The Best Pet Halloween Costumes for 2011
The concept of dressing up a pet is perplexing only to those who have never quite gotten into the joy of pet ownership. Pet owners dress up pets for the same reason parents dress up babies—for their own amusement. This year’s variety of pet Halloween costumes will let dogs get in on the Halloween fun along with the rest of the family.
Since humans have not yet figured out a way to put a costume on a goldfish, pet costumes still fall mostly in the dog category. You’ll want to keep your dog’s size and breed in mind when picking out a costume, since some costumes work better for smaller dogs and some for larger. There truly is a perfect costume for every size of dog, so search around until you find the right one for yours.
The most popular costume so far this year is the Stegosaurus Pet Costume, which turns your smaller-sized dog into a dinosaur. Available in sizes extra small, small, and medium, this costume puts fake silver plates above your dog’s spine, giving him or her that prehistoric look. As with many pet costumes, this costume velcros beneath your dog’s belly to hold it in place. The Animal Planet Raptor Pet Costume, also for smaller dogs, turns your dog into a Velociraptor, with two dinosaur arms that extend beneath your dog’s chin and a dinosaur head that rests atop your own dog’s head.
The Pirate Dog Costume is adorable for small, medium, and large dogs, with an attached pirate hat and a shirt with jagged sleeves. A fake parrot is attached to the hat for extra fun. The Prisoner Dog Costume from Zelda Wisdom features the signature black and white prison garb with a matching hat. A stuffed ball on a lightweight chain will give him something to chase all night.
For movie fan pooches, there are a variety of film-oriented pet Halloween costumes this year. The Star Wars Yoda Dog Costume is ideal for larger dogs, with a costume that attaches to the front of your dog to make him look like Yoda standing. A Batman Brave & Bold costume has sizes for dogs small to extra large, turning your dog into a superhero for the night. If Wonder Woman or Superman are more your speed, there are costumes for those, as well.
Then there’s the new trend of turning your dog into food. Both taco and hot dog costumes are available for dogs, with the Hot Dog Pet Food Dog Costume being ideal for your Dachshund. (Also known as the “weiner dog.”)
Music fans will be saying, “thank you very much” when they see this Elvis Dog Costume. This unique costume puts a satin-like white shirt on your dog with beautifully colorful designs printed on it. The costume even includes sleeves that run down his front legs.
Do dogs like to dress up for Halloween? Experts say they have no opinion, but the practice is certainly entertaining for its owner. If you do plan to dress your dog up this Halloween, a non-restrictive, comfortable costume like the Dog Riders costumes in Headless Horseman, Jockey, Cowboy, and Monkey varieties may be more like a leash and less like a full-body constriction. Some dogs, experts say, can feel that too much costume restricts their movement and triggers a feeling of being dominated.
However, experts also conclude, the attention looking so cute for Halloween gets a dog may eclipse any feeling of restriction. If looking adorable gets a dog extra treats and plenty of “good dogs,” that dog may be willing to overlook a little Velcro over his or her belly. So pick out a pet Halloween costume that will provide maximum comfort for your dog, as well as maximum entertainment for that dog’s owners.