# Will your dog dress up for Halloween?



## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

I put bunny ears on Mandi at Petco the other day and she looked so cute it got me thinking what she could be for halloween. My husband thinks I am crazy. 

Do you dress your dog up?


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

it wouldn't last 2 seconds on either of my dogs so I won't be wasting the money. 

I would love to my DH tells Brady all the time momma gonna put a tutu on you and paint your nails, calls him mamas boy


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

My new puppy will. I plan on using Halloween as a major socialization opportunity. I bought him a little pumpkin shirt.


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## Sherush (Jan 12, 2008)

Jesse will be at doggy daycare on October 31st and they are having a costume contest.... I don't think I want to dress Jesse up - he hated wearing is graduation cap when he graduated obedience.

Being that it is Jesse's first Halloween I am trying to figure out how to socialize him to all the craziness of it with all the 100 kids that are going to show up at my door - yes 100 and probably more. We have a house on our street that goes all out with Halloween and also 20 actors and TV crews are coming in which draws the crowds to our street....


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

I'm the killjoy here, but I hate dogs dressed up, I don't ever put any kind of cloth in my dog beside the vest of the SAR ones.

I don't find it cute, but humilliating. I can stand a little lap dog with one, but the idea of a GSD dressed up makes my teeth hurt.


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## Dano (Sep 20, 2004)

100% in agreement with LicanAntai. I also hate being the kiljoy but it does look humiliating. I have never understood the desire to do it. I like my dogs au natural.


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## Ilovealldogs (Nov 17, 2006)

I don't like the idea of putting clothes on dogs unless it's to keep them warm. I will admit though that I have dressed both my dogs up (non-GSDs) just long enough to take their picture. They did look humiliated, but only mommy saw them (lol).


This is of my 15 yr old dog, Scrappy, who has cancer:












This is of my 11 yr old, Chloe, that has an autoimmune disease:


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Chrono likes to make these grunting noises that sound like a cow mooing when he's trying to get his halti off. Plus when he's stretching and he flicks his head up, he looks like a cow! We often call him Moocow so when we found a cow costume at petsmart we just had to get it heheh. 

It's too small and he probably won't be going out this halloween, but it's just too silly to resist.


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## Halen (Feb 16, 2007)

Well, I was thinking about it.......lol


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

> Originally Posted By: LicanAntai
> I don't find it cute, but humilliating. I can stand a little lap dog with one, but the idea of a GSD dressed up makes my teeth hurt.


Ditto! No self respecting GSD wears bunny ears, bumblebee suits, pumpkins, ghost stuff etc. It is down right humilliating.









We did a dress up thing in a CGC class last spring and the instructor was hacked at me because I was not putting a heart necklace and bunny ears on Havoc. Of course the instructor had squeaky toys - oops! I mean Papilons!


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

I think dressing dogs up on an everyday thing is kinda silly, but THIS IS HALLOWEEN!!!









My husband and I were married last year on Halloween and us and the entire wedding party were dressed in Rennaisance costumes. 









I love Halloween!!


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Very cool wedding picture! That guy on the far right doesn't look amused!


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

Another killjoy, here. My guys would be mortified if I made them wear costumes.

I just don't get it. I can see coats (especially for little dogs) to keep them warm, or even those little boots to protect their feet from rock salt in the winter, things like that... but costumes are too much like "clothes" and it bugs me.

I did put reindeer antlers on Alomar one Christmas. I admit it. But right after that, I started seeing so many of these girlie-girls dressing up their little poofy dogs and I never did it again!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Putting 'stuff' on your dog is a great way to train them.

Unfortunately I don't have the GSD Christmas Tree picture on my laptop (I'm SUPPOSED to be working) but I will post it when I get home.

Riggs dressed up as a mummy, a christmas tree, an accident victim (very similar to the mummy) and a properly attired shooter. I'll find the pictures and post them.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Had to look for this picture - Luther doesn't look too humiliated does he? He wouldn't go for the viking helmet that went with the chain mail.


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

he looks like he is bored.
great pic Jenn


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## CherryCola (Apr 24, 2006)

I have nothing against people who dress their dogs up - I don't see any harm in it. However, the whole 'costume' thing is not for me or my pup. I did put antlers on Cherry for Christmas and she hated them.

On a hoilday I tend to find a cute themed bandana or collar - she doesn't mind that


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Kenya has worn a shirt in the past. It doesn't bother her at all. I use it in situations that are stressful for her. It acts as an anxiety wrap and is sprayed with DAP which helps her relax (you can't spray DAP directly ON your dog). I also had to put a t-shirt on Coke when he had a bad hotspot on his shoulder, to keep him from scratching it. He actually did agility class with the shirt on, it did not bother him one bit.

Kenya's DAP shirt









Last Christmas I tried to get good pics of them wearing the antlers and such but the pics of them shaking them off and chewing on them are actually cuter! That photoshoot lasted about 30 seconds, lol!


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

Functional is fine. Foo-foo is disgusting. 

To each their own I guess but I think if I were asked to be in the rennasaince wedding I would have opted out.


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

I promised Dante I would never dress him up. He did have to wear a t-shirt after he was neutered since his incision was loooooooong (Cryptorchid) and I did put an Elf hat on him once. His look led me to not do it again


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

If I had the equipment, I'd dress up in BDUs and put a black vest on Renji.







As it is, I think I'm going to put on his backpack, I'll dress up as a hiker with my own pack, and we'll just be hikers for Halloween. I think dressing up a dog in that manner is pretty cool. Silly and cutesy costumes, ehhhh no.


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

Okay, I have to admit all the pictures are cute...

Jenn - Luther really doesn't look humiliated. More like he's bored with the whole thing and would rather take a nap.
But you know the cat is laughing at him, right?


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## shadow mum (Apr 8, 2008)

Well, the kids want to dress up Shadow, but I don't think we're going to. I might get him a Harley Davidson bandanna, but that's about it.

I once bought matching sweaters for Smoke (shep x RIP) Mandy (pekapoo RIP) and Jake (westie-poo RIP). My hubby said it was fine for the small ones to keep them warm, but Smoke's was used quickly tossed, along with the promise that if I ever bought him anything like that again, he'd toss me with it!! (LOL)


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## CookieTN (Sep 14, 2008)

I don't celebrate Halloween, but I love dressing my dogs up. I'd put a costume on them if I could find one.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: GunnersMomAnother killjoy, here. My guys would be mortified if I made them wear costumes.
> 
> I just don't get it. I can see coats (especially for little dogs) to keep them warm, or even those little boots to protect their feet from rock salt in the winter, things like that... but costumes are too much like "clothes" and it bugs me.


Isn't that anthropomorphizing them though? Do you really think dogs get "mortified" or feel "humiliated" when they are dressed, or are some dogs just uncomfortable because they're not used to having something put on them?

My dogs have not had a problem with being dressed. My terrier would run around like his usual terrier self and ignore anything put on him as if it wasn't there, and my Golden will start wagging her tail and get excited if you put a costume on her. She knows she will likely be going somewhere and she loves the extra attention she gets. I do put costumes on my pets for events and costume contests. It's fun and we've also won some nice things at the contests! At one costume contest we entered last year, one of my dogs won first place which was a certificate at a nearby vet for a total vet exam including vaccinations or titers, fecal test, 1 year of heartworm preventive and one year of Frontline. I used it for my Golden and the total cost if we hadn't had the certificate was $427! (We opted for the titers.)

Right now my Golden has to wear "clothes" (a t-shirt) but for a different reason... She has a skin condition and wearing a t-shirt protects her skin. Soon she'll be needing a coat as well because it's getting colder and she is missing a lot of fur. We may not be doing any contests this Halloween because of her skin issues-- in fact she looks pretty horrifying without a costume, poor girl (half-bald and covered in large red spots...)



She may look silly, but does she look mortified? I don't think so. She looks pretty happy to me!












In fact, they ALL look happy:









(that was while volunteering at a non-profit group's booth at a pet show...)


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

This is from the year before last when I was taking my daughter trick or treating...dont know whose dog this is, but he does not look to mind being dressed up.


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Chicagocanine
> 
> Isn't that anthropomorphizing them though? Do you really think dogs get "mortified" or feel "humiliated" when they are dressed, or are some dogs just uncomfortable because they're not used to having something put on them?


Oh it is - Definitely. I say it jokingly.








I can see them wearing clothes if there's a reason - a skin condition, like you mentioned, or for protection from the weather, etc. 
I just can't get past the idea of people who dress their dogs just to do it. I know that putting a costume on them for Halloween is WAY different from these women who think their dogs are fashion accessories. I know that. And yet, I can't help but feeling the same way about it. I don't know why. It's not rational, but there ya go...!









Adorable Goldens, by the way! That one on the far right reminds me of my Riley.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Yeah I think costumes for a photo op is cute. If a dog is so humiliated by 20 second wearing a pair of antlers that they are damaged they probably had other issues to begin with! I wouldn't have my dogs do anything for a prolonged length of time that clearly made them uncomfortable (that is not limited to wearing clothes). Like I said, I have a few dogs shirts I've had to use for various reasons. Anything more than that...my dogs just get hot. Really they don't seem to mind wearing clothes (actual dog/human clothing, not hats on their head or heavy costumes) but being large double coated breeds I'm sure they'd just get hot. Even outside in the winter they do not wear coats, that's what their _coat_ coat is for! Kenya has this vest thing that is covered in reflective material for walking at night but it is mesh so very breathable. I make her wear it when DH takes her jogging b/c it's so dark in the winter and she doesn't walk as close to him as she does me.


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## ozzymama (Jan 17, 2005)

Ok, guess I'm a bad owner........ I dress everybody up for Halloween!! Ozzy is a vampire, he has a black cape and red bow-tie, Sandi is a butterfly. She loves clothes!! She's coming to our customer appreciation day the week before and she will be in costume


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## Heidibu (Jul 22, 2008)

I say whatever floats your boat. I certainly don't have anything against someone if they want to cutsey up their GSD by dressing them up. And, they can be funny pics.

Aside from the few pics in this thread, virtually every picture I've seen with a dressed up dog looks miserable.

Mine wouldn't tolerate such sillyness.









Putting sweaters and such on a squeaky toy (er uh) toy dog is different...those are typically functional.


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## Ilovealldogs (Nov 17, 2006)

It has been really nice outside today, so I decided to "torture" my dog for all of two minutes to take a few more pictures. She's a good sport about it. I've done it maybe five times in her whole 11 years and it's only lasted minutes each time.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: HeidibuAside from the few pics in this thread, virtually every picture I've seen with a dressed up dog looks miserable.


Here are some more non-miserable dressed up pics:






































Oh and for the heck of it, here's a non-miserable dressed cat


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## GunnersMom (Jan 25, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: ozzymamaOk, guess I'm a bad owner........ I dress everybody up for Halloween!! Ozzy is a vampire, he has a black cape and red bow-tie, Sandi is a butterfly. She loves clothes!! She's coming to our customer appreciation day the week before and she will be in costume


Oh, I certainly wouldn't go THAT far. I don't think someone who puts a costume on their dog for Halloween is a "bad owner." Unless, of course, the dog is obviously freaked-out by it and miserable, but made to do it anyway. Then, that's a different story. But if the dog doesn't mind it and isn't clearly uncomfortable with it, then I don't think it makes anyone a bad owner.
I just don't see the appeal personally, that's all.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

i wanted to put a saddle on tyson and then dress my daughter up like a cowgirl but shes gonna go as a lady bug instead


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## GSDOwner2008 (Jan 19, 2008)

They probably would if I made them, but because of my new illness, I don't intend on going out for halloween, with or without my boys. I can't have any candy, so why go? Instead, we will be doing something more fun. I don't know what yet, but I will find something!


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## brt (Sep 16, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Lauri & The GangPutting 'stuff' on your dog is a great way to train them.


 I agree. When my sister & I were younger we tried it and found we had to train the dogs to keep things on. The dog my sister has now doesn't seem to mind dressing up for holidays at all. She's a ham.








No, she didn't get to eat any of the candy.










Doesn't look humiliated to me...she's smiling. What a goofball.


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## VectorSketcher (Jul 20, 2008)

ha ha all those pics are great! Mine would not allow me to dress him up, he would fight me tooth and nail, and if I did manage to get the costume on him, he would tear it off. but I enjoy seeing others who have successfully dressed their babies up, so cute!


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## Sherush (Jan 12, 2008)

Well I never thought I would ever dress up my dogs.... but.... Jesse will be at doggy daycare on Halloween day and it is his first Halloween, and they are having a contest, so we bought a costume -Pirate - and then hubby spent hours yesterday modifying it to fit comfortably on Jesse and also to make it last for years and we are looking around now for a stuff small parrot to put on his back... I will take photos when it is complete.


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## Packen (Sep 14, 2008)

Joe simply loves dressing up, here are his favorites,

1: Agitation harness
2: Prong collar with tab
3: E-collar
4: Fur saver with 15' lead on dead ring
5: Sometimes a back pack to carry his own food/water
6: Life vest in boat


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

But how perfect would this be for a GSD?


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

It would be very cute until you were picking little bits of shreded outfit off the lawn!


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

My daughters and I picked out Mandalays Halloween costume tonight. I dont think she looks happy with the antenae on, but she seems fine with only the body part and wings. She never even tried to get it off...just wore it around like it was normal.


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## ozzymama (Jan 17, 2005)

Here's a thought







Maybe sometimes animals look miserable in costume, because they don't like their pictures taken. 
Ozzy hates the camera. It's the worst punishment for him ever!!


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## Mandalay (Apr 21, 2008)

I never thought of that. Maybe they dont like the flash or the sound the camera makes. The first time Mandalay saw me with my glasses as opposed to my contacts, she was weirded out and barked at me and kept going really slow to sniff at my glasses. Maybe they dont understand the camera in front of our faces.


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## Sherush (Jan 12, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Mandalay
> 
> 
> 
> ...


OMG that would be perfect for Jesse and for our family... hubby is a cop.

Here is what Jesse will look like this halloween at doggy daycare and also for evening:


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## denwil2007 (Apr 15, 2007)

Personally, I would never dress up a German Shepherd. 

Mine's barely where collars. There are some really cool picts of another member's dog on her website, with sunglasses and goggles. That would certainly make a nice family album pict or poster. I might try something like that.


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## Jolynn (Oct 14, 2008)

i wont get my puppy till moveber 11 so not this year. and idk why your husband would think ur crazy. maybe hes crazy jk


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Most of these costumes are not for walk-around use ...

The Famous GSD Christmas Tree:









The Mummy:









The Lifeguard:










Shooting Range Officer:










Funny story about that last picture. Someone once asked if they could have a copy of it to put up at their gun range. Under the picture they wrote - "Even the DOG Knows Gun Safety - Eyes and Ears On at ALL Times!"


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## GSDOwner2008 (Jan 19, 2008)

lol!


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## Rei (Oct 10, 2008)

I don't plan on ever dressing a dog up!! Because it might feel uncomfortable on his part









And it really does look downright silly! (Though I've got to admit, I do love the costume pictures here!)


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## SouthernThistle (Nov 16, 2005)

Andrew's puppy, Cash, will be dressing up for Halloween. He is such a sweet boy and a good sport, and he's going to the Petco Halloween Party on Sept. 26th (we're keeping him up in our arms or in a [sanitized] shopping cart though).


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## GSDLoverII (May 12, 2004)

No.


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## CampPappy (Sep 10, 2007)

Lauri.....I almost peed my pants laughing at your pictures...too funny.

Here are Axl and Gretchen last year at the OB Holloween Party. They had to do all their OB in costume.

I think Gretchen is saying....."Does this collar make me look fat?"
Axl is saying....."Just get me out of here"


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## CookieTN (Sep 14, 2008)

Yes. I dressed both of my dogs in a cape.


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