Halloween is lots of fun for us humans, but dogs do not understand what's going on. Here are some tips for helping your dog to handle the trick-or-treaters who come to your door on Halloween night.

High-strung dogs may become over-stimulated or hyperactive during trick-or-treating. If shouting or objects such as brooms or flashing lights unnerve your dog, it's best to remove him from the trick-or-treat activity.

Assure that all entry doors and yard gates are closed so that your dog does not escape. Do not put your dog in the back yard; he could become a target for pranksters.

If you're wearing a costume, wear it around the house before the big night to let your dog become accustomed to it. Let your dog watch you put it on so you don't scare her. Keep your movements and voice calm when the doorbell rings. Don't jump up and speak excitedly. Simply get up and move in a normal pace toward the door.

If your dog barks at trick-or-treaters, ask a family member to put the dog on a leash before you open the door. Dogs can seem threatening to children, especially when they're barking at them.

Keep candy out of reach of dogs, as chocolate can be fatal, and candy wrappers can interfere with digestion.

It's fun to ask trick-or-treaters if they have a dog, and give them a little dog treat for the dog. Some kids are more excited about this than they are about the candy, especially by the time they get to the 20th house.

If you have a steady, laid-back dog who likes children, the children may want to pat the dog. Some dogs are very well socialized. They love the attention and are good with children. But remember, this increases your liability. If you're unsure whether your dog is unflappable, even with costumes, don't risk it. Remember, a dog's instinct is to protect his den and his pack.

Keep in mind that most dogs prefer a quiet room, a toy and a calm human who can keep her company.
If you have a storm door with a top and bottom panel of screen mesh or glass, consider removing the top panel so you can reach through to hand out candy without opening the door.

A Training Opportunity

Distracting situations can be a good opportunity to reinforce some basic commands with your dog. Assuming you've been working with your dog on basic commands, it can be helpful to practice at the dog park or other area with built-in distractions. Halloween can be one of these opportunities, although it's not the time to be teaching new commands.
Each time the doorbell rings, you can work on basic commands such as sit. Talk with your trainer about how to use the opportunity to work on behavior problems such as barking at visitors, jumping on visitors, and running out the front door when it is opened. Then use Halloween as a built-in school for reinforcing and rewarding good behaviors.

Before You Begin
1.      Assign a family member to answer the door and dole out    the candy, so you can focus exclusively on your dog.
2.   Have a leash handy and leash your dog before answering the door.
3.   Begin training a week or two before the big night. Practice every day. You dog should know the drill before Halloween.

Throughout the Night
Watch your dog for signs of saturation or over-stimulation. His focus on you should become better as the night goes on and he begins to anticipate what to do for the treat. If you find it increasingly difficult to get him to perform, he's probably had enough.
If the little visitors to the house are just too much for your dog's attention span, take her to a quiet part of the house for the remainder of the evening. If she enjoys her crate, it might give her some security to have a toy or chew to work on in the crate.