How do you prepare your pets to meet scary folks like Spiderman, SpongeBob Square Pants or George W. Bush at the front door?

While we love the sights, sounds, smells, and yes, tastes of Halloween, many pets get freaked out by doorbells that ring incessantly, scary costumes, screaming kids and an abundance of aromatic candy that seems to be going everywhere except in their mouths.

Halloween can be a great way to build the bond the family shares with a pet and let qualified four-legged family members join in the silly fun.

It’s also a potentially dangerous evening that keeps veterinary emergency rooms full Halloween night, and animal shelters the next day.

Although most of us talk to our pets, realistically it isn’t possible to explain to them that Halloween night is just for fun. Dogs will be confronted by weird strangers approaching the home and alarming the dog, who usually thinks its primary job is to alert the owners to intruders and protect the home. And a cat can be easily frightened and could run in front of a car or hide in an unsafe place or pass a highly flammable tail over an open candle flame.

While most dogs are fine, there are horror stories that document a pet that suddenly panics and bites a child, or a cat that sees an opening out the front door and bolts for freedom. In fact, other than Fourth of July, Halloween is the No. 1 time pets are lost from the home.

People in the animal care community strongly advise pet owners to put household pets in carriers, lock them in the basement or a bedroom, or secure them with a halter and leash during the time when scary, trick-or-treaters are appearing at your front door. DON’T put them in the back yard where they could be teased or given something they shouldn’t be eating.

“Children can be scary to some pets, even when they aren’t decked out for Halloween,” says Dr. Suzanne Hetts, a certified applied animal behaviorist and co-owner of Animal Behavior Associates Inc. in Littleton, Colo. “If your pet isn’t good with children, it’s probably better not to allow her to greet trick-or-treaters at the door. Your pet will likely enjoy being in a quiet part of your house with a special chewie, treat or toy, and won’t be at risk for dashing at the door.”