reflective collar for visibility with ID tags, name, your cell phone number and microchip.
- When opting for costume wear, check for fit and comfort. Do a dress rehearsal a few days early to allow time for modifications.
- Have important numbers available: vet, ER vet, ASPCA poison control hotline.
- Making your pet's costume yourself? Avoid buttons or small items that can be swallowed.
- Consider pet's visibility when selecting costumes. Dogs may be more easily frightened when they cannot see well.
- When checking for fit, also look at body language. Nothing too tight?
- Simple, yet stylish goes a long way. Velcro bow ties or pleated tuxedos on male dogs is very dapper.
- When taking Fido out to trick-or-treat, choose light-colored costumes for best visibility by others.
- Black costumes are very hard to see in the dark AND difficult to recognize when worn on a black dog. Choose contrasting color to your dog's fur.
- Dogs will often hang their head when extremely unhappy with costume. Consider removing headpiece or footwear.
- Be sure costumes are made of breathable fabric and are fire retardant.
- Help your dog become more comfortable with costume by daily practice with treats and praise. Go slow!
- Reduce stress by treating your dog to a brisk walk before sundown on Halloween eve.
- Associate costume with pleasurable activity by letting Fido wear it while eating.
- Dogs who won't wear costumes will often tolerate a bandana, reflective collar or collar light.
- ONLY take well-socialized dogs on house to house trick-or-treating.
- Candy and wrappers all out of reach!
- Candles are dangerous. Choose battery-operated versions for safety.
- Simplify costumes by using only the key components. Example: Wizard of Oz's Dorothy's red slippers can be easily made to slip over dog's paws without being slippers. Think out of the box!
Happy Halloween,