5 Halloween Activities For You and Your Dog!

As with most holidays, Halloween is better when you’re able to include your dog in on the fun! From adorable Halloween dog costumes to frightfully fun dog games, there are plenty of ways that you can give your pup the full spooky season experience.

Here at BreezeGuard, we’ve been brewing up some of our favorite dog-friendly Halloween activities to keep your pup spellbound. So hold onto your witch’s hat because you and your pup are in for a Howl-oween to remember!

#1: Dog Costume Fashion Show
Halloween is all about the costumes, and some dogs absolutely love strutting their stuff in elaborate outfits. For these pups, we say go all out! Dress them up as your favorite superhero or cartoon character, or find the perfect dog-and-owner combo costume—can’t go wrong with a classic pairing like milk and cookies or bacon and eggs. 

Of course, not all dogs want to be subjected to a Halloween dog costume! Some will rip their costume to shreds before you can even pull out your camera. 

For the costume-averse doggos, we have a few suggestions:

• Start early. Allowing your dog to sniff and see their costume ahead of time, while getting treats and positive praise, will take away the fear factor on Halloween. 
• Give the costume a few test runs. Once your pup is comfortable around the costume, try putting it on them for a couple of minutes at a time, also while giving them treats and praise. Over time, this approach should allow your dog to build a more positive view of their costume. 
• Stick with what they like. If you pupper is still 100% against their costume, you should consider swapping it out for something they’ll actually like. If your dog is fine wearing a collar or harness, for instance, then they’ll probably be happy with a Halloween-inspired version. It may not be the competition-winning costume that you had envisioned, but it’s much better to see your dog enjoying Halloween than being miserable in their Halloween dog costume!

#2: Pup-friendly Pumpkin Picking
A Halloween visit to the local pumpkin patch or corn maze is a great tradition, and some farms even welcome pets! If you can find a dog-friendly pumpkin patch in your area, Fido will love to lead you through a corn maze or help you sniff out the best carving pumpkin for your jack-o-lantern.

Remember to bring a leash, poop bags, and a water bowl for any outings with your pup. And, anytime that you’ll be driving with your dog, make sure that you have the proper window coverings. BreezeGuard Screens can be especially helpful when driving to new exciting places. After all, you don’t want your dog making a run for the pumpkin patch before you can park! 

#3: Trick-and-Treating 
Your dog will provide the tricks this Halloween if you provide the treats! Here are a few fun new tricks that you can teach your dog for the upcoming holiday:

• Play zombie. Think of this as the Halloween-inspired version of your standard “play dead” trick.
• Do the Monster Mash. Put on some Halloween tunes and then teach your dog to dance on their hind legs. 
• Make a witch’s brew. You’ll need a cauldron for this one, and it will work by teaching your dog a basic fetch command for items that you would find in a witch’s brew—think plush toys like frogs, snakes, or other creepy crawlers. Instead of having your dog bring the item to you, have them drop the “ingredients” in the cauldron. You can play up the theatrics by reading out of a witch’s spellbook.

You can learn these new tricks or make Halloween versions of the tricks your dog already knows. Either way, we can’t wait to see some adorable trick-and-treat viral videos this Halloween!

#4: Monster Movie Marathon
If you love a good scary movie marathon on Halloween, your dog will happily comfort you through the truly terrifying scenes. So get the popcorn ready—plus a dog-friendly treat for your movie watching buddy—and pop in some fur-raising films!  

Before you curl up on the couch for an afternoon of thrillers, make sure to take your dog for a nice long walk or trip to the dog park to run off that extra energy. And remember to schedule in a short walk or pee break at some point during your monster movie marathon. 

#5: Spooky Scavenger Hunt
Any dog can learn to track, and this is your chance to teach your dog some scent hound skills! All you need to do is stock up on Halloween-themed plush toys or trinkets that you’ll be able to hide around the home or backyard. 

Now, it’s important to note that these are not chew toys for your dog. The idea will be to allow your pup to smell the items, and then sniff them out under your supervision. When your doggo leads you to a skull, plush pumpkin or other Halloween item, they’ll get a treat.

These types of challenges are great for your dog’s mental stimulation, and you’ll enjoy hours of fun uncovering your hidden spooky clues. For more mental challenges for your dog, take a look at our article, Keep Your Dog’s Mind Sharp with Fun Dog Puzzles.

Have a wonderful Howl-oween!
From the team at BreezeGuards, we wish you a spook-tacular holiday! May your dog love their Halloween dog costume and keep their snout out of your Halloween candy stash!