You know what’s scarier than Halloween in Orlando?
Your dog with a taste for destruction and a thirst for fabric.
It’s that time of year again—the spooky season. There are ghosts on lawns, skeletons in windows, and a terrifying realization creeping into your home:
Your dog… is about to eat your child’s costume. Again.
Let’s face it—nothing ruins a $50 princess dress faster than a dog with anxiety and an oral fixation. If you're tired of turning Halloween into a horror movie called The Attack of the Chewer, it's time to put a stop to the nipping and chewing before your spooky season becomes a shredded mess.
Dogs chew. We get it. Puppies chew. Teething. Exploring. Learning.
Adult dogs chew? Well… that’s when it starts to feel personal.
Think of it like baby braces, but with more drool and significantly fewer orthodontists. Everything hurts. Everything must be chewed. Preferably your shoelaces.
If your dog gets nervous when you leave, when the doorbell rings, or when a plastic skeleton sways in the wind—guess what they chew to cope? Yep. Anything within fang range.
A bored dog is a dangerous dog. If they don’t have stimulation, they’ll create some. Usually involving your favorite furniture or a glittery Halloween wig.
Sometimes, they just never learned. And if you're treating chewing like a phase instead of a fixable behavior, that makes you an accomplice to costume carnage.
You think it’s cute when they “play bite.” You laugh it off. You say, “Oh, they’re just being silly.”
You know who isn’t laughing?
Your toddler dressed like Buzz Lightyear whose space boot now has a chunk missing.
Nipping often starts as playful mouthing. But without correction, it can escalate into actual biting. We’re talking lawsuits, not just lost accessories.
Let us paint a picture:
Your dog sees a child dressed as a giant taco.
Your dog thinks, “Lunch?”
Your dog lunges.
The child screams.
The taco costume is now an abstract piece of modern art.
This is avoidable. But only if you train before it gets weird.
Don’t leave temptation lying around like it’s a chew toy clearance bin.
Costumes? Keep them out of reach.
Shoes? Same.
Decorative pumpkins? Yes, even the fake ones.
Anything made of latex? That’s basically a dog magnet with a chew-me-now setting.
You wouldn’t leave a toddler alone with a chocolate fountain.
So why leave your untrained dog alone with a bag of Halloween props?
“NO!” is a reaction. Redirection is a strategy.
Every time your dog starts chewing something they shouldn’t, offer something better.
Frozen carrots
Durable chew toys
Tug ropes
Kong toys with treats inside (because nothing says “good dog” like peanut butter-filled rubber)
Teach them: “This is yours. That is mine. My stuff is sacred. Yours is replaceable.”
Most dogs will stop chewing something if it tastes like despair.
You can buy safe bitter sprays that make items unappealing.
It’s like seasoning your furniture with disappointment.
Spray it on costume bins, shoe corners, cords, and anything else your dog sees as a chew challenge.
If your dog nips during play, immediately stop all interaction.
Look shocked. Say “Ouch!” in a high-pitched voice. Then ignore them.
Like you’re on a bad date and they mentioned NFTs.
This teaches them:
“No teeth = fun.
Teeth = no friends.”
Simple. Direct. Effective.
If your dog grabs a piece of costume and runs like they’re on a game show, you need tools.
“Leave it” means don’t even touch that thing.
“Drop it” means spit it out before I lose my mind.
Repetition + rewards = results.
You can teach this.
Or… we can. (More on that in a second.)
Dogs with jobs don’t have time for nonsense.
Give them brain games, puzzle feeders, scent work.
A mentally tired dog will choose sleep over shredding your child’s Elsa dress.
It’s science. Or magic. Possibly both.
You can watch YouTube videos.
You can Google “how to stop chewing.”
You can cry quietly in Target when you realize the costume aisle is already sold out.
OR… you can bring in the pros.
At Sit Happens Orlando, we handle:
Puppy nipping correction
Chewing redirection
Obedience training that actually works
Behavioral solutions tailored to your lifestyle
And yes—we train humans too. Gently. But firmly.
We come to your home so we see the real chaos. The chewed flip-flops. The decorative cobwebs turned into bedding. The spooky doorbell that triggers an emotional crisis.
We’re not judging. We’re helping.
You’re not the only one dealing with this.
We’ve helped:
A golden retriever who ate three witch hats in one week
A dachshund who chewed through an inflatable Dracula
A pit mix who thought every costume was a personal betrayal
And now? They’re trained. Calm. Chew-free. Living their best lives.
🎃 Book your one-on-one in-home training session with Sit Happens Orlando today.
Let’s fix the chewing, correct the nipping, and save your kid’s costume before it becomes confetti.
Because Halloween should be spooky.
Not shredded.
You know the one.
The house where kids whisper, “Be careful, that dog bites the candy bag.”
The house where the pumpkin is chewed.
The house where the dog is in costume jail behind the baby gate.
You don’t want that life.
Your dog doesn’t want that life.
Let’s get ahead of it—before the horror show begins.
