For me, one of the most fun aspects of Halloween is seeing all the little kids dressed in costumes. The really young kids are the cutest! For many others, coming up with unusual, elaborate and/or comical outfits for their dog is also what makes the holiday fun. If you are among them, here are my tips for dressing your dog in a Halloween costume.
Keep in mind, even without elaborate costumes, Halloween can be a challenging holiday for your dog.
Trick or Treating involves lots of kids who don’t look like kids. Your dog’s reaction could be one of fear, one of over arousal, or one naughty behavior like trying to tug or pull apart loose fitting or long clothing or grab at odd looking objects. Your dog may also be tempted to jump at or grab the bag or bucket containing tox treats – which can knock a child over, scratch a child and/or scare a child. If you include our dog in Trick or Treating activities, you will be responsible for managing these situations to prevent potentially dangerous and stressful encounters – for your dog AND for the kids.
A costume that causes your dog to be uncomfortable, that inhibits your dog’s ability to see/drink/defecate AND communicate distress will cause your dog to be MORE prone to react negatively to the environment.
Is this something that you want to manage or would you rather be able to simply enjoy that time focusing on your guests?
If you want to include your dog IN COSTUME, here are some considerations for safety and minimizing stress, when dressing your dog.
Choosing Your Dog’s Halloween Costume
Just like you, your dog probably will not be comfortable wearing anything that is too tight or restricts movement/vision/breathing/eating/defecating. It should also allow your dog to communicate stress easily. Costumes that are too loose can also be a tripping hazard, be more tempting to pull at and try to take off, and be easier to get caught on things. You also want to be careful to inspect for pieces that can be taken off and ingested.
If your costume does include a hat or piece to go over your dog’s head, make sure your dog can see, hear and breath normally when it is on.
My dog’s pumpkin costume has a Velcro strap across his belly and another Velcro strap around his neck…just as a harness does. His winter and rain coats fit the same. This is not intrusive to him as he feels like it is another harness. Since he does not participate in Trick or Treating, he wears it only when he does activities he enjoys like walks, tv interviews and community outings.
REMEMBER: If our dog does not tolerate a body costume, you can also choose to make a bandana for him or her instead.
Signs That Your Dog Does Not Like the Costume
It is important to be able to recognize your dog’s stress so that you can be pro-active in helping your dog.
Some signs to watch for include – your dog trying to get the outfit off, an increase in breathing rate, tense body and facial muscles, lack of movement or unusual movement for that situation (like your dog needing to zoom, do excessive sniffing or scratching), hypervigilance, or lowered tail posture.
Remember, you are your dog’s advocate. Please do not force your dog to stay with you and continue to participate if your dog is stressed. Be prepared to bring your dog inside and take off your dog’s costume if Trick or Treating is too difficult.
This is why acclimating your dog to the costume ahead of time is so important.
Getting Your Dog Used to the Costume
Firstly, look over the costume carefully for safety before introducing it to your dog. Does the outfit have parts that are sharp, dangly, small, tempting for your dog to bite or chew off and then possibly ingest? Is the outfit the right size? Make sure the outfit won’t impair vision, impede breathing or defecating.
Begin NOW with teaching your dog good things happen when the outfit comes out. If you need to, begin with your dog simply sniffing it or looking at it. Try it on one step at a time, paired with treats or play. When it is on your dog, do things your dog enjoys doing…then take it off. Practice. Practice. Practice!
Have fun and be safe!
