For a very good guide to all sorts of dog training processes and dog behavior challenges, I use and recommend Clickertraining ...that link goes to the description of this terrific ebook you download immediately, wherever you are! -- Rosana

Every year on holidays when humans get rowdy and maybe use fireworks, many dogs have a hard time with the noises. Some get scared and run away in a panic.  With Halloween coming right up, do consider whether your dog will be exposed to sounds that could be difficult. Any neighbors who typically have a big party… or do you have one? Do you get a bunch of trick or treaters?

Whatever your situation, with the holiday season coming up soon enough, this is a good time to be sure your dog’s ID tag is securely on his collar, that the tag has a current phone number on it, and that it is still legible. If you don’t have one, you can get them at many places, online and offline, and they cost just a few dollars.

It may be that you can use the Halloween events to do some training with your dog. For example, if your dog tends to jump up on people who arrive when the doorbell rings, and if you have a lot of trick or treaters, you could devise some sort of training plan to take advantage of the situation. This is along the lines of if you have a lemon, make lemonade!

Exactly what this could be would depend on a variety of factors, but let’s say that there are two people in your household, or that you recruit a friend. One of you could be stationed outside the front door, where you would ask any older children or adults if they were willing to help. If they said yes,  give them a dog biscuit to toss to the dog but only after he sits on command. Then let them ring the doorbell. Something like that… whatever works in your situation!

If you have cats, specially black cats, be sure that they are inside! But I bet you knew that already.

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