It’s that time of the year once again. Kids all over the world just can’t wait to go trick or treating and dress up in their wonderful scary Halloween costumes. But it’s also the time of year when dogs are forced to dress up for our amusement. Yes, forced against their will.
Humanising dogs in this way is really not on. The truth is that there are millions of dogs out there who will happily play along with our antics, but unfortunately there is also a huge number who just don’t like it. And it’s not just about dressing up. Some dogs simply get scared when unknown “zombies”, “ghosts”, “witches” and other costumed creatures turn up at our door asking for tricks or treats. We seem to be so happy and excited about Halloween that we close our eyes to our pet’s discomfort. Learn about your pet’s body language and you will understand if he’s happy with what you are doing.
So this year instead of only buying sweets for the kids, why don’t you get a load of treats for your dog. Every time the door bell rings, he will get a little tasty treat all of his own to enjoy at a safe distance from said door. This way everyone will be happy!
Oh and if you do feel the urge to dress your dog in a Halloween costume, why not do it with the mother in law instead! Believe me, they too can be very scary creatures and mostly do not even require much dressing up!