Tips For Celebrating Howl-O-Ween With Your Puppy

What do Mini Dachshund puppies say on Halloween?
Happy Howl-o-wiener! 

Why was the West Highland White Terrier puppy worried on Halloween?
He was scared it would be a terrier-fying evening!

What do you call a dog in a magical costume?
A Labracadabrador! 

Cobwebs lurk in the corners of store window displays, cackling blow-ups scare neighbors, and clever costumes all mark the Halloween season. It’s natural to want your puppy to experience all the thrills of Halloween, especially by wearing an adorable costume. Your first Halloween experience with your puppy can be fun, but the spooky components may give them a fright. Learn tips for how to celebrate Halloween safely with your puppy while having a howlin’ good time this October 31. 

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Pupular Halloween Costumes For Puppies

Every puppy owner wants to search for the best Halloween costumes for puppies, but the choices may be overwhelming. Here are some Halloween dog costume suggestions to help you decide the perfect one for your puppy. 

Your favorite female singer

From the heights of Celine Dion’s ballads to the homegrown feel of Dolly Parton’s music, choose your favorite iconic female singer to dress up your puppy this year. Bonus group costume: Go as her fans/groupies or her backup singers!

Your favorite fall desserts

Fall evokes the scent of a campfire wafting in the crisp, evening air, and what’s better than a fresh, gooey s’mores right out of the fire? Now you can commemorate your favorite fall dessert with a life-sized s’mores costume for dogs. You can incorporate your dog’s natural color like a chocolate brown or a fluffy marshmallow-white puppy. Bonus: Dress up as a campfire to accompany your s’mores. 

Coffee drinks are popular sweet treats, but there’s no need to leave your puppy out of the tradition of grabbing a seasonal flavor for the first time this fall. A “Pup-kin spice latte” or a “puppuccino” are popular choices as a nod to your favorite caffeinated hot beverage. Bonus: Match with your puppy by dressing up as a barista. 

Tried and true winners

If you can’t decide, search for Halloween dog costume contest winners to see the costumes that were winners at Halloween-themed dog events nationwide. You’re sure to be a hit, whether your dogs dress as a chef and spaghetti from the winners of the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever Halloween Pet Costume Contest or you opt for the Best in Show Winnie the Pooh-themed group costume from the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade.

Other inspirations from dog costume contest winners include: 

• Kody the Grouchdoodle, the grand prize winner of Fort Greene Park’s Great Pupkin Halloween Dog Costume Contest

• Kissing Booth Dog from the Daily Athenaeum’s Pet Costume Contest 

• The canine cast of the Wizard of Oz at the 2023 Minnesota’s Star Tribune Halloween Pet Costume Contest

• Pixar’s UP (house and balloons) from Brit + Co. 

• A Chia Pet from 106.9 The Eagle’s Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Contest

• A pride of Golden Retriever Lions from DogWatch Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest

Halloween Decor and Pet Costume Safety

All puppy owners should make fall safety for puppies the top priority for the big night. We humans may love the spooky decorations, but puppies may be spooked by items we find scary yet fun. Blow-ups in neighborhood yards and animated decorations that shriek, howl, and moan may terrify young puppies that have never experienced these sounds. The screams of excited children constantly yelling, “TRICK OR TREAT!” may scare your puppy. Banners of burlap candy corn or a string of pumpkin-shaped lights hanging down from mantles are the perfect snacks according to puppies. Speaking of pumpkins, curious puppies will try to eat open-flame candles from jack-o-lanterns and may even eat your raw pumpkin in the process, ruining your fantastic carving job and posing a potential health threat to your puppy. 

A puppy’s Halloween costume may be cute, but check to ensure it’s safe for your pooch, whether homemade or purchased. Parts that detach or contain wires should be avoided. Many fabrics are enticing for puppies to chew on, and your puppy can ingest these bits and pieces causing expensive emergency surgery on a night that is supposed to bring about a different type of fright. Costumes made of materials overseas could contain substances toxic to puppies, so always check the material list to see if they are safe for pets. 

Conduct a Halloween Night Trial Run 

Rather than just winging it and hoping for the best, conduct a Halloween night trial run to go through each component of a safe, fun Halloween night for your puppy. Try on the costume several days before Halloween, allowing your puppy to gradually tolerate it using lots of coaxing with treats. Keep it on for short sessions, building up to longer periods. Get your puppy used to seeing you in costume as well, as a change in an owner’s physical appearance can confuse or scare him. Enlist the help of friends and family with children to repeatedly knock on your door simulating rowdy kids seeking candy. It’s a great way to reinforce their training skills rather than assume your puppy will remember commands from a puppy kindergarten class three weeks ago. In addition, your puppy will get used to the constant ringing of the doorbell if you keep him away from the hubbub in his safe place. If you plan on being away, play a soundtrack of Halloween noises for short periods while in another room, handsomely rewarding them when you return so your puppy will not experience as much separation anxiety under fearful circumstances. Take your puppy around the neighborhood or on a field trip to a store selling large, loud animated decorations to allow him to check it out rather than encountering them the night of Halloween. Be thorough while thinking of all the steps and components your puppy will face Halloween night to socialize and train him to be as prepared as possible. 

Trick or Treat? Yes to Both, Please!

Halloween is a great opportunity to work on training your puppy with basic commands. Not only will your puppy learn manners, but his ability to complete commands successfully may even save his life. The command “Leave it” comes in handy with a wayward piece of candy containing chocolate or xylitol toxic to dogs. Having your puppy “Wait” at thresholds like doors keeps them from bolting out when opened to trick-or-treaters. Likewise, teaching your puppy to not jump up on unsuspecting visitors ensures no one will be harmed with painful scratches or worse, get knocked over by your boisterous puppy. 

However, not all tricks are for basic puppy manners only! Consider teaching your puppy fun tricks to impress your guests at your Halloween party. Dress up your puppy as a zombie and teach him to “Play dead” for the full effect. “Speak” can be used to show your puppy how to ask politely for pet-safe Halloween treats if you take him along trick-or-treating. He can congratulate the winner of your costume contest with a “High five.” “Bobbing” for apples (retrieving de-seeded apple slices or balls floating in water) is a cute way to motivate your puppy to follow directions with a high-value treat. You can even teach him to hand out candy by combining the “Take it” and “Drop it” commands!

Alternatives to Halloween Night

If you don’t think your puppy is ready to trick-or-treat Halloween night, consider celebrating Halloween with your puppy in other ways that are just as fun during the month of October. 

• Throw a dog party with a Halloween theme, including a costume contest, the best trick contest, games like bobbing for apples, and doggy treats for puppies. 

• Create pumpkin-themed paw print crafts for dogs for an artistic seasonal way to capture their paw print forever. 

• Attend a dog-friendly local event like a dog costume parade, festival, or location celebrating Halloween, a great opportunity for humans and canines to socialize and get out in your community. 

• Go on an adventure to a beautiful spot in nature to enjoy the gorgeous fall leaves or take a road trip to a special location. 

• Host a Halloween-themed photoshoot with your puppy friends and post to social media. You can make it an annual tradition to see how much your puppies have grown over the years in addition to growing the number of your followers.  

• Bake homemade fall treats for your puppy with dog-safe ingredients that are delicious, nutritious, and festive using Halloween themes. Incorporate naturally orange and green foods to fit the palate of the season. 

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