Bark Busters Offers ‘halloween Safety Tips' For Families With Dogs

Bark Busters, the world's largest, most trusted dog training company, provides guidelines to help dog owners ensure their pets don't get spooked during the year's scariest holiday

(Thursday, October 13, 2005) - With Halloween approaching and all the strange noises, costumes and activities that come along with it, Bark Busters, the world's largest dog training company, released today suggestions to help dog owners ensure their pets stay safe and don't get spooked during the year's scariest holiday. The guidelines are based on Bark Busters' expertise in dog behavior and the experience of the company's network of dog behavioral therapists who have successfully trained more than 250,000 dogs worldwide.

"Halloween is unique in that it's the only holiday intended to scare and startle us," said Liam Crowe, Master Dog Therapist and COO of Bark Busters. "Unfortunately, dogs can be haunted by this holiday, too, which can result in uncharacteristic behavior. We can give our dogs a real treat on Halloween by being more sensitive to their ‘fight or flight' instincts."

According to Bark Busters, isolated and random events that cast excitable spells on dogs throughout the year all tend to converge on Halloween. Ringing doorbells, spilled food, high-pitched yelling or screaming and clothing that covers a stranger's eyes or head can all be very disconcerting to dogs, and even more so when they're experienced together all on the same night. While there is only so much dog owners can do to control external surroundings, they can help maintain their dog's peace of mind and safety on All Hallows Eve by observing the following tips:

Don't leave your dog outside – Bring your dog inside, even if you have a fenced yard or invisible fence. Pranksters love to tease dogs, or even be cruel to them, so protect your dog by putting him in a safe place.

Keep your dog restrained – It's best to put him in a separate room, away from the front door. If you allow your dog at the front door, keep him restrained on a leash. A dog's behavior when he sees children in masks is very unpredictable. What is believed to be a very gentle dog can become aggressive when scared, resulting in a bite. It's best to be safe rather than sorry. Also, a restrained dog cannot run out the front door and become lost in the neighborhood. Just in case, make certain that identification tags are secure on your dog's collar.

Keep candy away from your dog – The statistics are not known, but many dogs become very sick, and some die, from eating chocolate at Halloween. Many candies, especially chocolate, are very toxic to dogs. Make certain that all candies, including used candy wrappers, are all kept well away from your dog.

Keep dogs away from candles and pumpkins – It's easy for a dog to knock over a lit candle or pumpkin with his tail during a moment of excitement. Pumpkins are fine to have around your dog, just not in a location where they can be accidentally knocked over.

Think twice about dressing your dog in a costume – Some dogs might enjoy being dressed up, but many don't. Experiment first to see if your dog likes being in a costume. If so, fine – he'll most likely enjoy himself. However, he shows any resistance, don't do it. There is enough stress for dogs around Halloween without adding the discomfort and peculiarity of wearing a strange and uncomfortable costume.

Have fun, but think of your dog's safety – Finally, if you want your dog to be involved in Halloween festivities, think about his safety much as you would your own child. Your dog does not understand Halloween, so he needs you to provide for his protection.

"Whether it be Halloween, the Fourth of July or just a walk in the park, common sense can go a long way in controlling aberrant dog behavior," added Crowe. "As the leading dog behavior specialists, Bark Busters combines an intuitive approach with more advanced techniques developed and refined over many years to help all dogs – young or old, willing or recalcitrant – to overcome the most intractable behavioral patterns."

Bark Busters dog behavioral therapists are renowned authorities in the area of correcting dog behavior. The Bark Busters training system can successfully train any dog, even puppies. The company's natural training technique leverages the same communications methods – body language and voice control – that dogs follow as part of their instinctual pack mentality. About 80 percent of Bark Busters' clients require only one two-hour home visit from a licensed dog behavioral therapist, if they continue with just 10 to15 minutes a day follow-up exercises for several weeks. All training takes place right in the home where the problems generally occur. Bark Busters' training is the only service of its kind that is guaranteed for the life of the dog. For more information, call 1-877-280-7100 or visit

www.barkbusters.com.

About Bark Busters



Bark Busters, the world's largest, most trusted dog training company, started in Australia in 1989 and came to the United States in 2000. Since inception, over 250,000 dogs have been trained worldwide. With 140 franchised offices in 35 states and more than 230 offices in eight countries, Bark Busters is continuing its mission to build a global network of dog behavioral therapists to enhance responsible dog ownership and reduce the possibility of maltreatment, abandonment, and euthanasia of companion dogs. Bark Busters is the only international dog training company that offers a lifetime guarantee. Therapists will provide future sessions free of charge if problem behaviors recur, or if any new problems develop. For more information, call 1-877-280-7100 or visit www.barkbusters.com, where dog owners can complete a Dog Behavioral Quiz to rate their dogs' behavior.

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