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How to Keep Your Dog Calm on Halloween

By: Author Paris Permenter

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This post is sponsored by CEVA Animal Health, makers of ADAPTIL® for dogs. All statements and opinions are entirely our own. As always, we only share products that we use with our own pets!

This month marks Barli’s very first Halloween! While Tiki is a pro at the Halloween season, having enjoyed everything from costume contests to hayrides, we don’t really know what Barli’s reaction will be to all the Halloween excitement. Because of that, we’re taking extra care to make sure Barli’s first Halloween is a calm, happy one.

We’ll be using ADAPTIL® products which copy the natural, canine-appeasing pheromone that dogs have known since birth. At stressful times like this, we can use multiple ADAPTIL®products on Tiki and Barli without concerns–and there’s no worry about interaction with medications. Dog Appeasing Pheromones are odorless and humans and cats aren’t affected, just dogs who will feel safer and more secure in their environment because of this pheromone.

Prepare Early

We’re beginning our preparations for the big evening long before the sun goes down. On Halloween day, we’ll be walking Barli and Tiki extra early (we don’t trick or treat with them) so they’re relaxed before the potential trick or treaters knock on our door. We’ll also be putting an ADAPTIL® Calm On-The-Go Collar on each dog,  Those calming signals will help Tiki and Barli feel relaxed in the face of spooky sounds or frightful costumes. If Barli were under six months old, he’d be wearing the ADAPTIL® Junior collar to receive the comforting messages like those he received from his mother.

Turn Your Dog’s Halloween Bandana Into a Calming Bandana

I love dressing our dogs in colorful seasonal bandana; it’s fun for photos–and it can serve a very practical purpose as well. With a few spray pumps, you can turn your dog’s Halloween bandana into a calming bandana to help him remain relaxed during Halloween activities.

To create a calming bandana, remove the bandana from your dog. Spray your dog’s Halloween bandana with ADAPTIL® Travel Spray (never spray it directly on your dog). Let the bandana dry then place it on your dog to help soothe any Halloween frights.

Stay Calm in Costume

Whether you’ll be taking your dog trick or treating or to a dog-centric Halloween event, you’ll want the experience to be a calm one. Your first step is making sure your dog is calm and relaxed regarding his costume, whether that’s a simple bandana or an elaborate getup. Your dog’s ADAPTIL® Calm On-The-Go Collar will barely be noticeable beneath the costume. I also misted the costume with ADAPTIL® Travel Spray before Barli put it on.

Give Your Dog a Place to Relax

If you’ll be opening and closing the door to trick or treaters throughout the night, your dog might do best in a quiet bedroom or, if he typically enjoys it, in his crate, away from the excitement. Put out his bed and bowls, and plug in your ADAPTIL® Calm Home Diffuser to help start reassuring your dog that, in spite of any spooky sounds he might hear, all’s well. The clinically-proven, veterinarian-recommended diffuser covers about 700 square feet; the diffuser (which we will refill in about a month before the holiday stresses begin) continuously provides soothing Dog Appeasing Pheromones to help both Tiki and Barli feel secure and comfortable.

You can also spray a favorite plush toy or bedding with ADAPTIL® Travel Spray; as your dog snuggles up to the fabric, the Dog Appeasing Pheromones will send those soothing messages to your dog–reassuring messages that, no matter how many times he hears the doorbell ring–all’s well.

Halloween is definitely a stressful time for dogs–and a night that many dogs go missing. Be sure your dog is wearing a current ID tag, is secured in a quiet bedroom if he’s not a social butterfly who wants to greet trick or treaters, and is calm and comfortable. The trick to making sure Halloween is a treat for both you and your dog is by ensuring that your dog–and you–are calm as you enjoy this special day!

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Paris Permenter
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This post originally appeared on DogTipper.com and is the sole property of DogTipper.com.