Candy, kids, and lots and lots of barking — parents of reactive dogs know the struggle of getting through Halloween night.
For dogs who freak out at the doorbell, this festive holiday can be a true nightmare. Some dogs are just vocal, while others are truly scared. For dog parents desperate for some help, here are some solutions to get you and your pup through trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.
Meet Treat-or-Treaters Outside
We get it: Halloween is fun. You don’t have to completely compromise your involvement in the holiday for the sake of your dog. You can absolutely give candy to neighborhood kids and deck your house out in decorations. Instead of staying inside and waiting for the doorbell to ring, meet the treat-or-treaters outside before they can make it to the door. If your dog enjoys people, you can even let them be a part of the festivities.
Leave Candy Outside
If you don’t want to hang outside, leaving a big basket of candy for trick-or-treaters works perfectly fine, too. You do risk that a greedy group might clean you out. The solution to this is not putting out all of your candy at once; keep refilling throughout the night.
Leave a Sign On Your Door
Simply leave a short note explaining that your dog doesn’t like the doorbell. Again, you probably will want to couple this with leaving out some candy for trick-or-treaters, but it’s understandable if you would rather reduce the amount of time people are on your doorstep.
Turn Out the Lights
The most obvious solution to this issue is to not partake in Halloween festivities. If you choose to turn out your lights, leave a note. Odds are, a handful of trick-or-treaters will still ring the bell looking for candy — and you really can’t blame them. Most will have sympathy if you include a note explaining that behind the door is a scared dog, not a curmudgeonly neighbor.
Hang Out With Your Dog in the Bedroom
If you’re taking a leave-candy-outside route, hang out in the bedroom or another safe space with your dog. Assure them that everything is okay and that there are no evil intruders at the door. This, combined with any number of the above solutions, should allow for a smooth Halloween night.
