10/12/2025
🐾🐾🐾🧡 Celebrating Halloween
uptown with Your Dog
Every Halloween, I can’t wait to head uptown and see all the adorable dogs joining in Island festivities. It’s a real treat for me to see pups in their amazing costumes right alongside the humans. Especially now that the cooler weather is here it makes it safe for them to join in without the risk of overheating or burning their paws.
I love our island dogs and owners so much and I wanted to take a minute to offer some things to consider when you are prepping for the celebration with your four-legged friend. When dressing up your dog, always pick a costume that doesn’t restrict their movement, vision, or breathing. Remember that our dogs are often lower than knee height and our own human costumes can obscure our vision at times so be on the lookout for our furry friends. Many times
dogs get bumped into or accidentally stepped on in the dark. Add light-up gear so they’re visible in the dark, and always bring along treats and water to keep them happy.
If you have a shy or anxious dog, consider leaving them in the comfort of their home while you go uptown to have fun and for everyone who brings their dog, I encourage you to have a backup plan—if your dog is feeling overwhelmed, be ready to take them home and come back to the celebration yourself. We want our dogs to have as much fun as we do. I remind students to never take your dog somewhere you’re not willing to leave before the fun is over if your dog is uncomfortable and you cannot provide them the comfort they need within a few minutes.
Halloween means lots of candy around, and that can include chocolate or other treats that are toxic to dogs. Practice the “leave it” command so your dog knows not to pick up anything off the ground. Being aware of what’s around your pup will help keep them safe and healthy.
Respect people’s space, especially children. Remember that some people not only aren’t interested in meeting your amazing four-legged friend. Some people are actually afraid of dogs. By having a dog with impeccable manners and being a respectful owner you can help alleviate fear or anxiety about being around dogs. Your dog can be a teacher. There was a lovely boy who used to attend our classes without a dog to observe them until he overcame his fear. Seeing dogs were under owners control, and knowing he could toss a dog a cookie with no requirements to pet the dog helped him overcome his fears. You too are offering gentle positive exposure to people who might be nervous around dogs.
Remember that your dog is often face level to children so never just walk your dog up to them in crowded or unpredictable situations. I always say children and dogs are predictably unpredictable. Often owners say, “they had never done that before” or “it was the first time they’ve ever done THAT” after their dog has nipped, jumped on or bitten someone and thats a fact there is always a first time. So give a little distance between your dog and unfamiliar people and dogs to prevent any mishaps especially with children.
Let’s remind everyone that not every dog likes to be petted, even if they’re wearing a cute costume. It’s often the friendly dogs who get overwhelmed by too much attention, and that’s when we might see a nippy reaction. Let’s use our eyes to appreciate dogs rather than our hands, and always ask before petting. Dog owners it’s OK when someone asks to pet your dog to say thank you so much for asking. “They’re actually feeling a bit overwhelmed. Could you toss them a cookie instead” or “thank you so much for asking we are training right now” or “thank you for asking. My dog is shy”. It’s important for you to be the voice for your dog. Your number one job is to keep them safe and not everybody is always in the mood for a hug. By giving them space and respect, we make sure Halloween is a treat for everyone.
