‘Irresponsible’ TikTok trend sees owners scaring dogs on Halloween

From the AI homeless man prank to the Tide Pod challenge, TikTok has given rise to many dangerous trends over the years. 

Now, vets have waded in on the latest trend sweeping the social media app. 

The trend sees dog owners attempt to scare their pets with Halloween animatronics.

While many see this as funny, Dr Anna Foreman, the in-house vet at Everypaw Pet Insurance, has blasted it as ‘irresponsible’. 

According to the expert, intentionally frightening animals can spark anxiety.

And in some cases, it can actually backfire by making your dog more aggressive towards you.

‘It is incredibly irresponsible for pet owners to try to scare their animals,’ Dr Foreman said. 

‘Dogs and cats do not understand that these decorations are not a true threat like we do.’

In the build up to Halloween, many homeowners have been decking their houses out with scary animatronic decorations. 

Coming in a range of forms, including zombies and mummies, these decorations are designed to spring to life when motion is detected. 

In a series of videos posted to TikTok, owners can be seen parading their dogs past these decorations, with the animals visibly startled by the jump-scare.        

‘This video shows various dogs showing marked fear responses to various Halloween decorations, some animatronic and some static,’ Dr Foremean said of one compliation video. 

‘These fear responses include aggression (barking or lunging at the decoration) and anxiety (shaking, backing up, whale eyes etc.). 

‘All the dogs are clearly distressed.’

While scaring your dog might get you views on TikTok, it could leave your pet with lasting damage, the vet added.  

‘Eliciting these sorts of reactions, especially in young, learning animals, can lead to a lifetime of anxiety and/or aggression – animals will commonly become more nervous and jumpier around similar objects,’ she explained.

‘They may also direct this fear towards humans or other animals, especially if these decorations feature an animal or person like figure for example, with aggression then leading to injuries or even death.’

If you have a dog, Dr Foreman says it’s best to keep them inside and away from any decorations this Halloween.  

‘Provide them with a safe space to retreat to if they need to – sometimes the noises from trick or treaters or fireworks can cause distress,’ she advised. 

‘If your animal is reactive to visitors or the doorbell, consider not giving out treats on Halloween. 

‘Playing soft music, closing the curtains, and the use of pheromonal sprays like Feliway and Adaptil can help over these months too.’