By: Sherry Davis – Bakersfield.com Oct. 31 is traditionally an evening filled with fun and excitement for children, but it can become a frightening one for dogs. So use some common sense and take a few precautions to make sure your dog doesn’t end up at the vet’s office with an upset stomach or injury the day after Halloween.

If you’re staying home to hand out candy to neighborhood ghouls, your front door will be opening and closing all evening, and even the best-behaved dog may slip out the door in all the confusion, following trick-or-treaters down the street or ending up under the wheels of a car.

Doorbells and noises

While humans open the front door in anticipation of the unusual and bizarre dress of children (and some adults), pets can react defensively at seeing something out of the ordinary at their threshold, especially dogs that are unsocialized or overly territorial.

The repeated ringing of a doorbell or constant knocking on the door can send reactive dogs into fits of barking, with even outgoing and friendly dogs becoming over exuberant, jumping on or mouthing small children who can become frightened or fall.

A better choice is to crate or confine the dog in another room away from the front door or behind a puppy gate with a favorite bone or toy.

Candy and treats

Dogs are opportunists, and unless your dog has been taught to ignore food left on tables and obeys the “leave it” command when food is dropped on the floor, he is apt to help himself to goodies if the opportunity presents itself.

While most people know that chocolate is poisonous to pets, other candy or food left out can cause an intestinal blockage, or at best, one heck of a stomach ache. Foil and cellophane wrappers and candied apple sticks can be hazardous if ingested or become lodged in the throat. Be especially careful of lighted candles and pumpkins, which can be knocked over with the swish of a tail or cause a painful burn.

 Fences and yards

Many dogs that suffer from barrier frustration will erupt in salvos of barking and lunge aggressively if confined behind fences that give visual access to the street. Since it’s the nature of children to scream and run when this happens, every time another group passes by the dog’s aggressive behavior will intensify.

Photo from Mairin Hershik

Dogs that are worked into a frenzy can redirect their frustration on a housemate dog, injure themselves or go through or over a fence and bite someone. There is also danger from that element of human beings who consider it fun to torture or even kill animals, so leaving a dog unattended in the yard is making it a target for mischief.

Costumes

Dressing dogs up in costumes is not only a personal choice for the owner, but one for the dog as well. Many dogs enjoy wearing clothes and love being the center of attention, but others will shut down and refuse to move. Since dog costumes run the gamut from holiday-themed collars to all-out body suits, there’s something fun for every dog owner.

Just make sure if you do dress your pet in a costume that it doesn’t impair his vision or restrict his ability to move freely, and be aware that dogs that aren’t used to seeing other dogs dressed in clothes may react aggressively to something that smells like a dog, but doesn’t look like one.