Guide dogs visit haunted house event to prepare them for Halloween

A group of trainee guide dogs have been given a special tour of a haunted house to prepare them for their first Howl-oween.

The canines, from charity Guide Dogs for the Blind, visited the Grade-I listed St John's House in Warwick on Wednesday, to help them stay calm around spooky sights and sounds.

The mansion, which is open to the public until Saturday evening, has been dressed up with Halloween decorations as part of its Haunted House family trail event.

As the trainee guide dogs tackled a few frightening sights and sounds, Guide Dogs trainer Chris Roberts explained how the visit was designed to build their confidence.

"There's lots of things around the house that these dogs need to be confident and resilient enough to perform what they need to when they're guiding," he said.

"There's lot of kind of scary faces, make up, gear, flapping things, stuff like that can really upset a dog and make them quite anxious."

With Bonfire Night and Diwali also approaching, the festivities can sometimes be a little tail-raising for young dogs unaccustomed to the sights and loud sounds.

Roberts described how there was an incident where a skeleton fell over in one of the rooms and startled one dog, named Taylor.

"She was a little bit worried by that, so it's important for me to recognise that with her body posture," he said.

"[The dogs have] come in, they've had a bit of a sniff, they've had some play, they've had some food and we're really trying to create that positive environment, that [when] they see something that's a bit scary, bit worrying, actually good things happen."

Rebecca Coles, from St John's House, added the 17th Century mansion was open to visitors over the Halloween period.

"The event's for children, for younger children, so we're not too spooky, no jump scares and the dogs are welcome back, if they want to come when the public is here as well," she said.

When asked whether the house was haunted, Coles added: "If you believe in ghosts, then yes."

To help dogs feel relaxed and happy over Halloween, Guide Dogs' canine behaviour and welfare team shared the following tips:

• Slowly introduce costumes - Let your dog sniff and explore new items like wigs, hats or masks before you wear them and reward calm behaviour.
• Build up to new sounds - Play recordings of fireworks or doorbells quietly first, increasing volume only if your dog stays relaxed.
• Add decorations in stages - So your dog can gradually adjust to new sights and smells.
• Create a safe space with their bed and toys - Where your dog can retreat to if they feel unsettled.
• Avoid scary attractions - Pet dogs may find these overwhelming, skip noisy events or parties and skip the costumes.
• Keep treats out of reach - Chocolate, raisins and xylitol are toxic to dogs and sweet wrappers can cause choking or tummy upsets.

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