12 Halloween Safety Tips for Dogs (Because Not Everything Spooky Is Fun)

Halloween is a strange holiday when you think about it from a dog’s perspective. Perfectly normal humans suddenly start wearing masks, the doorbell rings every five minutes and there are bowls of delicious-smelling treats everywhere that they’re apparently not allowed to touch. And that’s before someone puts a hot dog costume on them. While Halloween is a lot of fun for us, it can be confusing, stressful and even dangerous for dogs. Between potentially toxic candy, unfamiliar visitors and decorations that look suspiciously like chew toys, there are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. Fortunately, keeping your dog safe on Halloween doesn’t mean skipping the festivities altogether. A little planning goes a long way, whether you’re taking your pup trick-or-treating, hosting a party or just handing out candy at home. Here are 12 practical Halloween safety tips for dogs to help everyone enjoy the holiday without an unexpected trip to the emergency vet. 1. Keep Halloween Candy Well Out of Reach Let’s start with the biggest Halloween hazard for dogs: candy. Most dogs aren’t particularly concerned about whether something is safe to eat. If it smells interesting and happens to b...