Howl-o-ween
Prepare to be upstaged. Canine costumes take the cake. (Brace yourself, next All Hallow’s Eve your neighbour’s dog may be dressed as Katy Perry. We kid you not.)
It’s happened: people are spending more on their pet’s costume than on their own—or on their kid’s. According to Savers’ (known as Value Village in Canada and some states) Halloween Shopping Survey, 24 percent of respondents plan to dress up their pets in costume and will spend an average of $59 to do so. That’s more than adults plan to spend on their own costumes ($48) and more than parents will spend on their kids’ costumes ($32). It’s such big business that Savers even does pet-costume trend forecasting. “We forecast pet costumes by following overall trends for adults and children,” says Savers buyer and costume expert, Mary Ginatty. Case in point: California Costumes, makers of fanciful (and often very sexy) Hallowe’en costumes for adults, as well as ones for infants, children, and pets, is introducing a Katy Perry costume among their 2012 dog offerings. Traditional looks like pumpkins or ghosts are also popular for pets year after year. Fantasy characters (16 percent) and pop culture figures (12 percent) will also be seen, according to the Savers survey.
“Pet costumes are our fastest growing costume category,” Ginatty tells us. “This year, we’ve doubled the Halloween buy.”
Better buy some biscuits along with the usual assortment of mini candy bars.
Costumecraze.com offers costumes in sizes to fit most dogs, from little to large, and range from $3 – $22. Shrek, $15
California Costumes offers sizes that fit most breeds of small dogs up to 20 pounds. $13 – $35 californiacostumes.com
Savers’ pre-packaged dog costumes range from $10 to $23 and fit dogs eight to 80 pounds. With Yoda and Darth Vader among the choices, you can help your dog choose between good and evil.
Sweethoots’ crocheted dog hats are available in an array of awesome designs—skunk (as seen up top), Viking warrior, pumpkin head…) and are made to order so can fit any dog. Skunk dog hat, $16, etsy.com/shop/Sweethoots
Quick Fix
Combine an adult snake bracelet with a pharaoh headpiece from the Savers/Value Village costume section and your dog will be ready to walk like an Egyptian.
Total cost: $22
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Rest periods in snug quarters are a natural part of caring for our dogs’ needs. But… dogs have many other needs that crates interfere with. Dogs are social animals; they require interaction with other dogs or people. They also need exercise, mental stimulation, and appropriate “potty” opportunities. So, while some time spent in a crate is usually a positive element of dog rearing, too much time spent in a crate can have disastrous consequences.
