Ding-Dong. The doorbell goes off for the 147th time tonight as the onslaught of little ghouls and witches march door to door, summoned by the promises of tricks and treats. You know your dog turns into Mike Tyson anytime an unsuspecting Uber Eats driver rings that doorbell to bring you your midnight taco hit. But, this year you came prepared!

The truth is, there is a TON of work we can do specifically around the Halloween Holiday to help our dog’s be safe, respectful of others, AND have a good time. Here is my quick guide on prepping for this Halloween!

1. Work on your doorbell protocol. This is a great time to tune up your place command, reinforce for a calm state of mind, and put major repetitions on the actual sound of the bell. Place your dog and start ringin’, baby!

2. Leave it! There are so many little treats and goodies on Halloween that could seriously ruin a good time. Let’s tune up our dog’s “leave it” using their own healthy treats. The major kicker with this one is ALWAYS reward with a separate treat from your hand, NOT the one on the ground. We are teaching the dog that the one on the ground is off limits indefinitely.

3. Goblins, Ghouls, and Good Boys. There are tons of peculiar costumes and strange masks on this day. If your dog is well behaved, consider a visit to a Halloween Store(We like Spirit of Halloween) to get some calculated exposure to weird spooky costumes, decorations, and even animatronics. Remember to call and ask for permission and only enter if you are confident in your dog’s skills because we want to be super respectful of an opportunity like this!

4. Dress to Impress and Destress! Help your dog to feel comfortable in their costume by practicing it a few times before the big night. Pair with rewards and even walks to make it fun! I’m sure your neighborhood would love the fashion show.

This Halloween, let’s commit to using these fun strategies to make Halloween even more enjoyable for ourselves and our furry friends!