Want to get the perfect Halloween photo-op of your pooch or kitty all dressed up? We got you!
If your dog or cat hasn’t worn hats, glasses, or clothing before, it may be a struggle to get them to wear a Halloween costume without trying to rip it off immediately! Even more importantly, forcing an animal to wear a costume when they are uncomfortable may cause distress, anxiety, or reactivity. It’s important to never force your pet to do something outside of their comfort zone.
But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams of a spook-tastic photo of your fur-baby in their best Halloween do-up! With the right approach, you can teach your dog or cat to wear (and even enjoy) a Halloween costume by taking the steps to desensitize them to it.
Desensitizing simply means slowly exposing your pet to something they don’t love yet, in small amounts, and pairing it with something they do love (like treats!) to change how they feel about it. You don’t have to be a world-class animal trainer to do this. The technique is not hard – all it takes is time and consistency!
Follow these tips to desensitize your pet to wearing a costume, so that by the time Halloween rolls around, your little monster will be dressed to impress!
Start as early as possible
If the night before Halloween is the first time your pet sees their costume, it’s already too late. Start exposing your fur-baby to their costume as soon as possible. If you don’t have their costume yet, you can start practicing now with other clothing at home until the costume arrives. Then, switch to using the real deal.
Starting early is important, because desensitizing an animal to a new experience must be done gradually over time. Give your pet plenty of time to get used to wearing a costume, so that on Halloween night, it feels like old news! People will be impressed when your pup or kitty is trotting around like a professional model.
Unpack the costume and leave it out in the house, in plain view (and plain “scent”) of your pet. This allows them to get used to the sight and smell of the clothing.
Similarly to desensitising, if your pet needs a little extra help acclimating to a busier environment during the Halloween months, starting them on CBD weeks before Halloween may ease some worries. These processes require patience, but it's a surefire way to have a PAW-some Halloween!
Start simple
If this will be your fur-baby’s first time wearing a Halloween costume, don’t dive into a full gorilla suit. Costumes that hug your pet's body or legs can feel very constraining, and costumes with pieces that move or make noise can startle them.
For their first costume, consider something simple such as a bow-tie, hat, headband, or a plain vest. These are easy to wear and don’t constrict your pet's movement or senses. Once your fur-baby gets comfortable with these, you can work your way up to more elaborate outfits!
Steps to desensitizing your dog or cat to a costume
Follow the steps below to desensitize your pet to wearing clothes. Start by finding a high-value treat – a food item that your fur-baby gets very excited about, and that they don’t get to have often. You may even reserve this type of treat to only be used with their costume, so they associate it with something special!
- Place the costume out in the open, where your pet can see and sniff it. Leave it there while you lounge in the area. Anytime you notice your pet looking at the costume, give praise and treats! Extra praise and treats if they sniff or investigate the costume on their own!
- Hold the costume out to your pet, allowing them to sniff it in your hand. Give plenty of treats and praise to reward your pet for interacting calmly with the costume. This is building an association in their brain that when the costume comes out, good things happen!
- With the costume in your hand, begin to lightly touch or drape the item over your pet's back, neck, or head. Keep your movements slow and calm; remove the costume right away if your pet seems uncomfortable or fearful. If your pet allows you to touch them with the costume item, reward with treats and praise!
- Once your fur-baby is completely comfortable with Step 3, try putting the clothing item on for just a few seconds. Leave the item on for 5-10 seconds, giving lots of treats the whole time, and then take it off! If the costume has multiple pieces to wear, work with just one piece at a time. Continue doing short training sessions like this once or twice a day. Simply put various parts of the costume on your pet for a few seconds, feed treats, and then take it off. Keep the sessions short (1-2 minutes) and ensure you’re being very generous with the treats!
- Over the next few days or weeks, gradually increase the amount of time your pet spends wearing the costume. Continue giving plenty of treats and praise whenever your pet is showing calm behavior while wearing the costume. Your fur-baby will associate that wearing clothes means good things: food and positive attention from you!
Remember to take it slow. If your dog or cat seems nervous or panicky at any point in the process, go back to the previous step. If you push your fur-baby too quickly out of their comfort zone, they may develop a fear of any clothing or costumes which will be much harder to overcome. Don’t rush it, there are many Halloweens to come!
Consider your end goal
Think about how long you expect your pet to wear a costume comfortably. If this will be their first time dressing up, it may be a good goal to simply aim to have them sit long enough to take a great photo.
If you want your dog to be able to accompany you trick-or-treating in costume, or remain in costume for an entire Halloween party, this may be a long-term goal. Spend the next year working up to it, using your short training sessions to practice having your dog walk around in their costume. Eventually, practice walking outdoors on leash in short sessions.
Don’t force it – there are many ways to celebrate
Remember that each animal is an individual, just like humans. Some pets will simply not enjoy dressing up, even if you use the steps above. If this is the case, stick with something in your pet's comfort zone – you may find a snazzy Halloween collar or bandana that your fur-baby can wear! Or, consider taking a cute photo with Halloween props in the background or surrounding your fur-baby.
Never leave your pet unsupervised in costume
Always supervise a dog or cat while wearing a costume. This can become a safety hazard. If your pup or kitty chews pieces of the clothing off or rips it up, it can become a choking hazard. Or, if they try to get it off, they may work themselves up into anxiety or even injure themselves trying to get out of it.