Pet Content // The Best Halloween Costumes for Your Dog This Year*

In our house, as soon as the 1st September hits it’s time to get ready for Autumn and more importantly, Halloween. We’re huge fans of Halloween even if LM isn’t really into villains and I’m really not into scary, we enjoy the cutesy side of things like pumpkins with faces, candy and The Nightmare Before Christmas. We also like to dress up, both of us. LM has already decided on two costumes (one for Disney, one for school) and I know what I’m wearing for our family party.

Speaking of dressing up, I always wish that I could dress up Elsa so she really felt like part of the family during Halloween, but alas she’ll have none of it. If I had a dog on the other hand.. well, that would be a different story.

Together with natural dog food suppliers Feedem, I’m looking at some ideas of Halloween costumes for dogs (and mourning how I can’t pop Elsa in one) and rating them to help you dog owners decide on what your dog could be this year, if they’re into it.. of course!

Lion
Lets start with one I’d obviously choose if Elsa wasn’t such a madam, the lion. We’ve all seen pets dressed up as lions on social media and it’s pretty easy to do. Instead of a full outfit, you can buy just the manes here to create this costume.

Fit: 6/10
Obviously you can get different sized manes from small to large. They’re attached by a piece of elastic.

Material/Comfort: 3/10
I can’t imagine it’s very comfortable for a dog to wear and I can imagine the novelty will wear off fast especially when eating and drinking.

Effectivity: 5/10
Personally although they look awesome I don’t think they’re very practical especially on an energetic dog. The most you’d get is a photo and it would only look on golden fur dogs.

Overall rating: 14/30

Spider pup
It’s creepy and it’s cooky, it’s your spider pup. Complete with fur and eight legs, you can pick up the costume here.

Fit: 6/10
The material from this outfit goes underneath your dog so that it is fitted properly and less likely to fall off. However, it might be a tight squeeze for larger jobs.

Material/Comfort: 2/10
This costume has received a low rating for material and comfort due to the eight legs attached to the outfit. This cannot be comfortable for the dog when walking or playing – this costume would be most appropriate for a photo opportunity and 5 minutes at best.

Effectivity: 8/10
Despite the low levels of comfort, this is an effective outfit that would make your pup the centre of attention at Halloween.  However as I’m not a fan of making a pet or human feel uncomfortable at their expense it would have to be a hard pass from me.

Overall rating: 10/30

TY beanie baby
My personal favourite as I used to collect them as a child! Really only suitable for the smaller, fluffier pups, the TY beanie baby outfit can be made by you saving on money. Simply create the traditional TY label out of cardboard and felt and attach it to your dog’s collar our round their neck. For added cuteness, you could write a message inside the tag such as your dog’s name and what it likes to do, remember to do it in rhyme!

Fit: 9/10
Since this outfit can be created at home, you can make sure that the tag fits nicely onto your dog’s collar.

Material/Comfort: 8/10
Unlike other outfits, this costume shouldn’t interfere with your dog too much as it is not fitted to any part of their bodies. However, there is a chance they might become distracted by the tag and pull it off.

Effectivity: 5/10
The TY beanie baby range is recognisable by many and therefore this outfit can be effective for your dog. Although it is imaginative if your dog pulls the tag of you no longer have a costume.

Overall rating: 22/30

Pumpkin puppy
Although there are some pumpkin puppy costumes available out there to buy, this is another one that can be easy to make one at home. With some orange and black felt and some Velcro, you can cut out a suitable outfit for your dog and stick a Halloween design on the back with craft glue.

Fit: 7/10
If you are designing this outfit yourself, you can ensure that it is the perfect fit for your furry friend! However, dogs tend to be playful and move around a lot so if it’s not made very well there is a chance it could fall apart.

Material/Comfort: 6/10
Felt is a comfortable material for your dog and it is unlikely that this would lead to any irritation. However you must check that all glue is hid away as this could irritate them.

Effectivity: 7/10
It is fitting with the Halloween theme and would be recognisable as a pumpkin.

Overall rating: 20/30

It looks as though there is a clear winner and this is one I’d be most happy with as it causes no discomfort to your pup. Dressing your dog as a TY beanie baby is affordable, effective and can be created so that it fits your dog perfectly.

Have you ever dressed you dog up?