How to Shop for a Halloween Costume for a Dog

If Fido is more a member of the family than a dog and loves dressing up, he will probably appreciate having a dog Halloween costume this year. When you plan ahead a bit, finding the right costume can be easy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dog that likes to dress up.
• Measuring tape

1. Use a measuring tape to measure how wide your dog's chest is. You'll also need to measure how long its back is and the number of inches around its middle. You should also take the time to weigh your dog or check its health record to see how much your four legged friend weighed during a recent visit.

2. Head to the store early to check out the pet costume selection. If you think kids' costumes get picked over fast, you haven't tried shopping for a dog costume. There aren't very many in stock at most stores and selection is very limited, especially if you are shopping for a costume for a big dog.

3. Use the recommended weight on packages to get a rough idea of the costume size that would be best for your pet and then check to see if the package has measurements, as well. If there are no measurements listed, ask a clerk if you can open the package to take your own measurements to be sure the outfit will really fit your dog.

4. Once you find a costume you like and it seems like it will fit your dog, take a hard look at the way it is put together to be sure it will be safe. bows, buttons and other easy to chew off objects are not the best additions to dog attire.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't force a dog to dress up if he or she doesn't enjoy the process. It isn't fair to upset your dog because you want it to look cute.

[BlacksmithJoe]

on 8/29/2008 What a great idea! Simple costumes can be really effective and can keep pets that don't enjoy dressing up happy.

[vallain]

on 8/29/2008 That is so cute. One election year, my cat was Kitty Ducakus (sp). I just put a red ribbon around her neck and stuck a campaign button on it.