15 Fantastic Dog Costume Ideas

Your dog is part of the family, so why not dress him up for Halloween too? He'll feel special in one of these easy to make dog costumes.

If your dog isn't comfortable in a full Halloween costume (or just refuses to wear one), he may enjoy wearing only a bandanna. Try an orange and black bandanna or applique a pumpkin or skeleton on a bandanna for your dog's Halloween costume.

For those little sweeties who will wear anything to please you, here are 15 costume ideas for dog costumes.

A Hot Dog Costume: Items needed for this costume are lightweight tan foam, body harness and felt for mustard or ketchup. Cut out the 2 sides of the hot dog bun from the foam. The buns should be the length of your dog's back. Round off the edges of the buns with scissors. Attach the buns to each side of your dog's body harness and add the felt mustard or ketchup you have cut out down your dog's back. Using your dog's harness makes this costume easy and the costume will stay in place and not slip.

Bumble Bee Pet Costume: Measure your dog's back from neck to tail. With yellow fabric, make a cape that ties at the neck. Or instead of a cape, use a small yellow short sleeve shirt that your dog's front legs will fit through.

Using black felt, cut out stripes and sew them on the yellow cape or shirt. Measure your dog's head and make a yellow felt cap that his ears will fit through. For the bee's antennae, use two black pipe cleaners and two small Styrofoam balls painted yellow or use yellow pom poms. Using glue, attach the balls to the top of the pipe cleaners and then attach the pipe cleaners to the yellow felt cap.

Boom Box Dog Costume: You will need a cardboard box that is no longer or wider than your dog's torso. Spray paint the box with metallic silver paint. Then draw the two round speakers, radio dial and knobs, using a sharpie and your imagination. Once you are done making the boom box, cut out the part of the box where your dog's legs go and attach the boom box to a dog harness. This also works for a cassette tape, toaster, school bus or anything with a box shape.

Tootsie Roll Dog Costume: Select a white pillow case that is about a foot longer than your dog. Using a tootsie roll as an example, sew brown and red fabric onto the center of the white pillow case. Out of white fabric cut out the words "Tootsie Roll Pup" and sew the words on the brown fabric. Cut out four holes for your dog's legs to go through leaving about 4 to 6 inches of pillow case on each end. Once you have placed the costume on your dog add white, light weight stuffing and tie off each end with string but keep it comfy... so not too tight.

Pretty Princess Dog Costume: This costume consists of only a cone shaped headdress made out of silk. Choose silk or some sort of shiny fabric in the color of your choice. Take construction paper and make a cone that will fit the top of your dog's head, then glue or staple it together. Now glue the fabric to the paper cone and leave a semi-long train that will float across your dog's back. Add a string or elastic band to go under your dog's chin and, voila! you have a little princess!

Quick and Easy Dog Costumes:

Cowboy Dog Costume: Tie a colorful bandanna around your dog's neck and place a small cowboy hat on the top of his head. Make sure the cowboy hat is small and light weight with a narrow elastic headband. You can stop here or also depending on your dog's size, add a child's play gun holster around his lower body and in front of the hind legs.

My Baby Dog Costume: Place a baby bonnet on your dog's head and dress him or her in baby clothes then place your dog baby in a baby carriage. Little girls love this one.

Super Hero Pet Costume: Capes are super easy to make for your pet or you could just purchase one and tie it around your dog's neck. Choose from Super Dog, Spider Dog or even the Green Hornet Dog. Get creative with this idea and add some of your own touches.

Football Player Dog Costume: Buy a large or small football jersey of your favorite team and put it on your dog with his or her front legs through the arm holes. Now you have a real team player!

Prisoner Dog Costume: Buy a white t-shirt that will fit your dog and with black spray paint add black stripes to the t-shirt. You might even be able to find a black and white striped shirt that would work. With a numerical stencil or just free hand using a sharpie, write your dog's inmate number on the back. Now place a white cap on his head with the words BAD DOG or PRISONER written on the brim.

Robin Hood Dog Costume: This is a cute outfit for your pooch. Using green felt, make a cape that is as long as your dog's back but doesn't touch the ground on the sides. Make sure the cape can be tied around the dog's neck. Measure your dog's head and with the same green felt make a sailor type hat that is folded up on the edges and glue or stitch a feather onto the hat.

Baseball Player Dog Costume: All you need to make this costume is to buy a baseball shirt in a boy's or men's size, depending on the size of your dog, and a baseball cap to match. You may want to attach elastic to the baseball cap so that it will stay on your dog's head. Place your dog's front legs through the arms of the shirt and button it up.

Doctor Dog Costume: With a lab coat or white shirt without tails and kid's doctor kit, your dog can be a doctor for Halloween. Sew 2 or 3 pockets to the side of the shirt so that they are on both sides of your dog. In the pockets place items such as a stethoscope, band aids etc. Place your dog's doctor name on a name tag and attach it to the label of the lab coat or shirt.

Lady Bug Dog Costume: Using red felt, cut the felt into a lady bug shape and then add a tie at the top to go around your dog's neck. Now using black felt, cut out round dots and sew them to the red bug shaped cape. Make a little cap to fit your dogs head and add little bug eyes and antennae. Stitch a strip of thin elastic to the cap so that it will stay on your dog's head.

Ballerina Dog Costume: Just buy a tutu for your girl dog. Make sure it fits properly or sew it so it does. Even adding elastic to it might do the trick.

Dressing up your dog for Halloween is fun for you but not always fun for your dog. Here are some simple guidelines so dressing up your pet in dog Halloween costumes is more enjoyable for both of you.

The most important thing to remember is to always choose a pet costume that will in no way obstruct your dog's senses, such as breathing, seeing and hearing. Make sure the dog costume doesn't fit too tightly around the neck. Dog costumes shouldn't drag the floor or have any type of small objects which can be torn off.

Don't leave your pet alone while he's wearing a costume and watch for signs of discomfort. You know your dog better than anyone, so be sure he or she is happy with the costume experience.