Is Fido opposed to a costume?

If your pet balks at wearing a Halloween outfit, try dressing him in just a few accessories.

Hercules the pug, dressed up like a pig, waits to take the stage during the Halloween Pet Parade and Costume Contest in Coconut Grove, Fla.

AMY E. CONN/STF Hercules the pug, dressed up like a pig, waits to take the stage during the Halloween Pet Parade and Costume Contest in Coconut Grove, Fla.

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This product image courtesy of PetSmart shows the Top Paw Bee Costume. Pet owners will dress up millions of dogs this month for Halloween parades, parties, pictures, contests or candy hunts.

AP Photo/PetSmart This product image courtesy of PetSmart shows the Top Paw Bee Costume. Pet owners will dress up millions of dogs this month for Halloween parades, parties, pictures, contests or candy hunts.

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By Sue Manning, Associated Press 12:13 PM Sunday, October 23, 2011

LOS ANGELES — Pet owners love dressing up their dogs for Halloween. Only problem is, dogs don’t always love wearing costumes. But there are some tricks you can use for those pets that don’t think it’s a treat to wear hats, boots, masks and coats for their owners’ amusement.

If a dog is used to wearing clothes, costumes may not be a problem, said veterinarian Terry Marie Curtis, a clinical behaviorist for the Department of Small Animal Clinical Services at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dogs accustomed to wearing snug items designed to calm anxiety — like Thundershirts, Anxiety Wraps or Storm Defender Capes — should be able to adjust to other types of clothing, she said.

But every pet is different. “Many dogs hate things on their feet,” she said. “This is true because it can alter how they perceive where they’re walking.”

Some dogs are used to booties, though, either because they live where the ground gets very hot or cold, or they are carried most of the time.

“The smaller pocket pups are more likely to have ‘dress up’ in their experience because that’s what mom has done since puppyhood,” Curtis said.

For fussy pets, try a starter costume consisting mostly of accessories, advised Reyna Jew, who buys dog and cat apparel, shampoo, travel products and carriers for PetSmart.

Try angel, fairy or bat wings, a pirate or witch hat. If that’s still too much, there are bows that clip in the pet’s hair, necklaces and decorative collars or bandannas made of Halloween-themed fabric.

Target offers 29 costume styles for dogs, including five rider styles (a stuffed character rides on the back of the pet) designed for larger dogs and 10 partial costumes for the pet that won’t tolerate a full costume, said Kristy Welker of Target Communications in Minneapolis.

Options include items that attach to collars, like flowers and even Saint Bernard-style rescue barrels, said Welker. These won’t upset animals who don’t like wearing clothes, but they’ll look like costumes to human eyes.

Target also carries three styles of T-shirts and three styles of pajamas, including prisoners and skeletons.

Costumes that cover a pet’s head or include eyeglasses or masks may be a challenge. You’ll have to see what your dog will tolerate, but don’t be surprised if a mask or hat is repeatedly shaken or pawed off.

The most popular costume at PetSmart is the bumblebee, followed by the pumpkin and dragon, Jew said. Bat wings, hot dogs and a sheriff are Target’s best-sellers. Pajamas are popular because they are comfortable, Welker said. At BuyCostumes.com, a raptor, bee and a dog-riding cowboy top the list.

No one sells full costumes just for cats, but dog accessories will work. PetSmart also has 12 collars and scarves designed for and modeled by cats online.

Pet costumes are made to go on easily, Jew said, and usually fasten with Velcro. The best-selling size costume is medium, which usually fits a 30- to 40-pound dog.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals warns that costumes should not limit an animal’s “movement, hearing, sight or ability to breathe, bark, eat, drink or eliminate. And watch for choking hazards.”

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