Best Dog Costumes

Best Dog Costumes

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Casey Thaler, NASM-CPT, FNS
Latest posts by Casey Thaler, NASM-CPT, FNS (see all)

People love dogs. There is no arguing that! However, what is more fun than getting your pup dressed up in a fun costume? Pretty much nothing.

As a result, the dog costume market is surprisingly large. We waded through the many different options (from hot dogs to Harry Potter outfits) – and here are our top picks, for the best dog costumes.

Our Top Pick

California Costumes UPS Pal Pet Costume

One our staff’s absolute favorites, this adorable UPS costume is perfect for Halloween. Make sure you always get prompt delivery, by purchasing this affordable costume.

Other Great Picks

TOMSENN Dog Lion Mane

With a very low price point, hilarious look, and over 400 great reviews, this lion costume is absolutely great. All you need is Dorothy and the tin man, and you can re-enact the Wizard Of Oz. Definitely a good pick.

Rubie’s Pineapple Costume

This super-fun costume from Rubie’s makes us love our pets even more than we already do. If you want a tropical-themed pet party – this is one of the best choices you can make. Highly recommended.

Animal Planet PET20105 Stegosaurus Dog Costume

One of our staff’s personal favorites, this stegosaurus costume from Animal Planet has over 240 glowing reviews, and will make any pet party prehistoric. Definitely recommended.

Rubie’s Pink Fifties Girl Pet Costume

With over 100 positive reviews, this fun fifties dog costume from Rubie’s is a fan favorite. Your dog might not love the headband, though. Just a fair warning, from our testing!

Rubies Mr Claws Pet Lobster Costume

If you want to make your dog a lobster – this is the perfect choice. The fun googly eyes make this one of our favorites, and it works great when paired with a shark, or other sea costume. Recommended.

Marvel Universe Thor Pet Costume

This uber-popular Marvel costume, makes your canine Thor, in no time. With over 40 glowing reviews, and a big following on Instagram – it always makes for a great party. Definitely recommended.

Rubie’s A Nightmare on Elm Street Freddy Krueger Pet Costume

If you want a real nightmare on Elm street – this canine costume is perfect for you. With over 80 great reviews, and a super-cute hat – it’s a total treat for Halloween. Highly recommended.

Pandaloon Panda Puppy Dog and Pet Costume Set

With over 125 great reviews, this panda costume makes your canine even more lovable. It’s a great pick, and one of our personal favorites. Highly recommended.

Rubie’s Hot Dog Costume

Your dog can quickly become a hot dog – no problem. This fun costume from Rubie’s is affordable, fun – and your dog likely won’t chew it to shreds. We don’t think. Recommended.

Does My Dog Really Need A Costume?

Of course they don’t. But we think it’s a ton of fun to dress our dogs up once in a while.

Dogs can be dressed on Halloween, Christmas, and really any occasion that’s important to you. We’ve only included a small sampling of dog costumes on this list – there are literally thousands of choices out there.

You can dress your dog up as a pineapple, an Ewok, a Game Of Thrones character – and so much more. One of the best aspects of dressing up your dog – it hardly costs anything at all.

Dog costumes can be had for very little money, but will provide a lifetime of entertainment. One word of caution though – dogs don’t always love being dressed up.

Best Large Dog Costumes

If you have a large dog, be prepared to have a slightly different choice of dog costumes available. Big dogs like German Shepherds and Rottweilers will also look very fun in festive costumes though, so be sure not shy away from dressing them up.

We love the lion costume, dinosaur costume, bear costume, and more, for large dogs. Since larger dogs are a little bit more menacing, it makes sense to stick with slightly more intimidating costumes.

Of course, you can also go the opposite route and dress your big guy up in a rather dainty costume. A German Shepherd in a ballerina costume, for example, can be quite humorous.

Some costumes are just going to look better on larger dogs. Just like with any animal costume, a simple set of ears or a t-shirt will make your dog happier than trying to wrap them up in a full bodysuit.

A cape is one option that should go over relatively well with your dog, without overwhelming them. Be sure to study your pet’s body language before making them wear a costume that they might absolutely hate.

If your dog is used to wearing a winter coat or other clothing, they will be more likely to tolerate a dog costume. Larger dogs are also more likely to tolerate small costumes (like a simple bandana).

Other easy choices like novelty t-shirts or sports jerseys are very unlikely to be heavily disliked by a larger dog, and chances are they will barely notice the difference. Of course, we can’t fib – our favorite dog costumes are usually the most overly elaborate ones.

Best Small Dog Costumes

Tiny dogs can look ultra-cute in a costume, and some small dog costumes can even be reused for cat costumes. We like head attachments for small dogs (like Mickey Mouse ears), as well as light choices like basketball jerseys.

These costumes are also very affordable, so you won’t need to spend a lot to bring some happiness to your home. We are also partial to the Yoda costume for tiny dogs, as it just looks so darn cute.

Because small dogs have more delicate bodies, you want to be sure that the costume you pick does not interfere with their movements. You don’t want a costume that makes walking difficult for your animal, or gets in their eyes or face.

You also want to make sure that the costume does not make any noises that might frighten them, especially if they’re a small dog. While you and I know it’s just a costume, noises like this can sometimes cause very real stress in a small animal.

Another important aspect to consider is making sure the costume you choose does not cause your little guy or girl to overheat. This is especially important for a small animal, as their fragile central nervous system is not as robust as a larger dog’s might be.

You also want to make sure the costume you choose is actually comfortable for your little dog. Make sure the costume is not too tight on their ears, doesn’t hurt their legs, and doesn’t in any way constrict their breathing.

There are a number of costumes that are specifically meant for small dogs, like the taco costume, or many of the Harry Potter dog costumes. Whichever costume you go with, just make sure your little guy or girl doesn’t hate it.

Halloween Dog Costumes For Specific Breeds

There are some costumes that will look better on certain breeds, like a teddy bear costume on a labradoodle or goldendoodle. Another example is a princess costume on yorkshire terriers, which for some reason work extremely well.

Some particularly cheeky humans have even started dressing up their boxer dogs as – you guessed it – actual boxers. Complete with boxing gloves, these costumes are very cute, but may be a little restrictive to the dog’s movements.

Matching Dog And Human Halloween Costumes

For the ultra-spirited, you can get a costume for yourself that matches your dog’s costume. We are particularly fond of the Where’s Waldo matching costumes, but there are hundreds of different options.

Some other fun options include Mickey and Minnie, Garth and Wayne, Luke and Yoda, and even Batman and Robin. It should be noted that you might need to bring your dog with you everywhere on Halloween night, if you want the full effect of the matching costumes to be seen by everyone.

Halloween Dog Collars And Bandanas

If your dog is a little bit skittish, and may hate the idea of a full costume – go with a festive bandana or collar instead. We are particularly partial to the bow tie look, but there are also clown collars, as well as different collars from a Nightmare Before Christmas.

Of course, these are only scratching the surface of the number of different dog collars and dog bandanas out there. Batman collars, Wonder Woman collars, and many other options are very popular – plus they are much less likely to tick off your dog.

DIY Dog Costumes For Halloween

If you don’t want to purchase a dog costume, you can always make your own instead. Some easy examples include making a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shell, and strapping it onto the back of your dog.

There are also great choices like choosing a shield and head gear of a knight, to make your dog a stand-in for Monty Python. Another popular choice is a homemade NASA rocket pack, which will have your neighbors believing your dog might just be the next canine to go to the moon.

Tips On How To Dress Your Dog Up

There are some important tips on dressing your pet up, which will help ease them into their costume. If your pet is adverse to wearing apparel, try slowly introducing their new costume to them.

This will be easier than simply pulling the costume out of the bag and trying to immediately put it on them. By showing them the costume ahead of time, and letting them play with it, they will be far more comfortable with the material and feel of it.

While this may seem silly to us, you have to remember that dogs are still wild animals to some degree, and they don’t understand what a costume is. By letting them be around it, and get comfortable with the costume, they will likely lose any anxiety or tentativeness that they may have had about wearing it.

Dog Halloween Costume Safety

Make sure your dog is not in danger of choking with their Halloween costume, and also remember that young puppies or senior citizen dogs may not be the best candidates for fun dog costumes. Additionally, make sure that they can move freely with the costume on, and look at their body language to see if they are exhibiting any signs of stress.

Fun Dog Halloween Treats

Just like there are tons of great Halloween dog costumes, there are tons of great dog treats – made just for Halloween. From mummy bones to candy corn treats – your little guy (or girl) will love whatever you whip up for the holiday.

Just remember to not feed them too much. You definitely do not want a sick dog on your hands.

Halloween And Dog Anxiety

Halloween can be a tough time for a dog, as there are lots of new people around, as well as many new sounds and smells. This is why it’s important to not choose a dog costume that is too restrictive or overwhelming for them.

What About Cat Costumes?

Don’t have a dog? Try one of the thousands of cat costumes that are out there, instead.

There are tons of hilarious and cute choices, from a slice of pizza to a cat lawyer. We also love the cat pirate and cat unicorn costumes – but your own mileage may vary.

The Best Dog Costumes

There you have it – our top picks for the best dog costumes. Whether you want to dress your dog up like a UPS driver, Freddy Krueger, or a literal hot dog – there are tons of great dog costume choices out there.

We are partial to the pineapple costume, as well as Yoda – but you should take this opportunity to get creative. Think of your favorite interests – whether it be a TV show, a movie, or some kind of rock musician – and go for that dog costume.

Or – if you’re feeling really creative – go with a DIY dog costume. These never get old, and also allow for a truly endless amount of creativity.

You can make a Ninja Turtle outfit for your little guy (or girl), a Harry Potter costume, or even a ghost outfit. Just remember to not obstruct their eyes, their walking, or make them too uncomfortable.

While we love dressing up our dog in a fun costume – those are hardly all of the products you can find for pets. There are lots of great options out there in the pet category – from specialty foods to fun toys – so be sure to check out our other great pet product reviews.

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