Dogs in general do not love holidays. New Years and Fourth
of July…too loud. Memorial Day, Labor Day…boring. Thanksgiving… great smells,
people and potential for scraps. Christmas…tree in the house (but big trouble
if it gets peed on)…more smells, more people, high scrap potential, used wrapping
paper is always fun.
Then there’s Halloween with lots of strange objects that
smell like cheap plastic. Some objects look like demented humans, some make
noises and move without warning, some crawl and light up. Scary to a dog. Dogs
like predictability but Halloween thrives on SURPRISE. As with most “scary”
things in our world, desensitization is the key to a cure. If a little dog is
scared of big dogs, let him hang out with a few. If he’s scared of the ocean,
let him get his feet wet. If Halloween is a fright, show him it’s all for fun.
Our daycare fills the lobby every October with years of
collected and cheesy, zombies, spiders, huge skulls, flying skeletons, bats,
scary clowns and possessed children. You name it; we’ve probably accumulated
it. At first, dogs (and humans) are “surprised” by the sudden change of our
lobby from a happy place to a temple of horror. But the surprise doesn’t last
and eventually both human and dog see it for what it is. By repeat exposure,
desensitization steps in and what was once a fright, becomes a curiosity, then
old news.
It’s natural to protect our “kids” from bad things, but
exposing them to things outside their safety zone allows them the chance to
explore the unusual and be more confident in the real world. A variety of
experiences in your dogs life spices it up, creates memories, fortifies your
bond, builds confidence and, if done in a gentle, safe and rewarding way, keeps
your pup curious, stimulated and always ready to go on the next adventure with
you.
