The Daily Spike

The Daily Spike: Halloween (and HOWL-oween) safety tips for dogs

By Jennifer Williams Fox News
Published

A safe pup is a happy pup. (Kimberly Furino)

Leaves are falling, temperatures are dropping, footballs are flying, and dogs are in costumes all over my Instagram. It must be late October!

Spike and I have been low-key these past two weeks, managing his pneumonia and recovery, and thankfully he’s back to 100 percent. But as a result, I’m very behind in getting him a costume! I asked my fellow Canine Companions friends for any ideas, and boy did they deliver!

These puppies-in-training for Canine Companions for Independenceare named Prue II and Atkins II. They 're the fourth and fifth training dogs raised by their family! (Lindsay Scheer)

Service dog Aslan (whose name means “lion”) dressed up as, appropriately, a lion. Jeanne McArdle (not pictured) and Aslan and have been a team since Feb 2013. (Jeanne McArdle)

Ready for takeoff! Banks, seen here in pilot mode on Halloween 2016, is now a Skilled Companion working with his partner.  (Betsy Knight)

It’s Whooville in the hospital! Lorelei, Mary Ashlyn (handler), Erica had a blast with facility dog Barboza. (Jennifer Williams)

Bauer II is going as a beautiful pink Butterfly… (Kathy McLamb Odom)

… while puppy-in-training Carly II dresses as a spider.  (Emilia Broce)

Cassius, meanwhile, is going as a lion — a popular choise for service dogs, as we'll soon see. (Natalie Abbott)

Because, because, because, because, because … of the wonderful things these dogs do! Puppies-in-training Digby went as a lion, while Gabby went as Dorothy down the Yellow Brick Road. (Dave Lasker)

Dusty IV masqueraded as a skunk for Halloween. (Elaine Towne May)

Canine Companions "change of career" dog Dutton IV went as a little lamb. (Linette Martino)

Puppy-in-training Flurry shows off her take on Minnie Mouse. (Kathy Edmiston Knox)

These two are devilishly good — Bob Fliegel and his Canine Companions for Independence service dog Hardy as the devil and the devil dog. (Sarah Haber Fliegel)

Molly as a Pikachu took her Skilled Companion Jerry out trick-or-treating as a Pokeball. (Catherine Polka)

And they're off! Jerry has also dressed as a horse, complete with a little jockey on his back. (Catherine Polka)

Kasta, a big fan of the Georgia Bulldogs, was recently selected to be a Canine Companions for Independence breeder. She’s seen cheering her with her pal "Cat Stevens." (Oopsie Daisy Hill)

No tigers or bears but… here’s pup-in-training Kasten.  (Emily Bracken)

This is Canine Companions for Independence service dog Knight. He goes trick-or-treating with his partner Shannon Bain, and likes to hold her basket. (Shannon Bain)

Canine Companions for Independence pup-in-training Mario II went as ‘Mario’ and his buddy Buckley, a released CCI puppy, joined him as Luigi. (Kimberly Furino)

Ain’t no cowardly lion here! It’s a lioness — I mean pup-in-training Mia.  (Pam McDonald Recchio)

Halloween is a fun time, for sure, but it can be very stressful for some dogs. With that in mind, here are a few tips that will hopefully make your dog’s night less ghoulish:

Costumes

  • Costumes should be easy to put on and take off.
  • Do not force a puppy, or their body parts, into a costume.
  • Costumes should only be worn when the puppy is actively supervised.
  • Do not obstruct the puppy’s vision, breathing, or ability to bark.
  • Avoid costumes with parts or pieces that can be easily chewed or swallowed.
  • Ill-fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury
  • Try the costume on once or twice before you plan to have a pet show it off. Make sure your dog is comfortable, or that its tail is wagging.

SERVICE PUPS TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT IN NEW 'DOGUMENTARY'

Trick-or-Treating

You may want to leave your dog at home or in their crate while you go out trick-or-treating. The sights and sounds can be overwhelming for some.

If trick-or-treaters come to your door, you may want to put your dog in their kennel or in a room with a closed door. Between the doorbells and crazy costumes, some dogs get scared and could bolt out the door. One other option is to meet the trick-or-treaters with your dog on a leash. You know your dog best, so just make sure everyone feels safe and comfortable.

Decorations

Be careful with your Halloween decorations so your dog doesn’t end up eating a plastic spider or rubber witch. Pumpkins and decorative corn are non-toxic, but could make your dog sick if ingested. Lit jack-o-lanterns or electric decorations can also present risk if you have a dog that likes to chew on cords. Glow sticks, which are more popular every year with trick-or-treaters, could become a tempting chew toy for your puppy. Though also non-toxic, the chemicals inside the glow stick taste terrible and can make your dog sick. No one wants a sick dog on Halloween!

Especially not Spike. (Jennifer Williams)

Candy/Chocolate

This brings us to the most important item: Candy can be very dangerous for dogs. Chocolate and sugar-free candies using the sugar substitute xylitol can cause serious problems for dogs or cats. If you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please call your veterinarian immediately and/or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Happy Howl-oween everyone. And enjoy the costumed photos of Spikes friends!

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For more information about Canine Companions for Independence, visit CCI.org.

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