With the spooky, pumpkin-themed holiday just around the corner, many pet parents might be planning to bring their dog trick-or-treating for some Halloween fun. Whether you're taking your canine house-to-house to gather treats with the kids or going solo in the neighborhood with your pooch, gearing up with the right dog supplies is smart.
Glow-in-the-dark dog collars and other luminous accessories make Halloween safe and fun for your canine trick-or-treater. Add those to a dog Halloween costume, grand some delicious dog treats, and all you'll have to worry about are the ghost and goblins that may come your way!
It's simple: Visibility is critical when walking your dog after dusk or early in the morning. This need is heightened when adding distracting Halloween decorations and excited costumed children.
The good news is there are many pet supply options to help your dog light up. For example, glow-in-the-dark dog collars, dog costumes and adding an LED dog leash all can help alert others of your pupper's presence. Particularly in the fall, when the days are shorter, it's wise to be ready with reflective and/or light-up gear, so your pup (and you!) are seen by cars and pedestrians alike.
You can provide maximum visibility of your dog with a glow-in-the-dark dog collar. Nite Ize's LED safety necklace, for example, is designed to easily slip over your pooch's head, and the collar's LED lighting keep dogs visible from every angle. You can choose from five colors, though orange may be best for Halloween.
If you prefer a harness for your pup, a reflective harness can make nighttime walks (and trick-or-treating) safer. Made from washable, military-grade fabric in four sizes, Noxgear's Lighthound harness features both reflective fabric and rechargeable LED lights in 14 shades for maximum visibility.
Even a simple lighted accessory can help keep your dog more visible. Nite Ize's Disc-O collar light or SpotLit collar light easily attach to a dog leash, collar or harness to help make sure cars and pedestrians see your pooch for enjoyable dog trick-or-treating without the worry.
Another way to bring awareness of your pooch to drivers and pedestrians is with a light-up leash. Nite Ize's Nite Dawg LED leash is made of five feet of durable orange nylon and includes a reflective strip and matching LED lights. Choose from a solid stream of light, or a flash pattern, and pop in the extra lithium battery (included) when the power starts to drain.
Halloween safety certainly is a pet matter. It's a scary-fun time of year, so make the most of it by keeping safety in mind.
Halloween means darkness, costumes, decorations and unfamiliar foods in the house. Be mindful of these things to keep your pupper safe.
Make sure dog costumes fit. Get your pup used to his Halloween outfit by trying it out before the big night. Check that the costume doesn't constrict his movements or interfere with his vision. If any part of the costume seems to chafe or bother him, skip it. Wearing half a costume still is festive—and your pooch's comfort comes first.
Secure decorations. Frisky pups may want to bite and play with crepe paper, plastic skeletons and other Halloween décor. Because ingesting them can be a hazard, it's wise to keep these items out of your dog's reach. And as with live fire at other times of the year, always supervise your pet around a lit candle in a pumpkin, on the table or at your front steps.
Keep risky foods out of reach. Halloween is a chocolate bonanza, but this substance—along with the sugar substitute xylitol and other popular Halloween foods—can be dangerous if eaten by a dog. Stash candy bowls and your kids' Halloween loot well out of reach, and keep special dog treats on hand to offer your pup.
Halloween is a bark-tastic night for dogs and pet parents, and safety is paramount. Shop carefully for reliable products that'll enhance visibility and prep your pet for this special night. Here's to a scary-good time!
Jennifer Kelly Geddes is a New York City writer/editor and the mom of two teenage girls. She's also the devoted owner of a rescue pup named Django, a temperamental Shepherd mix. Geddes has worked for Food & Wine, Parenting, Seventeen and Airbnb magazines and creates content for dozens of sites, including Care, Fisher-Price, the National Sleep Foundation and Realtor.