Dog Halloween costume advice for 2021! I know I'm cutting it close, but a lot of dogs get put through too much stress purely for a good laugh or cute pix for IG or a funny video clip for TikTok. Avoid these common dog Halloween costume mistakes with this advice from a longtime dog mom who learned these lessons the hard way + ideas on what to do instead.
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Canine Halloween Costume Mistake #1
Putting stuff on your dog's head. A few dogs handle this fine, but many dogs hate having things on their heads. Exhibit A, Mr. Stix saying no bueno to the sombrero. Do you see him hiding under there? Poor baby. Bad momma!
You'll notice that Clover and Tori have their hats strapped behind their shoulders to avoid noggin issues. Stix did not like that option either, so the final photo turned out like this, which is 100% fine. When a dog declines something we think is funny, it's much better to honor your dog's wishes and dislikes.
All three look fairly serious below, maybe not 100% thrilled with me, but they only wore the hats for a couple minutes, then just ran around with their little necktie things for a bit. We bought the hats, but I made the tie things.
Common Mistake #2 With Dog Costumes
Making dogs wear tight or weird costumes on their bodies, especially if it somehow hinders leg or tail movement.
Happy to say I do not have any photos of my own to show for this particular mistake
How to know if your dog hates a Halloween costume?
Dog walks funny
Dog sits or lies down
Dog refuses to move
Dog hides
Learn more about dog body language and dog calming signals + what it all means.
Dog Halloween Costume Mistake #3
Making dogs wear anything that requires shoes on a dog's paws -- if not already accustomed to it.
While many dogs learn to wear shoes or boots for safety reasons, like on ice or while hiking abrasive terrain, acclimation takes time and patience and training to help them learn to like -- or at least tolerate -- wearing things on their feet.
Over the years, I tried several brands of dog boots, but none of them stay on if the dogs run at all. Exhibit B. Notice Tori is missing 1 boot after playing in the snow.
Dog Halloween Fun - What to Do Instead?
Rather than potentially upset your dog with a costume, look for low-impact Halloween garb for dogs, like things that only go around a dog's neck or a bandana.
For example, our 3 went as RBG last year.
Look around for cute Halloween collars or other Halloween-themed props too.
I also found this cute Halloween garland with sparkly orange pumpkins at a craft store one year. It's pretty fragile, so it's really only good for a quick photo or 2, but you can see how much HAPPIER Clover and Tori are with low-impact items rather than full-blown dog Halloween costumes.
Feel free to comment with any other dog costume mistakes you've seen over the years.
Very good and the pictures are excellent!!!
Roxanne, excellent article! So many dog owners get carried away with clothing, it’s a huge industry that appeals to the kid in us. Personally each of my dogs let me know how much and what they would tolerate and out of respect tried never to push costumes nor clothes. I’m purchasing more copies of your book for Christmas including one for myself, I loaned mine to a friend who really needed it. Ever thankful for you introducing me to what a HEART dog is!