The Best Halloween Costume Ideas For Pets!

by Terra Booth
Halloween dog costume ideas

The realization that it is mid-September just hit me the other day! I noticed the garden is looking like the end of summer and the nights are cooler. The days are getting shorter. And then it hit me that Halloween is coming!!! This is my hands down favorite day of the year! So of course this turned my thoughts into what I am going to do with the dogs…and their costumes!

I LOVE to dress up my dogs. And myself haha. They don’t necessarily like it so much…My poor little Pug Nemo was always a target! And now Grace and Benson…Dress up my cats? No thanks, I like the skin on my arms thank you very much! Although I could probably get away with putting something on Whiskers…

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dog halloween costume ideas
The sweetest ladybug!

Dressing Up Your Dog

If you are thinking of dressing up your dog, take a couple things into consideration ahead of time. With Nemo, he could care less if I threw him into a costume. I think he loved the fuss people made when he was all dolled up! He was also a really REALLY laid back little guy!

Grace and Benson tolerate it but they always look at me with big sad eyes like “What are you doing to me Mom???”. But before you dress up your dog think about how they are going to handle it. It can be stressful for some dogs. Some costumes may also limit movement and restrict them from going to the bathroom. And heavy costumes can be HOT.

So be sure to take these factors into consideration before making the decision to dress up your dog and what kind of costume you are looking at.

dressing up dog for halloween bandana costume ideas
Benson rocking his pumpkin bandana!

DIY

There are endless possibilities if you want to make your own costume or are on a budget! One year with Nemo I made him into a giant flower just using a little felt and glue! And he looked simply adorable! A big bonus is being able to customize the costume to your dog and their size! I got Grace a banana costume that SAID it would fit…then ended up being too small…

Hit up your local craft or dollar store, take a look around and see what inspires you! I already have costumes lined up for my bears for this year. But I think matching costumes are definitely going to have to happen next year! I’m thinking along the lines of Raggedy Ann and Andy. A little bit of plaid material, and old pair of jeans and some red or dark orange yarn and BOOM!

Purchasing a Costume

I get that many people simply don’t have the time to make an outfit…But there are some amazing costumes that you can easily find available online! As I mentioned above, just be sure to double and TRIPLE check your sizes and perhaps err on the side of going larger versus smaller. Although with dogs at a XXL or XXXL we are running out of larger sizes…

Last year Grace was a ladybug and Benson was the sweetest bumblebee! Since they were both still growing rapidly last year at this time, the costumes ended up being a little small. But it was only one that went over their backs and strapped around to hold them on so we were ok!

Chewy

Chewy has a huge variety of costumes available for your dog! And what I love about their costumes is that they also have a wide variety of sizes available! Check out the costumes available at Chewy HERE! But of course we had to go through and pull out a few of our favorites!!

Happy Cow – Chewy

Check out this cow costume!!! It is SO cute! Definitely one to consider if your dog will tolerate having something on their head (which sadly mine do not…). I think it’s the udders on the bottom of the costume that really do it for me! You can pick up this costume HERE!

Red Lobster

Anyone looking to channel their inner Sebastian??? I adore this costume! Although this cat looks suspiciously happy…Get it HERE!

Showgirl

I can totally see Grace rocking this costume!!! She loves to be fussed over, and who wouldn’t want to pay some special attention to a dog wearing this costume!! Get it HERE!

Serape

Ok, now this is fun! Bright and colorful and provides full movement for your pup! And that little sombrero??? How can you go wrong??? Get it HERE!

I could seriously look at costumes for my dog for hours! And while these are a couple of my favorites from Chewy, if you don’t see something you like be sure to check out the full selection at Chewy HERE!

Bandanas

If your dog doesn’t necessarily do well in a costume, why not consider a fun Halloween bandana instead? I have a few for my dogs, and we wear them proudly during the month of October, not just on Halloween! I love that this one is reversible so can be worn both ways for different looks! Get it at Chewy HERE!

Tell us, do you dress up your dogs? Or even maybe your cats??? What are the best costumes you have used or seen? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!!! Happy Halloween everyone, let’s get spooky!!!

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22 comments

Field Dogs 300 x 600
julie September 20, 2021 - 12:13 pm

Cute costumes….we live in a very remote area so no kids to our door. I think all our pets would last about 2 minutes with anything on them, especially the CATS 🙂

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Terra Booth September 20, 2021 - 6:53 pm

Haha yeah it’s a struggle here too but I still try!

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Tiffany Smith September 21, 2021 - 1:31 pm

I love dressing up our pups! Halloween is the best!!

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Terra Booth September 22, 2021 - 8:54 am

We have a lot of fun with it!

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Debbie September 20, 2021 - 2:55 pm

Oh these are so fun!! Dogs make all the holidays better! 🐾

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Terra Booth September 20, 2021 - 6:54 pm

They really do!! I have so much fun with it.

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Sabrina September 20, 2021 - 4:08 pm

These dog costumes are super cool. I love seeing them during Halloween. The tips and links are awesome. I will pass them along to my friends with dogs. Thanks for sharing.

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Terra Booth September 20, 2021 - 6:55 pm

Thanks!! My dogs don’t really love the costumes but they do love the attention they get when they are dressed up!!

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Barbara September 21, 2021 - 7:58 am

So cute! Halloween costumes for pets are so adorable!

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Terra Booth September 22, 2021 - 8:55 am

We think so too!

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Cindy September 21, 2021 - 2:00 pm

I think Pau would like to be the show girl and Nick wants to be a pirate! Dressing the dogs up is fun! Nick has a fedora he wears regularly.

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Terra Booth September 22, 2021 - 8:54 am

Haha I love it! I would love to see Nick in his fedora!

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The Best Fall Activities For Dogs - Help! I've Got Pets September 22, 2021 - 12:24 pm

[…] Dogs love to socialize as much as people do! Why not have a gathering of pups showing off their Halloween duds?!? When I had my pug, Nemo, we used to dress him up and take him to a local pug Halloween costume parade! Now is the time to start thinking of what your pup should be for Halloween as well! If you are looking for inspiration on Halloween costumes, check out our post for ideas HERE! […]

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Marianne September 23, 2021 - 6:38 am

Very cute! My kids have tried desperately to dress our cats for Halloween (and other times of the year), but all three are having none of it! LOL. I think they need to be trained from a young age to wear clothing, or your chances of success are minimal.

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Terra Booth September 27, 2021 - 11:10 am

Hahah! Yes, getting them into costumes early is a must! My two older cats absolutely will not stand for it!

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Catherine September 23, 2021 - 9:25 am

How cute! I love these ideas. I don’t have a pet, but one of my bestfriends always dresses her dog up. It’s adorable.

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Terra Booth September 27, 2021 - 11:09 am

It is fun! I don’t know how much they really love it but mine put up with it!

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Danielle M. Ardizzone September 26, 2021 - 3:00 pm

Lol, these are great! I love the showgirl one – if only my dog wouldn’t tear a costume to pieces, I would be ALL OVER that one!

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Terra Booth September 27, 2021 - 11:09 am

Mine try to rip it out of my hands but once they are in it they are ok!

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Cindy Moore September 26, 2021 - 10:05 pm

These are fun ideas for pet costumes! I have three cats. They do NOT like dressing up. 🙂

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Terra Booth September 27, 2021 - 11:08 am

Haha yes, my daughter dresses up my Ragdoll and he puts up with it but clearly isn’t impressed!

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Important Halloween Safety Tips For Pets - Help! I've Got Pets October 1, 2021 - 1:35 pm

[…] Some costumes can limit the movement of your pet and can also interfere with their bathroom duties. And keep in mind that certain costumes can be hot for your pet. You don’t want them overheating in their costume! Check any costume for potential choking hazards. No one knows the temperament of your pet better than you. So you should have a good idea if dressing up your pet is going to stress them out. Be sure to check out our top pet costume ideas HERE! […]

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