Trick or Treat: 25 Halloween Costume Ideas for Dogs & Their Humans
Posted by KRIS REID
Halloween is one of those holidays where everyone can let loose! Costumes help us forget who we are in real life and enjoy someone else’s experience for one day of the year. Originally a holiday meant to celebrate the lives of those who physically left this earth, it reminds us that perhaps the line between the material and spirit world isn’t as clear as many of us believe.
On Halloween, this “veil” between the two worlds is even thinner so that we can directly confront and shake off some of our fears associated with death and darkness. After all – whatever the night brings can be hair-raising and unsettling but also beautiful and mysterious. So why not step into the unknown for just one night? While you‘re at it – your furry friend deserves the same experience too! Whether you are trick-or-treating or welcoming guests to your haunted castle, you and your pooch can be picture perfect with theme-matching costumes. Here are our top 25 Halloween dog costumes for your furry friend to enjoy and to inspire your own Halloween attire.
1. Bewitched
There is no Halloween celebration without the intimidating and mysterious witch. The cool thing about witches is that they come in all shapes and colors! From the green crone-like Wicked Witch of the West in the oldie-but-goodie The Wizard of Oz to the vivacious purple sea-creature Ursula from Disney’s classic The Little Mermaid, witches have a lot up their sleeve and there is never a boring moment wherever they go. Your pooch can also be the center of attention with a wondrous witch costume. To match your doggie, get creative dressing up as the witch’s spell!
2. Americana
Remember the time when there was nothing between a cowboy and his horse. Miles of magnificent landscapes all around and no one to answer to? Ah, the nostalgia! Your doggie can be a true American idol for a day and get all the attention by sporting a classic cowboy costume. If your furry friend agrees to become a cowboy for a day, why not be his beloved horse?
3. Big Cats!
Wouldn’t it be fun if your doggie tried out a tiger’s life for a day? Big cats have a bad rep for getting their own way, all the time, but now your dog can too. A wonderfully sly tiger costume will do just the trick! So how can you experience that adrenaline-spurred fierceness of a tiger? How about dressing up as a lion, a tiger’s biggest rival in the cat world?
4. Night Owl
Some of the most fascinating creatures are birds that deem the night their happy place. The annoying humans have retreated and the night sky is lit up with sparkles. There is a surround-sound symphony of night creatures’ calls and panorama views for miles. Your doggie can experience this excitement of the nighttime with a spooky but beautiful owl costume. You can’t have a night owl without the moon eerily glowing in the background. This is our hint for your costume! Yes, become the moon!
5. Superheroes
In theory, all of us, including all creatures great and small, are superheroes. In reality, we look to heroes such as the super-smart and powerful Wonder Woman for inspiration. Fortunately, your pooch can outperform you at (almost) everything by wearing a Wonder Woman costume. Well, how can you do your part for Halloween? Dress up as her villain, of course – but yes, keep it only to the Halloween night!
6. Jaws
Remember the first time you saw the gut-wrenching movie Jaws? Teeth never had the same connotation again. Your doggie can now have the pleasure of personifying this fear of yours by wearing a fang-bearing mighty shark costume. Finding your counterpart costume can be a bit challenging for this one but how about dressing up as a therapist ready to help heal shark fears and traumas?
7. Bee My Love
Bees – the magical creatures who pollinate flowers so we can put food in our bellies! There is no better way to honor them than to get a bee costume for your furry baby. How can you do your part to honor the bees? Make yourself a bee magnet - dress up as a rose garden (or any garden for that matter!)!
8. Adventurer
The truth is that what most of us want to be when we grow up is an adventurer. To experience how it is to be out there in the world, discovering cultures and new landscapes, saving the world one experience at the time. Your pooch can live this courageous life too, well, for at least a day, with an Indiana Jones costume! And you? Be the treasure, my friend!
9. At Sea
There isn’t a little boy out there who hasn’t had the fantasy of becoming a pirate. What makes such a lonely and uncertain lifestyle so appealing to us? The element of adventure and danger must be at least partly the reason! Sailing on open water can be the ultimate feeling of freedom we all desire in our lives. Let your doggy be a part of this fantasy too with a colorful and exuberant pirate costume. If your pup agrees to be a pirate for a day, you most definitely must be the parrot.
10. What a Pumpkin!
Somehow, there is no proper Halloween without the good ole’ Jack-O'-Lantern. Pumpkins became the “it” carved item when Irish immigrants brought their tradition of carving vegetables to America. People switched from carving root veggies to pumpkins because they were so abundant in America at the time. Dress your beloved in a pumpkin costume but beware, you will have to be the pumpkin carver.
11. Let’s Fly My Lady!
Remember as a child delighting in seeing a beautiful insect that you always associated with good luck? The red coat with black polka dots of a ladybug is a symbol of magic and prosperity for many of us. But ladybugs are also important insects in maintaining an ecological balance in gardens and gardeners see them as miracle workers. Your doggie can be a good luck charm to you but you also have to bring good luck – dress up as a four-leaf clover!
12. Carnival
There is no party like the Carnival but what makes it special is the similar mysterious and dark undertones of Halloween. Vibrant colors, seductive sounds, and whirl-wind dancing bring lighthearted fun to all the darker themes. Why not bring this sense of festivity to your Halloween night with a Mardi Gras outfit for your doggie? You can join the fun with your own colorful feathers. A peacock outfit anyone?
13. Wonderland
In the true spirit of Halloween, absurdity, distortion, mystery, and transformation are keys to what Alice in Wonderland gave to this world. Alice, a naïve girl who goes on a journey to discover what life is all about, meets a caterpillar, among others, who teaches her that life is so much more than she was told. Let your pooch teach you a few things with a caterpillar costume and you, of course, can be Alice!
14. The Devil Inside
The great thing about Halloween is that it helps us externalize feelings we would rather not express in our daily life. Dressing us as the devil himself gives us a chance to sample his world without succumbing to it. Let your doggie embody this fierceness and scorching heat while you can dress up as a fire hydrant or a water hose just for the kicks!
15. Dracula
Vampires have fascinated people since vampire legends were part of the every-day conversation. Dwellers of the night, vampires conjure a romantic notion of the night’s mysteries. Dracula, the most famous vampire, can be just what your doggie wants to be for Halloween – charming, intense, smart, and downright creepy. You, on the other hand, can be one of his gorgeous romantic interests that eventually becomes a vampire herself.
16. Tragic Monster
Mary Shelley’s story of Frankenstein must be one of the most heart-wrenching tales of all time. It follows a brilliant scientist Victor Frankenstein as he deals with the consequences of artificially creating a being. As the story progresses, the monster Frankenstein created demands that he makes him a female companion or he would cause great mayhem. Your doggie, without a doubt, would be absolutely adorable as the giant monster but you will then have to be the monster’s even more monstrous love interest.
17. Royalty
Who doesn’t want to be royalty for a day? With glitter, gold, and everything in between, your pooch can incarnate glamour and power as a beautifully clad princess or prince. The challenge for you will be to look up to par with your doggie. But don’t stress, you can dress up as a royal box of jewels to almost outshine your baby!
18. Dungeons and Dragons
An archetypal symbol of our “inner demons,” a dragon is often portrayed in legends as a target of princes and knights looking to win over their romantic interest. The creature is all-powerful and all-knowing – and difficult to capture and conquer. Although your doggie loves to satisfy your every whim, why not give your baby a gift of wearing a bold dragon costume? Your only choice, it seems, would be to be the poor knight!
19. Be Yourself
How do you stand out even on Halloween? Unicorns know that feeling of being the odd one out in a room - but they do get all the attention! Graceful and magical (its spiral horn was thought to possess healing powers), the unicorn inspires awe and admiration from everyone who lays eyes on its beauty. Your dog will for sure transform into a shining star by wearing a unicorn costume. But what’s almost as unique as a unicorn? Rainbows, of course, and you can dress up as one to be a perfect companion for your unicorn pooch.
20. Oh Tannenbaum
Who says you can’t have Christmas in October? Halloween breaks all the rules and you and your furry friend should too! Give a gift of admiration and sparkles to your doggie with a Christmas tree costume. You will undoubtedly be a great pair if you dress up as a giant present everyone wants to see on Christmas morning.
21. Childhood Dream Job
Remember what you wanted to be when you grow up as a kid? Chances are you wanted to be a firefighter – someone who is strong, selfless, and handsome, saving lives on a daily basis. Not to mention that you would get to wear the coolest uniform! Let your pooch be the firefighter so that you can be someone whom he rescues. Another great way to connect with your pet!
22. Walk Like an Egyptian
It comes as no surprise that we are so obsessed with Egypt – its pyramids, sand dunes, the sphinx, and, oh, the pharaohs! Magic and mystery of the ancient world come to mind as do the romantic interludes of the independently-fierce and gorgeous Cleopatra. Your doggie can finally shine in a Cleopatra costume and you can be the cobra snake that bit her at the end of her life. Yes, this might sound a bit morbid, but it is Halloween after all!
23. All is Light
Angels are often seen as counterparts of anything dark and evil, but what they really do is remind us that everything has its opposite. If Halloween is truly everyone’s holiday, angels, the light-bringers, have a big part to play. Give your furry friend an opportunity to be an angel! Join the party and get creative by dressing up as a cloud so your angel can have a place to rest on.
24. Beauty Within
The story of how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly is truly poignant – it is a reflection of what all creatures go through in their lives to develop and grow, physically and spiritually. Underneath it all, we are all beautiful and light, just like the butterfly. Bring this beauty and lightness into your doggie’s life with a butterfly costume and coordinate your outfits carefully. In this situation, there is no better choice but for you to dress up as a caterpillar!
25. Be the Jock
Ah, football! It has captured the hearts of many and it’s a huge part of the American dream. What little boy hasn’t dreamed of becoming a football player? You can capture this part of Americana with your doggie as well. He can be a football player and you can be his coveted football.
Final Thoughts
Halloween is one of the most exciting and enjoyable holidays where we and our furry friends can experience a completely different reality. Through costumes that help us and doggies embody a different way of being, we can not only have a blast but also a priceless opportunity to connect deeper with our beloved pets.
