LITTLETON, Colo. — The sights and sounds of Halloween can be a little spooky for our four-legged friends, and on Sunday, one local training center hosted an event to help desensitize them.
Dog Training Elite in Littleton held a "pawnted house" to make your trick-or-treating experience go a little smoother.
Denver7 followed one dog named Charlie through the rooms. The Hood family adopted him about a month ago.
"We noticed when we go on walks kind of later in the day, and he gets a little spooked by all the critters and the noises," said Michelle Hood.
During the sensory event, Charlie put on a brave face (and the cutest spider costume) and made his way through.
"I think it’s a good experience for him. It’s a controlled environment," John Hood said.
Each room showcased some of the skills your dog can learn, like fetching and protection. Dogs heard scary noises and saw interesting costumes as they walked through the hallways.
One sound many dogs struggle with is doorbells, owner of Dog Training Elite Denver Bert Ballard said.
"Most dogs react and respond to that because that’s their territory. A couple of times a day, it happens they bark, but when it’s 20 times a night because you’re giving out candy, that’s a lot on a dog," Ballard said. "The dogs can experience things like the zombie graveyard or scary stories or different textures and things on the floor."
The event was from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Clients got in free, and others were asked to make a $5 donation to the Every Percent Matters Foundation.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.