How to Stop Dog Barking at Halloween Masks and Costumes
Halloween is a fun and festive time of year, but it can be stressful for dogs. With costumes and masks, the unfamiliar sights and sounds can cause dogs to bark excessively and become anxious. In this article, we’ll cover “How to Stop Dog Barking at Halloween Masks and Costumes.”
We’ll explore why dogs bark at Halloween costumes, why they’re afraid of masks, and whether they’re scared of Halloween makeup. By following a few simple tips, you can help your furry friend stay calm and enjoy the holiday season just as much as you do. Keep reading below!
How to Stop Dog Barking at Halloween Masks and Costumes
To stop your dog barking at Halloween costumes and masks, they need to learn to become quiet when instructed. To do that, bring your dog somewhere you know they’ll want to bark such as the park, with lots of small dog treats. Keep them on their leash and stay a good distance away from the other people and animals at the park.
When your dog begins barking, say “quiet” in a positive, calm voice. If they give you their attention, then reward them with praise and a treat right away. But if they start barking again or never quit, then you should hide a treat inside your fist.
Put your hand very close to your dog’s nose. Your dog will still be able to smell the treat even inside of your hand and will quit their barking to investigate the scent. Once they’ve gotten quiet and are also giving you their full attention, again give the “quiet” command and then open your hand to reward them with praise and a treat.
If your dog keeps staying silent, keep rewarding them with praise and a treat. But if they begin to bark again, regardless of whether it’s at something at the park or at you, repeat the steps of putting a treat in your fist, placing it right next to their nose, and then pausing until they’ve become silent.
Make sure that you’re pausing until your dog has become silent before you give them any rewards. This forms a positive connection with your dog with giving you their attention and getting silent whenever you say “quiet.” Reward them with treats and praise immediately when your dog is responding well.
With patience, repetition, and consistency, your dog will get silent just by you giving the command, and you will no longer need to put your hand near their mouth. You should then begin lengthening the amount of time before you reward them. Start with just 1-2 seconds, then increase that to 5 seconds, and so on.
Soon, the food rewards and praise won’t be necessary and your dog will stop barking at Halloween costumes, masks, or at anything else just by giving the “quiet” command.
This will get your dog to stop barking uncontrollably, but you’ll still need to do something about their misbehavior which was rooted in their underlying issues with anxiety and dominance. Not doing anything will just lead to your dog continuing to think that they are in charge and that they make the decisions, and things will only get worse for the both of you.
And for us to properly go over that, we must first talk about what makes dogs function deep down. You’ve likely heard before that dogs are pack animals, and that in every pack there is a pack leader.
But every time that your dog barks at Halloween masks and costumes and then ignores you when you command them to stop, they are definitively telling you that they don’t trust you in this leadership role.
If they did, they wouldn’t ignore you when you tell them to quit barking. They wouldn’t engage in any other types of dominance or anxiety-related misbehavior. And they would obey your commands at all times — immediately — and they would do so happily.
Make it clear to your dog that you are not just their pack leader, but a capable one worthy of respect, and you’ll make all of these terrific transformations happen.
You’ll win for obvious reasons. But your dog will be the real winner here because they’ll no longer have to deal with all of the confusion and worry that their anxiety and dominance problems are currently burdening their little shoulders with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sounds like a great thing, right?
“Yes, definitely, but how do I actually do this then?”
You should watch an incredibly helpful free video series which is on this very subject — how to be your dog’s pack leader — by a renowned trainer named Dan. In the series, he explains everything in ways that are very simple to follow and teach to your own dog, and he gets immediately to the point so that you can start seeing these crucial changes in your dog in no time.
Start watching Dan’s free training series now by clicking here. And don’t worry, because no, you’re not going to have to yell or be mean to your dog. Dan never uses those types of methods. Not just because loving teaching techniques are the right thing to do, but also because they’re the fastest way to achieve permanent changes in your dog’s behavior.
Why Do Dogs Bark at Halloween Costumes?
Dogs bark at Halloween costumes for a variety of reasons, with fear being the most common factor. Many dogs will perceive costumes as a threat or something unfamiliar, which can trigger them to bark in an attempt to scare away the threat or so that you can be alerted.
It’s in a dog’s instincts to be territorial which shows itself in the need to protect their home and their loved ones. So, when they see unfamiliar people in costumes, they may perceive them as a potential danger and start barking to warn these scary creatures to stay away.
In some cases, dogs might even just bark out of excitement or playfulness when they see people in costumes. This is more common with puppies and younger dogs who have not yet learned to differentiate between friend and foe. Look for a wagging tail or your dog doing play bows if this is the case.
But whether your dog barks at Halloween costumes because they’re scared, feeling playful, or trying to protect you or their territory, the real problem occurs when they continue their noisemaking even after you’ve told them to stop.
This is a clear sign of disobedience and needs to be addressed immediately. Failure to do so will give your dog the idea that ignoring your commands in this way is acceptable. You’ll then see it begin occurring even more frequently.
In addition to barking at Halloween decorations, you’ll see them going crazy and refusing to listen on other holidays as well. You’ll see that your dog barks at Thanksgiving, barks at Christmas, and barks on New Year’s Eve. I’m sure you can see how quickly this could ruin a lot of family gatherings.
The good news, however, is that you can address all of these very simply. Go back to the first section of this article now where we’ll teach you the exact steps for how to stop your dog barking at Halloween costumes and masks (as well as anything else).
Why Are Dogs Afraid of Halloween Masks?
Dogs are afraid of Halloween masks because they alter our appearance and make us look unfamiliar and potentially frightening. They rely heavily on facial expressions and body language to understand us, so when we wear masks, it can be challenging for dogs to read our emotions and intentions accurately.
As a result, dogs may become fearful, anxious, or even aggressive toward people wearing masks. The masks can create a sense of unease for dogs because they distort familiar facial features, which can be confusing and unsettling for them.
When dogs can’t recognize the people normally around them, this can cause them to feel insecure and frightened. In some cases, dogs may even perceive masks as a threat and become defensive, barking or growling at people wearing them. Go back to the first section now where we’ll teach you how to address all of these.
Are Dogs Afraid of Halloween Makeup?
Dogs are afraid of Halloween makeup in some cases, but much less often than with masks and costumes. That’s because they’re still able to make out the various facial features such as your eyes, nose, and mouth which help them recognize you.
Some dogs can even be confused or stressed by not only the strange looks of Halloween makeup but also the smell (remember they can pick up on scents that you can’t).
To help your dog not be scared, allow them in the room throughout the entire process of putting it all on. This should help them to understand this crazy-looking creature is still just their favorite person, and will be especially helpful if you’re having people over for a party.
You should now know everything you need to know to enjoy this fun, festive time without worrying about how your dog will react. Enjoy, and thank you for reading our article “How to Stop Dog Barking at Halloween Masks and Costumes!”