Halloween can be dangerous and scary for your dogs. While we humans find the tradition of Halloween fun, dogs just don't get it. There's a lot of knocking on doors, screaming and squealing kids, very odd looking characters. AND it's dark!
This scarecrow has been on our front porch for a week. Talos either (1) just noticed it, or (2) has decided today that the scarecrow shouldn't be there.
If your dog spooks at something, let him investigate it at his own pace. "Jolly him up" by speaking in a lighthearted, sing-song voice, and praise him when he moves toward the object.
Never EVER pull your dog to the scary object. Let the dog tell you how far and how fast to move. If he doesn't want to venture all the way to the object, that's ok. This is about the dog, not about you. Watch how quickly Talos goes from scared to cautious to curious.
Dogs don't have the benefit of knowing what Halloween is all about. They can be frightened easily and suddenly. Before you open the door to your trick-or-treaters, put your dog on a leash or behind a gate or closed door to ensure his safety.
Good Job Buddy!
I can see how that would be scary. Person-shaped thing on the porch. He did a good job. Once Lilly can approach something, I often have her target it for treats to build her confidence.
Thanks for the post. We had a similar experience on a morning walk this week. There was a new scarecrow in front of a house on our walking route and Tula notices anything that is different! As we walked by I heard some barks/huffs under her breath. We turned around and I saw the scarecrow and we approached it at her pace. At first she wanted to stand behind me but then got more brave and was willing to target the leg. Now, she wants to pull me towards it to do her targeting. We are using all the halloween decorations as an opportunity for targeting scary things- at least these things are predictable (i.e. don’t respond to the dog) so they can be rewarding training times and good confidence builders.
Hey Laurie-
Nice post, I really enjoy reading your blogs. Just wanted to mention that another risk of Halloween is chocolate!!!
Everyone should be extra careful to keep candy in areas where our pets can’t get to it. Hey, they don’t know any better, only that is tastes good.
My sister-in-laws dog just spent 4 days in ICU because their 3 year old daughter fed him chocolate.
Michelle
Yes! Targeting is a great way to help build confidence and “neutralize” the scary thing. Glad you mentioned that – it’s the perfect tool for this job! 🙂
I love the little huff/chuff barks. I’m trying to capture those in Nemo so I can put them on cue. They’re my favorite dog-thing ever!
Yes, the Halloween and Christmas seasons are great for teaching your dog that decorations don’t need to be scary. I do love the targeting – isn’t it great to have the tools to help your dog?! I love clicker training! 🙂
Michelle, yes! Thumbs down to chocolate for dogs. Here’s a great resource: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/pets/chocolate-chart-interactive.
I don’t like the fact that’s is National Geographic, but it’s a really handy chart. You can adjust the sliders to match your dog’s weight. Really handy!!
I was just watching the first video and my dog heard Talos barking so now she is looking for him and barking herself! They are too funny sometimes, Thanks for posting the videos!