Halloween or no Halloween, horrific happenings curse the most well meaning of events. Whether host or guest, the ghastly party phantom can make embarrassing moments appear out of thin air or put such a spanner in the carefully crafted (and catered) works that the gathering is still recalled with a shudder a decade later. However, abiding in a few rules taken from the pages of real-life, un-fun festivities may help you thwart the curse.

1 Invest in a Dog Crate

For Samantha and Michael of Newport, it all came crashing down, literally, when they let their new puppy careen through the Christmas-party crowd. One guest avoided stepping on the pup only to crash face first against a wall. He wound up covered in the cup of hot chocolate he happened to have in hand. Another woman found out the unfortunate way, that Fido wasn’t housebroken. She slid on a pile of poo, wobbled briefly in her high heels, hip-checked another guest, and landed with a floor-shaking thud. So if your dog could cause anything similar you may want to look into purchasing a dog crate.

2 Don’t Eat the Suspicious Green Pudding

When Joshua of Riverdale was 12, he chaperoned his seven-year-old brother, who was expertly decked out in a killer zombie costume, at the neighborhood Halloween party. The duo was then supposed to go trick-or-treating. However, the young zombie was soon overcome with dry heaves and nausea, so much so that he began sobbing between retches. Joshua rushed his brother down the packed boulevard to their home. The sight of the groaning, crying, wobbling, retching zombie frightened some and impressed others as an authentic zombie performance. The problem actually turned out to be food poisoning.

3 Verify the Dress Code

Amazing Halloween costumes are Luke’s trademark. So when his girlfriend told him he needed a very spiffy outfit for her company’s Halloween party, Luke was ready to impress. After days of prep, he finished his “Creature from the Black Lagoon” ensemble. When his girlfriend (dressed as a movie star, apparently) picked him up, she couldn’t stop laughing. Luke couldn’t understand the endless laughter. It all became clear, however, when the creature joined a throng of black-tie revelers, all equally amused.

4 Thoroughly Thrash All Guests Who Don’t RSVP

A joint birthday party with her closest relative was just the thing Melissa of Gurnee needed after the death of her latest relationship. A beautifully decorated house and expertly crafted birthday cake were sure signs the evening was going to be a great night. Until no one showed up. Wait, the shy and little-known girl from choir arrived an hour late. Combine two birthday girls (one a cruelly disappointed niece and the other dumped) and you have an evening spent crying and eating cake with the only guest.

For more anti-bad party rules, try swapping tales with your friends. They most likely have more than a few humorous party horror stories tucked away for safekeeping. If they aren’t laughing yet, they probably could use a sympathetic ear. And remember, don’t be the invitee who gets thoroughly thrashed—always RSVP!