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🎃 Plan to take your dog trick-or-treating? Pro tips you should know!

Sit & Stay is a training and health focused newsletter to help you have a more well-behaved and happier dog!

October 25, 2022

Sit & Stay is a training and health focused newsletter to help you have a more well-behaved and happier dog!

Training Tip of the Week:

This is Halloween!

We want to include our dogs in everything we do. It’s why we seek out dog-friendly parks, events, hotels, and restaurants. Of course, we want to include them in Halloween festivities, too! But how can you make sure you’re doing this safely, so your dog has fun without getting stressed out by new sights and sounds?

Sit & Stay Pro Tips:

John Van Olden, president and CEO of Canine Trade Group, took the time to share some Halloween-centric tips with us. You should start prepping your dog a few days or weeks in advance. The two main behaviors you’ll want to reinforce are:

1. Good leash behavior.

Socialize your pup and get them used to walking in crowds. Keep in mind that “dogs naturally react to dark clothing, so working with them to not be reactive in those situations prior to Halloween would help.”

2. Proper greeting behavior.

Scary decorations on Halloween are good. Scary loud barking? Not so much. If you’re not taking your dog trick-or-treating, but you plan to hand out candy, you’ll want to make sure they don’t jump on visitors. Teach your dog a simple command, like “place” or “bed” to keep them from charging the door when someone knocks or rings the doorbell.

The best way to teach these ideal Halloween behaviors is good old-fashioned repetition.

Canine Trade Group has trainers across the United States. All CTG trainers use the Decisions, not Dominance protocol, which sets dogs up for success—no yelling necessary!

The Smile Section:

These pups are ready for Halloween!

Think your dog can make us smile?

Submit a pic to [email protected] for a chance to see your pet in our Smile Section!

Vet Recommendations:

We all know by now that chocolate is a no-go for pups, but what are some other toxic treats you should look out for?

According to the vets at Concord Animal Hospital in Massachusetts, the following can end up in your kids’ candy—and your dog’s tummy:

  • Chocolate

  • Raisins

  • Macadamia nuts

  • Xylitol

They also warn owners to keep an eye on candy wrappers, which can block your dog’s digestive system.

Check out this list of pup-friendly fall treats from The Dodo.

Product Spotlight:

Have you heard of FitBark? It’s like FitBit for humans in that it tracks your dog’s activity and sleep cycle.

The key word, however, is that it tracks. If you're concerned about your dog getting away from you during the Halloween excitement (or any day of the year), you'll want one of these handy little tags.

Track your dog’s movements with FitBark so you can find them fast.

Have questions about dog training?

Get them answered by a professional dog trainer!

Each week, we’ll interview a trainer and feature the answers to your questions as our Sit & Stay Pro Tip. E-mail [email protected] to submit your question.