Latest / The Puppy Training Podcast / Episode #292 Halloween Survival Plan For Your Dog

Transcript

Episode #292 Halloween Survival Plan For Your Dog · The Puppy Training Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Halloween is right around the corner, and between the constant doorbell, the costumes, and the candy, it can turn a fun night into a stressful one for your puppy and for you.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm sharing exactly how to set your puppy up for success this Halloween so you can actually enjoy the night instead of just managing chaos.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast, the show designed to help you raise a confident, well-behaved puppy using positive practical training methods.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Each week we'll explore real-life training strategies, break down common puppy challenges, and give you clear, step-by-step guidance you can start using right away.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're dealing with potty training, biting, jumping, or just want to build a stronger bond with your pup as their handler, you're in the right place.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Hi you guys, can you believe it is October?
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: This summer just flew by.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: We are into fall, but it is gorgeous here in Utah.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: We have all the fall colors.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's prime time right now, so I'm trying to get outside with my dogs this week.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: That is my goal.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: A lot, as much as possible.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, today we are talking about Halloween because we have a few weeks until then, and I want you to be able to prep up towards that.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: So, because we are officially in spooky season, if you have a puppy or a dog in the house, Halloween looks differently than your average day, right?
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: The doorbell rings every 10 minutes, strangers are in costumes on your porch, bowls of candy are everywhere, decorations that light up and scream.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: If you've walked through Home Depot or Lowe's recently, you see all of these crazy lightups, and I swear every year they get bigger and bigger.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: So, this is a lot for your young dog to process.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: And today let's talk about some simple Halloween game plans that you can put in play, such as how to handle the doorbell, the costumes, the candy, the decorations, and whether or not you should bring your puppy trick-or-treating with you.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: I get asked that a lot.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: So here we go.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Let's start with the biggest Halloween troublemaker, the doorbell.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, on a normal day, the doorbell rings once or twice, and that might get your puppy a little excited.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: On Halloween, however, it's going to be going off a lot, depending on where you live.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you live in a busy neighborhood, that could go off 30, 40, 50 times.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, every single ring is a surge of excitement for your puppy.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: So there might be some barking or jumping or running to the door.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: And by the tenth round, your puppy is over threshold and not learning anything.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: So here is my first big piece of advice.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Halloween night is not the night to train the doorbell.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Halloween night is the night that we're going to manage it.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I want you to set your puppy up in a quiet room or their pen before the trick-or-treaters start coming with something awesome to do.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: That could be a freeze bone, a stuffed cong, a topple, a lick mat, a long-lasting chew.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I love farmhounds chews for my dogs.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Put on some calming music or some white noise to soften the sound of the doorbell and the commotion.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: So dog TV, you need some music in the background.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: You can have fans going in the background, whatever you want, just to kind of give them a little bit of that white noise.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: And that should help a lot.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Your dog is happy doing something else in a different room.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: And then the doorbell and the opening and closing of the door over and over and over again will be much more manageable for you.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Also, some of you might consider just not answering the door at all.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: You can leave a bowl of candy on the porch with a cute sign that says happy Halloween, take one.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: And there you go.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: So that's also an option.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: There is not a rule that says you have to participate in the chaos.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you want to actually work on the doorbell before the big night, that's why this podcast is today.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: You have a few weeks, and that is plenty of time to make progress.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: So what I want you to do is grab a recording of a doorbell sound on your phone.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: It needs to be your doorbell, right?
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to play it at a very low volume and toss food for your puppy.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: And you're going to repeat this.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: They hear the doorbell, you toss food.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: And the doorbell sound is going to predict good things.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Now, over sessions, gradually make that louder.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: You can also practice a go-to-bed behavior or go-to-place behavior.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: You just send your puppy to a bed when the doorbell rings.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: So it rings, send your puppy to the bed.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: It rings, send your puppy to the bed.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: And you reward them for settling there.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: And then after you release them.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: But remember, practice happens weeks before Halloween, not during it.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: So on the night itself, you're just going to manage if you haven't worked on this already.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the second Halloween challenge is costumes.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't just mean the one that you might want to put on your dog.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean the costumes on the people.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: So think about this from your puppy's perspective.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: The neighbor's kids, who usually look like kids, suddenly show up wearing masks, capes, face paint, and they're moving in jerky, excited ways and they're shrieking at a higher pitch than usual.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: To a puppy, you guys, that is genuinely alarming.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, dogs are excellent at reading human body language, and a person in a costume breaks all the patterns that your puppy has learned.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: So do not force greetings.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: If neighborhood kids want to pet your puppy and your puppy's out, they're not just being managed in another room, which is completely okay.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: It is okay for to say, you know, my puppy's in training, but you can toss her a food reward.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you need to keep your puppy behind a baby gate, um, maybe a comfortable distance away from the door, and you're just rewarding calm behavior.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Now, watch for stress signals.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: If you see your puppy lip-licking, yawning, turning their head away, a tucked tail, or trying to escape, those are your puppy telling you, this is too much for me.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: This is too much for me to handle.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm feeling overwhelmed.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: And your job is to listen and be your puppy's advocate.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: It is always better to create distance than to hope your puppy just gets used to it.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, we call that flooding.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: And flooding a scared puppy with scary things does not help them.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: It does not build confidence.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: It actually does the opposite.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: So this brings us to the next question I get every single October.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: Should I dress my puppy up in a costume?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: And here is my honest answer: only if your puppy genuinely enjoys it.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: And most of them do not.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: So here's how you can tell.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: You can put the costume on for 30 seconds and watch.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: A happy, comfortable puppy will act like themselves.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: They'll want to play with you.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: They have a loose body, they're wagging their tail, they're taking food normally.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: A stressed puppy is going to freeze.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: They might try to get the costume off.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: They might scratch at it or tuck their tail or pin their ears or refuse to eat any food.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if you see any of that, then the cuss costume needs to come off and there's no guilt there.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay?
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy just doesn't love it.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's okay.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if your puppy is one of the rare ones who doesn't mind, keep it safe.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure that nothing about that costume restricts movement or breathing or vision or their ability to go to the bathroom.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: That is important, that they can go potty if they're going to be wearing something.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: And make sure there's no small parts that they can chew off or swallow, and we don't ever leave a costume dog unsupervised.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Not even for a minute.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: And another tip for you: a festive bandana or a Halloween-themed collar is plenty.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy is already cute.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: They do not need to be a hot dog to prove it, okay?
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: All right, next let's talk candy because this one is serious.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Halloween candy is basically a minefilled for dogs.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: Chocolate contains chemicals in them that's not good.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's toxic to them, and the darker the chocolate, the more dangerous it is.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: But the thing I really want you to know about is xylitol, which is sometimes labeled as birch sugar.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: It is used in sugar-free candy and gum, and it's really toxic to dogs, even in small amounts.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: It can cause a dangerous drop in their blood sugar and liver failure.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: So don't forget about the wrappers.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: Foil and plastic wrappers can cause intestinal blockages if swallowed.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: Please make a plan before the candy enters your house.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: The candy bowl, my suggestion would be to have it live up high or behind a closed door.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: So don't put it on your coffee table where your puppy can nose or reach it.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you have kids, make this a clear family rule.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Candy gets sorted and stored in sealed containers, and wrappers go straight into a trash can with a lid.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And if your puppy does get into the candy, do not wait to see if symptoms show up.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: Call your veterinarian or animal poison control right away and try to figure out what and how much they ate.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's really important to try to take note of that so you can tell them and then grab the wrappers if you can.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: So fast action makes all the difference.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Just have that in the back of your mind.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, on one more candy note for the days after Halloween, your walks are going to be maybe full of dropped wrappers and spilled candy for about a week or two.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: So just anticipate when I take my dog outside on a walk for the next week or so, there might be candy wrappers or candy on the roads.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: And this is actually a great real world opportunity to practice leave it with your dog, but make sure you're paying attention so they don't snatch it before you do something about it.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: And you're going to want to bring high-value food rewards on these walks.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: And every time your puppy sees litter on the ground and you're approaching it, I want you to say leave it and then reward your dog for turning away from it.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: And make sure you pay them really well for that.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: So you can turn this hazard into a training session.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, next let's talk decorations.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: So pumpkins, jack-o'-lanterns, sometimes we put real candles inside.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Just be aware that your dog's wagging tail or a curious nose plus an open flame is a burn waiting to happen.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: So be careful with that.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: You can use flameless LED candles or just be careful.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, glow sticks and glow jewelry contain a liquid that tastes terrible, but it can irritate your dog's mouth and eyes.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: So keep those out of reach.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: We don't want them biting into any of those.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: And motion-activated decorations that lunge or scream when someone walks by, those are pretty scary for dogs, even adult dogs.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: So if you have them in your yard, just keep your puppy away from them, or better yet, let your puppy investigate them turned off first.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: And then if they want to, they can, you know, from a distance notice them turned on.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: And if they choose to engage, great.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: If they choose not to, that's fine.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: Do not force that interaction.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the big question: should you take your puppy trick-or-treating with you?
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, for most young puppies, my answer is no, and here's why.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Trick-or-treating is lots of excited kids in the dark with strange sights and sounds at every house, plus a whole lot of just standing around and waiting.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: And that is a good recipe for an overstimulated, overly tired puppy.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And you guys might be aware, if you have an overly tired puppy, they are more bitey and jumpy and barky.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: And you will spend the whole evening managing your dog instead of enjoying the night with your family.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: And your puppy will spend the whole evening very stressed.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: So now there is an exception.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: If your puppy is older, confident, well socialized, and generally enjoys outings, a short round can be fine.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Just keep it to one loop, not the whole neighborhood.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, have an exit plan.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: If your puppy or dog looks stressed, you can walk away.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: I like to bring very high-value food rewards and just reward them for calm behavior.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: But I am, again, watching those stress signals and I have that exit plan.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: So the moment my puppy's done, we are done.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: So just be aware of that because if you have kids, sometimes that's hard to do.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Your kids aren't ready to be done, but the puppy's done and the puppy needs to go home.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you're taking that into account as well when you make your plan.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, make sure your puppy is wearing a secure collar or a harness.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I always like to make sure that ID tags are attached.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: Also, something reflective because you're out in the dark.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: So another good tip would be not to tie your dog up outside of someone's house while you walk up to the door.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, dogs can get really scared when left alone, especially in this kind of scenario.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: Now, let's talk about November next.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: So November 1st is going to be the day after Halloween.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: And if you guys have ever partied, which I'm sure we all have had a good party, then the next day is a little bit different, right?
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: We're tired.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: I used to be a teacher, you guys, and teaching the day after Halloween was the worst.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, well, maybe the day of Halloween was worse.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not sure.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: But both days, those kids were pretty overstimulated and tired.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: So your puppy's going to be the same.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of having, you know, training sessions planned that day, I would instead replace it with a long go sniff walk where your puppy just gets to decompress.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: They get to sniff everything and otherwise keep that day pretty boring.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Let them just nap and chill, chew a bone.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um, think of it, you know, like the day after a big party for us.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_00: They need to rest and recharge and get back to their normal routine.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: So give them a day off.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: Let everybody decompress from the big holiday, and then you can take up training sessions again.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, rules always apply.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: So sit to say, please, we don't rush out of doors.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: All of those little things you can keep up on.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_00: But no need to do a stressful training session that day.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so here's your Halloween recap.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: One, Halloween night is for management, not training.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to set your puppy up in a quiet space with something awesome to do.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Two, we're going to keep all the candy up high and behind closed doors.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: And we're going to know that xylitol is an emergency.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: Do not wait to call your vet.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Three, we're going to watch your puppy's body language around costumes, decorations, and always be their advocate.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Do not force interactions.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: You advocate for your puppy.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: And if something is too much, we're going to create distance.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: That is not baby and your dog.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: That is good training.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Our philosophy here at Baxter Bella is about setting your dogs up for success.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: You hear us say that a lot.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: We are not setting them up to fail, and Halloween is a good example.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: So a little planning is going to mean a calm, safe, genuinely fun night for the whole family, including our dogs.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: All right, thanks for listening today, you guys.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you have a great October.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you get outside, enjoy the fall colors if you have fall colors in your area.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: If not, get online and search Utah because we have amazing fall colors and I'd love to share them with you.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, have a great week.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Happy training.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in today.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a training tip.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're enjoying the show, leaving a quick review really helps other handlers find us.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: For more training resources, tips, and support, visit me Amy Jensen at baxterembella.com.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, happy training.