Halloween is coming up fast, and if your pet's going to be part of it this year, Halloween pet costumes are worth thinking through now instead of the night before trick-or-treating, or whatever party you are going to. Not every costume works on every animal, and the ones that photograph well are usually the simplest. In this blog, we give you twenty-six ideas for pet costumes, sorted by dog, cat, and the pet who wants nothing to do with any of this “silly human celebration”.

What Makes a Pet Costume Actually Work

Before you buy anything, it's worth thinking about what your pet will actually tolerate you dressing them up in. A few things separate costumes that work from ones that end up destroyed or being taken off after five minutes.

• You can tell what it is from across the room, no explanation required.
• Eyes, ears, nose, and legs stay completely free.
• It can be put on in under thirty seconds.
• Your pet can still sit down, lie down, and walk normally in it.

The costumes that actually get worn and photographed are almost always the simple ones. A mane, a pair of wings, one good hat. The ones with five separate pieces look great on the box but not so good on the pet who's already trying to back out of them. Buy for the pet you actually have, not the unusually patient one in the product photo.

12 Halloween Costumes for Dogs

1. Lion mane collar. Works on nearly any dog, but it's especially good on a golden retriever or anything with a bit of a mane already going for it.
2. Bumblebee wings. Light enough that most dogs forget they're wearing them.
3. Hot dog in a bun. A classic. Best on a dachshund, obviously.
4. Tiny delivery driver, with a small parcel strapped to the back. Good for a dog who already loves when an Amazon package arrives.
5. Soft spine ridges for a dinosaur look. Works best on a bigger dog, a lab or a shepherd.
6. Shark fin harness. No headpiece, nothing near the face, and it still reads instantly.
7. Bat wings. Fast to put on, and it photographs well from almost any angle.
8. A small cowboy figure strapped to the harness, so the dog looks like he's being ridden. Works best on a dog who already tolerates a harness well.
9. Soft extra legs on a harness for a spider look. Sounds like a lot. Isn't.
10. A vampire cape and soft felt collar. Simple, instantly readable, nothing bothering their face.
11. Chef's hat and a small apron. Perfect for the dog who's already begging at the kitchen counter every night.
12. A plain cape. No mask, no headpiece. It still reads as a superhero, and almost every dog will actually keep it on.

A dog Halloween costume pillow made from whichever photo turns out best is a good way to keep the costume and the memories around after the candy's gone.

6 Halloween Costumes for Cats

Six is the whole list, and that's on purpose. Most cats will tolerate something at the neck or on a harness and nothing past that, so the good ideas are a little bit limited.

1. A bow tie, clipped right onto the collar. Most cats barely notice it's there.
2. A witch hat on soft elastic, sized small enough that it doesn't slide down over the eyes.
3. A lion mane, the same idea as the dog version, just scaled down for a smaller neck.
4. A ruff around the neck. No headpiece involved at all.
5. Bat wings on a harness, a good option if your cat already tolerates a harness for walks.
6. A pumpkin collar. About as low-effort as it gets, and it still counts.

If your cat sits still long enough for one photo, a cat Halloween photo pillow is a nice way to make that one good shot last past October.

5 Ideas for the Pet Who Hates Costumes

1. A Halloween bandana. On in two seconds, off just as easily.
2. A seasonal collar, orange and black instead of the one they usually wear.
3. A themed blanket draped over wherever they're already lying down.
4. One hat, held on just long enough for a single photo, then taken right off.
5. Skip the costume completely and put them in front of the pumpkins on the porch instead. Still counts as a Halloween photo.

3 Costumes for You and the Dog Together

1. Shepherd and sheep. You wear the cloak and staff, the dog gets a small fleece vest.
2. Dorothy and Toto, if your dog's small enough to ride along in a basket for one photo.
3. Beekeeper and bee. You wear the mesh veil and suit, the dog gets a set of small wings and antennae on a headband.

Five Costumes That Look Better Than They Feel

The test for any of these is simple: can your pet see, hear, breathe, and walk normally while wearing it.

1. Full-head masks. Almost always a problem for vision, sometimes for breathing too.
2. Anything that covers the eyes or folds the ears down flat.
3. Costumes with dangling parts a dog can pull off and try to eat.
4. Tight elastic across the chest or neck.
5. Heavy fabric on a breed who's already running warm in October.

How To Get the Photo

To get a good photo of your pet this Halloween, here are a few tips to follow

• Get down to your pet's eye level instead of shooting from standing height.
• Use daylight from a window, or the last hour before sunset, instead of a flash.
• A plain wall or a plain floor keeps the costume as the only busy thing in the frame.
• Hold a treat just above the camera to get the ears up and forward.
• Shoot several in a row instead of one single frame, since you'll get a lot of blinks and head turns along the way.
• Get one clean shot with your pet's whole body in frame, not just the head or a costume detail.

That full-body shot is also the one worth keeping around longer than your camera roll- the kind of photo the Halloween home decor ideas list covers turning into something more permanent.

Common Questions

How can you tell if a pet is uncomfortable in a costume?

Watch for flattened ears, a tucked tail, freezing in place instead of moving normally, or repeated attempts to scratch or bite off the costume.

How long should a pet wear a costume?

Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty for photos and trick-or-treating at the door. It doesn't need to stay on all evening.

Should you take your dog trick-or-treating?

Only if he's already comfortable around strangers, other dogs, and a steady stream of doorbells. If any of those normally stress him out, it's probably best not to bring him along.

How do you pick the right costume size for a dog?

Measure the neck, chest, and length from the base of the neck to the base of the tail before you buy. Sizing charts vary a lot between brands, so don't assume his regular size will carry over.

How far ahead of Halloween should a pet try the costume on?

At least a week. That gives you time to fix a bad fit or swap it out completely if he wants nothing to do with it.

The One To Start With

Start with the plain cape, or the bandana if your pet won't tolerate more than that. Both go on fast, come off fast, and they're the easiest way to find out how much costume your particular animal is actually willing to put up with.