Kids, Dogs, and Holiday Celebrations (Part 3)
by Andy Sands, Certified Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant
Welcome back to Training Tuesday everyone! For the last two weeks we have been discussing ways to help desensitize your dog to all of the costumes she might encounter from the celebration of Halloween. These steps also include objects your dog may find strange and foreign, such as hats or sunglasses. We began with basic desensitizing to the costumes worn by the family members. This week we will discuss steps to take for the wide array of ghouls, goblins, minions, and sprites that might be seen in the next few days.
Little Bits of Exposure
Once your dog is comfortable and has assimilated to the members of the family in their costumes or masks, you may begin the process of introducing your dog to others in costume. It is important to know that when introducing your dog to other folks who are in costume, the preferred environment will be outside. This will help bring down the threat level of the dog and eliminate territorial issues that may crop up in the beginning. As with the introductions to the family members, it is best to have your dog on a leash so that you can control her movement. Remember, however, that a leashed dog may feel more threatened because it is unable to get away and knows it. Therefore, the process of introductions may take longer and involve more steps.
Once outside and within a safe proximity (a distance that warrants no reaction from your dog), you may begin the same process of desensitizing your dog, as was discussed in the previous blog segment. Please note, you do not want to “flood” your dog with exposure. It is vital to expose your dog in small portions.
Flooding can make a negative behavior much worse. This will probably be difficult on the night in question, as you may have swarms of little creatures on your lawn. If you are practicing this on Halloween night, it will be a best practice to have one person be the handler of the dog, and another person be the giver of the treats (or tricks) to the visitors. That way, the handler can control the proximity of the dog to the people in costume. Keep in mind, you may not be able to make it to this step. This may be too much for your dog to handle, and she may become too reactive. If that is the case, it is best to keep her separated from the festivities. It would be recommended to keep her in a separate room or crate during this time, rather than try to force the issue. In addition, have something to keep her busy, such as a stuffed frozen Kong, bully stick, etc. And be sure to check on her periodically. All dogs are different, and not all will respond as positively or as quickly during desensitization.
The remaining holidays of the year may not involve costumes or masks, but they do usually involve lots of children and crowds. These are also things that can make a dog anxious and potentially reactive. Join me next Tuesday as we address ways to properly manage your dog’s behavior through Thanksgiving and the Winter holidays.