*I was provided with Petco costumes in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.

1) Measure your pet and use the size chart before buying. Weight is usually the worst way to estimate a fit for your dog because a 25lb dog can come in SO many shapes and sizes. Also, because chest size and length are bigger factors than height, sometimes really tall dogs wear smaller sizes and short, sturdy dogs (like pugs or french bulldogs) wear larger sizes. It’s best to just measure to be sure.

2) Headwear or not? Some pets really dislike having anything on their head and will shake, which could be dangerous if the costume falls around their neck as a result and later gets caught on something. If your pet doesn’t like things on their head, skip costumes with hats or leave the hat off. Beans doesn’t mind things on her head, so I knew that Petco‘s super adorable Mohawk hoodie would be great for her. How cute is she! Pugs can be hard to fit into dog clothing, so I was excited that this fit fairly well. She’s 21lbs and has a 21 inch chest and the size medium fit nearly perfectly. She used to be heavier and has a lot of excess skin folds now that she’s lost weight. The hoodie is a big too snug where her skin roll is behind her front legs but if it weren’t for that it would be a perfect fit.

3) Know body proportions – if your pet is barrel chested, costumes that go on over the head and arms can be hard to find a good fit for. Going with a dog halloween costume like Petco’s Football costume (that has two velcro straps – one for the neck and the other for the belly) are great for dogs like Frank that don’t fit into traditional pet clothing or costumes due to their large chest size. The velcro straps make the neck and chest area really adjustable, so the costume fits both Frank and Beans even though there is a 6lb weight difference between them, and they have very different body proportions.

4) Prepare for the weather – are you heading out or staying home? What temperatures can you expect? If it won’t be really cold and your dog has a thick double coat, it’s probably best to avoid really thick, quilted costumes. A costume like Beans’ Mohawk hoodie would be better seems how its just t-shirt material and is less likely to cause overheating.

5) Check for collar/harness openings: If you’re planning to trick or treat with your pet or go into public and their costume covers the area, make sure there is a slit that allows their collar or harness to come through and attach to a leash.

Last but definitely not least, if your pet walks differently, tries to shake the costume off, tries to chew on the costume, etc be sure to adjust it. If that doesn’t work, take it off. It’s not worth risking getting hurt. For pets who don’t like costumes or clothing, Petco has lots of Halloween themed dog toys to choose from instead!

Emily

Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.

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