Sight loss charity Guide Dogs has said puppies have been visiting famous haunted attractions across the UK to highlight the importance of preparing young dogs for the spooky day.
The season’s festivities expose young dogs to potentially overwhelming new experiences, so Guide Dogs is taking its puppies to Halloween activities to build the dogs’ confidence.
The London Dungeon, Blackpool Tower Dungeon, Edinburgh Dungeon and Warwick Castle are opening their doors this month to guide dog puppies for a special socialisation event.
The exhibitions were pared back to create a more dog-friendly environment and provided a safe and fun training experience for the next generation of guide dogs to build confidence ahead of their first Halloween.
Volunteer puppy raisers accompanied the dogs as they explored the specially customised exhibits, met actors in costumes, experienced strange sounds and smells and encountered spooky scenes, objects and decorations.
The experiences at the Dungeons were designed to familiarise the puppies with the sometimes unpredictable and strange environments that Halloween brings.
Puppy raising operations lead at Guide Dogs Haley Andrews said: “Puppies are naturally curious but can become fearful when confronted with unfamiliar scenarios.
“Early socialisation is crucial to helping them handle situations calmly and build the confidence they need to guide their future visually impaired owner, no matter what surprises they encounter.
“Halloween is full of potential challenges – flashing lights, unexpected noises, and, of course, people in costumes. By introducing them to these elements in a controlled way, we are setting them up to handle anything that comes their way as fully-fledged guide dogs.”
Guide dog puppies undergo socialisation before entering a six-month training programme and if successful, they go on to become assistance dogs.
Guide Dogs provided some advice for pet owners on ensuring their dogs have a comfortable and safe Halloween.
The charity advises dog owners to slowly introduce costume elements like wigs, masks and hats, and gradually introduce new sounds.
Instead of decorating the house all at once, the charity advises owners to do it a little bit at a time, as well as avoid dressing up your dog, and respect your dog’s comfort levels.
Although Guide Dogs visited Dungeon locations, this was done in a controlled environment and the charity advises against bringing your dog to scary events, parties, or attractions that could be unsettling for them.
Finally, the charity stresses that Halloween treats should be kept out of reach, as many Halloween goodies, including chocolate, raisins, and the sweetener xylitol, are toxic to dogs.
Guide Dogs is training more dogs to help the two million people in the UK living with sight loss and is looking for more volunteers to prepare puppies for their working role. For more information about becoming a volunteer puppy raiser, visit guidedogs.org.uk/volunteer.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here