Doorbells, Dracula & Dum Dums By Jennifer Shryock, B.A. CDBC The Halloween holiday in particular I find to be a trainer’s nightmare. Dogs practice barking wildly at the door each time a child trick-or-treats, costumes entice or spook dogs, leaving lasting memories, and then of course there is the candy factor. Here are some tips you may want to keep in mind for your families when it comes to future dealings with doorbells, Dracula and Dum Dums (popular candy in the States). Doorbells One of the most frequent complaints from clients is their dog’s doorbell behavior. “He goes nuts!” Halloween can be a nightmare or it can be an opportunity to work on this behavior. I often suggest that owners provide dogs a quiet place away from all the commotion at the front door. A room far from the door with white noise is ideal with a yummy KONG or other goodie. This way the doorbell is less stimulating for dogs and they are not as likely to practice obnoxious and undesirable behavior. Frozen high value stuffed KONGS or marrow bones are great for these times. Halloween can also be a great time to practice appropriate behaviors with the doorbell. This will require two adults — one to be focused on the dog while the other tends to the kids and hands out candy. I actually did this with our dogs and
spent short periods in my living room away from the front door reinforcing calm behaviors in my dogs while my husband tended to the trick-or-treaters. This is not a good idea for dogs that have had no training with the doorbell but it can be a fun activity if you have been practicing and your dogs have known behaviors to defer to. We have several “go to” doorbell behaviors; one of our dogs heads to his crate, another goes to his bed and two dogs go upstairs. So, practicing these behaviors is fun and rewarding for all on a busy night. Following our doorbell games everyone gets a frozen KONG in their own spot. After many years of dreading the trick-ortreaters I chose to make it a game and work on desirable behaviors. Dracula and other spooky characters Halloween is the time when kids love to dress up and act out. Costumes disguise human appearance and can be unsettling for many dogs. I have found that this can catch many parents off-guard when their dog reacts to their child in costume. Talk to your families and remind them how changes in appearance can be scary to your dog. Dogs rely on predictable human behavior and body language. It is not uncommon for families to feel that if the child talks to the dog all will be well. This may not be the case. There are many dogs that cannot get past the visual change and will react negatively. This is important for us to communicate to the families we support. Costumes also have many pieces that can be fun or threatening to dogs. Tails might be fun to chase and swords could be scary. It is great if you create a handout or tip sheet for your young families so that they can be thinking about these and be proactive with prevention. Another common situation on Halloween I see is many dogs tagging along on the street with trick or trick-or-treaters. I strongly suggest families opt to leave their dog at home or have someone stay home with them. Nighttime can be challenging enough visually without costumes. Children running around and excited can be very stressful for even the calmest family dog. Having one adult stay home or being sure that the dog is in a safe and cozy quiet spot enjoying a high value treat is a great way to make this fun night a success. On this night in particular it is important that all dogs are inside the home and not left unsupervised in the yard where they may be vulnerable to pranks or other dangers. Dum Dums (popular lollipop in US) There is nothing more fun then after you trick-or-treat and collect the loot then to compare and trade candy. In many cases this means emptying pillowcases out on the floor and sorting through the good stuff. Dogs that have been isolated or in their special place may be very excited with everyone back home. Candy on the floor may be too tempting for some dogs to resist. In order to prevent temptation of eating dangerous candy and wrappers I suggest to families that they empty their candy bags on a table or counter and go through it there. They can also pick another room away from the dog or the parents can have the dog on leash. This makes it less likely that the dog will want to steal candy or be in the way of (Continued on page 14)
13