# Halloween--scary costumes and a fearful pup



## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

This is my 1st Halloween in my house and its looking like I'll have a lot of trick-or-treaters. I was thinking since Sage has been pretty terrible about barking at passersby and has bad door etiquette I could put a bowl of treats on the porch with a cute picture of Sage and a note asking something like please give the puppy a treat and teach him not to be scared of halloween or something a little more clever and for the kids to not be scared if he barks. 

I'm not sure if this would be a good idea or not, I don't want to be scaring any little kids on their night or have the neighborhood thinking I have a mean dog.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Nope. Crate him. He's just a baby and the timing is right for his fear period. Maybe next year.

I've had GSDs my whole life. A few liked the fun of Hallows and seeing the kids coming around. Luther was quite the joker for it poking his head out the screen door and inspecting their bags (LOL Fear not the black wolf). 2 of my dogs could not handle all the doorbell ringing and crazy costumes - Prince my dog when I was a wee girl. My Mom used to lock him in the basement to save everyone's sanity. 

Morgan just doesn't like it. At all. I put her in my bedroom when I'm giving out candy. She's always INSANE when I get home with the kids from trickortreating.


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

I couldn't agree more. That would not be a good time for training with such chaos going on. Keep the baby safe and work with him at a calmer time.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Thanks for the heads up guys! I've been in apartments and dorms for a long time and forgot how crazy it can be. I'm also going to guess that while 5 large bags of candy is a lot its not enough!


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Stark will be crated during our trick-or-treating routine as well.

I live in an apartment but we have a bunch of kids who come around (according to my neighbours) so he will be in my bedroom in the crate while we give out the candy.

He will however, be at a primary school earlier the day before for a Halloween party as well as the Nursing home the night before. Hopefully all goes well with the costumes, we are working on this now so we won't have any surprises.


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## k950ECHO (Oct 15, 2009)

Have as much fun as you can. Who cares if the neighborhood thinks if you have a mean dog. best to be questionable . Do you really, truly wants people knowing your dog is a sweetie ? dogs are the best deterant against burglary and also dogs have the best judgement about people who do not have good intentions. Let the neighbors wonder. Dont confirm. Just a little advise. My girls will not except treats from people except me & my mom. ( i prfer that) I had a neighbor poison a dog once. so I am just very cautious about my girls. I am cautious about them being too friendly except with small children. Not everyone likes dogs and not every one is your friend. Good Luck... My baby Girl will be 5 1/2 mths old come Hallows Eve. I cant wait.! ~


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: k950Have as much fun as you can. Who cares if the neighborhood thinks if you have a mean dog. best to be questionable . Do you really, truly wants people knowing your dog is a sweetie ? dogs are the best deterant against burglary and also dogs have the best judgement about people who do not have good intentions. Let the neighbors wonder. Dont confirm.


I have to strongly disagree. We are not talking about "the neighborhood" thinking that there is a dog inside the home that may or may not protect the home...we are talking about a TON of small impressionable CHILDREN that are having their emotions, fears and personalities formed as well as a PUPPY (5 months old) that is also having his emotions, fears and personality formed. 

All this is going to do is reinforce to the dog that when people show up and he barks, they will go away. This is going to reinforce to him to bark at every leaf that blows by the house and has the potential to cause a habit that will be VERY hard to break later.

This also has the potential to cause a fear of dogs (GSDs in particular) in a MASS AMOUNT of children. Children that are going to grow up to be GSD fearing adults. Adults that can vote and put into effect breed bans against this breed that we are trying so hard to keep out of that stigma.

As for people knowing that the PUPPY is a "sweetie"....Yes. I DO want people to know Mandi is sweet and I spend a lot of time allowing strangers to pet her and interact with her to teach her AND them that she IS a sweetie. Most of the people on this board try to reinforce to the general public that our dogs are good things to have in the community and not the vicious blood hungry animals that a lot of people think they are.

In addition to all the reasons I have listed, on the off chance that the OPs PUPPY gets past her and out the door he could jump up and knock a kid off the steps, scratch a child, scare a child to the extent that the child trips and falls on the OPs property...sll are things that could lead to a lawsuit. For what? To prove to a bunch of 7 year olds that she has a PUPPY that will eat them if they try to break in?

To the OP:

I agree with the others. Halloween this year is not the time to socialize. I think it IS a good idea to let your puppy meet the children and people in your neighborhood, but on a smaller scale and not so many at a time. You may even want to take the next year until next Halloween and teach your pup to drop the candy in the trick or treat bag or to maybe do a cute, quick trick that he could perform next Halloween to put people and their kids at ease. But this Halloween he is only 5 months old and needs you to protect him and make him feel safe. I also say he is better left crated in the other room.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

If you pup already has door issues, I would think high-pitched, oddly dressed children would be a bad thing. Plus, there are some kids who are scared by dogs.

I plan on leaving the pups out, see how they do. If Anna starts to get fidgety, into the bedroom she will go. Traditionally they do well with the door, but you never know with Halloween. 

I don't think I would allow children to give my dogs treats though...all it takes is one overprotective parent to claim your dog bit their kids fingers or whatever to have major trouble. I'd avoid that can of worms all together. Plus, I don't know where those kids fingers have been!!


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## wenger230 (Dec 6, 2010)

*I am organizing party on my son's 6sixth birthday and he want to have a Halloween party this year. My son want it to be scary with skulls and blood and guts, So gave some ideas.

Scary costumes 
*​


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## thomas230 (Jan 5, 2011)

I need a costume for my puppy. It should be cute and must be among funny *costumes category* and can be from most popular favorites from sexy French maid costumes to hot dog costumes. One thing more, it should be well designed so that my puppy don’t look weird.

scary costumes


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## emsoskar (Oct 17, 2008)

Hey mods....


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