How To Use Enrichment and Safe Spaces To Support Your Dog on Halloween Night

Think Halloween is just “one fun night” for your dog? Think again.

For anxious, reactive, or aging dogs, Halloween can feel like a full-blown sensory attack—from loud doorbells and chaotic costumes to unfamiliar visitors and unpredictable energy. This episode explores how those “fun traditions” can trigger overwhelm and dysregulation in even well-loved dogs.

In this episode:

• Understand why Halloween is not a healthy training opportunity for sensitive dogs

• Learn how to use enrichment, safe spaces, and environmental setup to reduce your dog’s stress

• Get practical, shame-free alternatives to help your dog feel calm and safe—without missing out on the spirit of the season
  

Press play for a grounded plan to protect your dog’s emotional well-being this Halloween—without guilt, stress, or pressure to conform.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
What if the kindest thing you can do this Halloween is let
your dog opt out? Welcome to Straight Up Dog Talk,
the podcast helping burned out pet parents who feel stuck with
their pup. Finally, let go of the guilt,
learn to communicate, and build the bond you've always dreamed
of through a partnership based approach that combines training,
nutrition, and enrichment instead of chasing the quick

(00:22):
fixes that don't actually work. I'm Em.
And in this episode you'll learnhow Halloween can quietly create
the perfect storm of sensory overload and how to prevent that
from escalating. Why it's OK to opt out of
traditions like costumes, trick or treaters, or forced
interactions at the door and simple swaps and enrichment

(00:44):
ideas to make the night easier for both you and your dog.
Just because your dog can handlesomething doesn't mean they
should have to. Let's talk about Halloween.
For a lot of people, it's fun. Decorations, spooky music, kids
in costumes, trick or treaters at the front door.
But for a lot of our dogs, it istoo much.

(01:07):
And if I'm being honest, for many of us, it's too much too.
You've got the doorbell constantly ringing, strangers
walking up to the house, kids inhats, masks flapping, wings
swinging buckets all the way down the street, noises that
don't make sense, and a completeshift in the energy of your
house. If you've got a dog who's unsure

(01:29):
of people, anxious around chaos,afraid of loud noises, or just
thrives on routine, Halloween can turn into a ticking time
bomb. And here's the thing.
Halloween is not a training opportunity.
Let me repeat that. Halloween is not a training
opportunity. It's not a teacher dog to love

(01:52):
the chaos night. It's a night where you get to
decide what's safe and what's not.
I'll be real with you. We don't decorate the yard, we
don't put up spooky lights, we don't turn the porch light on,
and I don't open the door for trick or treaters.
And we don't do costumes. And it's not because Fitz and

(02:12):
Toby couldn't handle it. They're actually pretty
resilient with stuff like costumes, decorations, lights,
hanging, all of that stuff. But here's the deal.
Why introduce where there wasn'tany before?
Why throw off their rhythm when things are going so well?

(02:33):
We have our own rhythm and it's working beautifully.
So instead, we focus on us. We do cozy enrichment, maybe a
food puzzle, maybe a sniff game.We stay inside, lights off, no
chaos, no doorbells, no screaming kids.
It's not fancy. It's definitely not Pinterest
worthy, it's peaceful and it works for us, so this is your

(02:57):
permission slip to do the same. If you want to go all out, do
it. If you want to do less than me,
do it. If you want to skip it all
together, please do. You are not a bad dog parent for
choosing quiet. You're a wise one.
If you do want to make the nightfeel more fun and grounded, here

(03:18):
are a few low stress swaps. First of all, you can use
calming support tools. I love Zen Melts from Pet Pax Co
and Pet Matrix Calm. Both are safe and non sedating,
but they do take the edge off and help the dogs relax when
things get a little bit hinky. There's also of course snuffle
mats, lick mats, and puzzle games.

(03:40):
Let your dog decompress while staying engaged and doing
something fun together. You can even prop these ahead of
time and freeze them for longer lasting entertainment.
Don't forget that you can alwaysadd music or white noise.
This can muffle the sound of theoutside voices, the extra cars
passing by, bikes and skateboards, all of the things

(04:02):
that are happening outside at night that don't usually.
Make sure to set up a safe space.
Use a bedroom, a covered crate or gated area with comfort items
like enrichment toys, blankets, and no foot traffic.
Keep it nice, calm and quiet. These areas aren't just for bad
dogs, they're for dogs who deserve to feel safe.

(04:23):
I'm going to give you a bonus enrichment idea for Halloween
specifically. One of our favorite activities
this time of year is what I callthe pumpkin hunt.
I hide treats or chews in small boxes or cups and spread them
around the house for the dogs tofind.
It's fun, it keeps them busy, and it brings some novelty to
the night without overstimulation.

(04:45):
You can even hide a few in orange paper or use mini
pumpkins. Just don't let them chew the
stems. Here's your Real Talk challenge
for the week. Ask yourself who you're trying
to impress when it comes to yourdog's behavior or your
participation in traditions likeHalloween.
If it's not your dog, it might not matter.
Protect their peace and yours. So if Halloween stresses your

(05:09):
dog out, or if you've been unsure about how to handle all
the noise, the costumes, or the pressure to celebrate it the
right way, know this. You're allowed to choose peace.
You're allowed to say no. You're allowed to do things the
way that are comfortable for youand your dog.
Every dog is different, and honoring that doesn't make you

(05:30):
boring, it makes you brave. So remember, be kind, spread
joy, and don't decorate for other people's approval.
If you're feeling like no one really understands what you're
going through with your dog, it can feel really isolating and
heavy carrying all that weight by yourself day after day.
That's why I created a free community, a safe space where

(05:53):
you can share the hard stuff, get support, and be surrounded
by people who truly get it. You'll find the link in the show
notes below. Thank you for listening to
Straight Up Dog Talk. Remember, new episodes drop
every Monday and Wednesday. I'll see you next time.