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Nov 6, 2025

Halloween, Hellhounds, and How to Keep Your Dog Stress-Free in Vancouver

Halloween is one of the most exciting, chaotic nights of the year—and that chaos usually involves strange costumes, loud doorbells, and non-stop visitors. While it’s fun for us, for many of our four-legged clients, it’s downright stressful. As your professional Vancouver dog walkers, we believe a great Halloween starts with low-stress management. Here’s our guide to navigating October 31st and ensuring your dog feels safe, loved, and calm.

The Costume Question: Comfort Before Comedy

We see the adorable photos, but before you deck your dog out, always prioritize their comfort.

Check for Restriction:

A costume should never restrict your dog’s movement, vision, or ability to breathe, pant, or hear. If they look stiff, unhappy, or are tripping, take it off.

The Comfort Test:

If your dog runs away or freezes when you try to put the costume on, that’s a clear sign that the costume is a stressor. Our force-free rule applies here: if it causes fear or distress, it doesn’t happen.

Safety First:

Ensure there are no small, detachable pieces (buttons, plastic eyes) they could chew off and swallow.

Managing the Doorbell Drama

The constant ringing and door opening are the biggest triggers for anxiety and stress on Halloween night.

Create a Safe Zone:

Set your dog up in a quiet back room (a bedroom or laundry room) far from the front door. This area should include a filled puzzle toy (like a frozen Kong), comfortable bedding, and soft classical music or a white noise machine to mask the doorbell and voices.

Use the Crate:

If your dog is crate-trained, place the crate in the Safe Zone and cover it with a blanket to provide a secure, den-like feeling.

Exercise Early:

Give your dog a long walk or dedicated play/training session early in the afternoon before costumes start coming out. A tired dog is a calmer dog.

Keep the Treats Dog-Safe

This is crucial. Chocolate, xylitol (found in some candies), and candy wrappers are highly dangerous.

Elevate the Candy Bowl:

Keep all trick-or-treating bowls off the ground and well out of nose/mouth reach.

Educate the Kids:

Teach children coming to the door (if you’re participating) to never sneak human candy to your dog. Give them approved dog treats to hand out if you want them involved.

Know the Signs:

If your dog does consume chocolate or candy with xylitol, contact your veterinarian or an animal poison control center immediately.

Skip the Chaos (Walks and Yards)

Avoid taking your dog out trick-or-treating or letting them spend the evening unsupervised in the yard.

Strange Things Happen:

Costumes can look threatening to even a confident dog, and the late-night foot traffic increases the risk of stress, escape, or conflict.

Keep Leashes Secured:

Avoid taking your dog out trick-or-treating or letting them spend the evening unsupervised in the yard.

Halloween doesn’t have to be spooky for your dog. By focusing on management, safety, and their comfort, you ensure a stress-free evening for everyone. Have a safe and happy Halloween from the Douglas Fur Pets team!

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Douglas Fur Pets — Next to you, we’re your pet’s best friend. Vancouver’s go-to for epic group walks, It’s all we do, it’s what we’re best at and your dog’s about to be obsessed. 

We acknowledge we live and work on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful for their care and stewardship of these lands and waters — past, present, and future.

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