Persuasive Essay On Halloween

By Gail Furst, CPDT KA — www.k-9healers.com

Halloween can be especially scary for dogs since they don’t understand why humans big and small are wearing costumes and knocking at their door. Some options to help your dog get through the night of horrors:

• Keep all pets indoors on Halloween!

• If your dog is reactive to visitors knocking at your door, locate a room far from your front door and ask someone to sit with your dog while you answer the door. It helps if you can disable your doorbell for the evening. The person sitting with your dog can be playing soft music, watching a movie, or playing computer games all of which will help to drown out the sound of trick-or-treaters knocking at the door. Spontaneous delivery of delicious treats help too! An extra special safe chew toy or stuffed kong (www.kongcompany.com) will help keep your dog occupied

• If your dog is comfortable in its crate, you can put it in the crate away from the door with a kong stuffed with peanut butter, cream cheese, cheese whiz or canned dog food. The kong will last longer if you freeze it after stuffing

• If you have a social dog who enjoys greeting visitors at the door be extra cautious that they don’t escape, keep your dog on leash when answering the door

• Most dogs do not enjoy getting dressed up in

When your dog jumps up take away what it wants (the front of your body) and turn your back. As soon as it places 4 feet on the floor reward quietly and immediately with a treat. In the beginning your dog is likely to jump up again. Immediately stand straight (turn your back if necessary) and reward when your dog offers 4 feet on the floor or a sit. Practice many times in a row and invite a few friends over to practice. I have found that in some cases if your guest shows your dog a treat to its nose and then quietly brings the treat to their chest the dog will offer a sit in which case your guest will reward the sit with a