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Hey guys, in case you didn’t notice by the giant insurgence of skeletons on your dash, it’s OCTOBER now. Which, of course, means we’re on the first day of the beloved month of Halloween. (This is a pro-spoopy blog, but I promise, I’ll never use that word again). And with Halloween comes costumes and with costumes comes the idea of putting our dogs in silly outfits.

Do you want to put your pet in a costume for Halloween? Great. Guess what? It’s time to start now! 

Here’s the thing. Most dogs are not a fan of clothes from the get-go. There are outliers who love to be dolled up (although often that’s thought to be because they’re tight, like thundershirts) but most dogs end up being either purposefully or accidentally conditioned to wear their outfits. You know the dogs that looks miserable in their costumes or try to run from them or just tear them to shreds? Those are the pets who got stuffed into it for the first time for the party. 

So here’s what you do: you buy a costume now, and you start training your dog that it’s the best thing in the world. Reward them for sniffing it or touching it or laying on it – leave it out for a while so they get used to it. And then start small – maybe put a boot on their foot (assuming they let you handle their feet – if your dog has issues with handling a body part, don’t put something on it). Reward them for tolerating it, and then take it off. Play that game a couple times a day with them in tiny increments. If you’ve got something that goes over their body, lift it up and encourage them to sniff it – then lure their head through the opening with a treat, and then take it off. Once you get it so they’re eagerly sticking their head through the neck for food, you can let it rest on them for a little bit. Same goes for securing it with velcro or snaps. Make sure you take it off of them again BEFORE the association gets negative! You want costume time to be the most exciting party they get to have. Once they’ll wear it, start with a small duration and then build up time they’re wearing it as you get closer to Halloween!

This way, your dog won’t be miserable on Halloween in his costume! If he’ll be at parties, think about other aspects like how to keep him out of food or keep his costume from getting stuck on stuff. If he goes trick-or-treating, make sure you can put his harness or leash on around the costume and that the costume doesn’t interefere with the gear. Get him used to walking around on it before the night! 

Have a safe and happy Halloween Month, everyone!