There, I’ve asked the question, and all my friends with no pets can wonder where my head is and all my friends with pets can clamor for more information.
But first, a picture, of Mr. Finn in his Halloween costume. Isn’t he fabulous? I think even skeptics would agree.
Photograph by Kent Hardouin
In my family alone, this topic has sparked amusing confessions and observations. Case in point: My cousin dropped her dog off at daycare only to witness with dismay that she had not “gotten the memo”–it was apparently dress-your-pet-up-for-Halloween-day! And her dog was the only one not in costume. She swiftly explained that she’d left the costume at home by mistake, then raced off to correct the situation. Let’s hope no one from doggie daycare is reading this blog as she would be busted. And her little dog, too!
Absolved Dog, With Photo as Proof
My brother, when asked if he had ever contemplated dressing up his cat, said that he had never done so and that if he had decided to suddenly spring a costume on his cat, the expected first reaction could only be his cat looking at him with an expression of, “Seriously?” with a second reaction being, “I’m going to claw your hands and that’s not part of our contract.” He elaborated that a dog’s social contract with its owner was quite different from a cat’s, saying, “A cat always reserves the right to say, ‘Heck, no.’”
The Halloween Howl
Well, if you looked around my neighborhood the other day and wittingly or unwittingly stumbled upon the aptly-named Halloween Howl, you would have had to concede that he has a point. Yes, sir, there were a whole lotta dogs who were indulging the “spirit of the contract” and probably wondering what on earth had inspired this latest request.
And so, without further ado, I bring you a taste of this latest display of loyalty on the part of man’s best friend:
The Marathon Runner
Dog, the Bounty Hunter (sheriff’s badge, off-camera)
Minion: Character From the Movie Despicable Me (with a special prize given by me for what appears to have been a highly-organized community effort to invite other neighborhood “Frenchis” to be part of the group entry)
Mister Coccoloso, aka Count Cocco
Dog Walking Upper East Side Tennis Players (tennis ball made by artist Eric Mangia)
Beyonce: The Single Ladies (the owners wore matching belts and silver accessories as the ensemble rocked the runway)
And for those of you who can’t get enough of pets in Halloween costumes, check out New York mag’s “Dogs Looking Depressed in Their Halloween Costumes” slideshow, and The New Yorker‘s high-brow Critterati Contest winners slideshow (where the challenge is to dress your pet animal as a character in literature).
What About You? Do you dress your pet up for Halloween?
P.S. I promised Simon his “15 minutes of fame.” And that’s a contract I intend to enforce to the letter of the law!
Sneak Peek of a Very Proud Simon as a Lobster
I am opposed to Halloween costuming without consent — that goes for pets and babies. For me, the fun of the holiday is the freedom it gives to express yourself and play with an alternate persona, so dressing up someone who isn’t in on the joke just doesn’t do it for me. It makes me a little sad, actually.
Very cute. I am feeling very sad that our dog Rocky is not dressed up. He on the other hand is very happy.
What a hoot! I can’t believe a dog can actually look like a lobster. No further proof needed; there’s everything in New York for sure. As to my Buddy (the Cat), he would put up with me dressing him in a costume only if it meant lifetime privileges to drink from the faucet in the bathtub. He’s oblivious to water drenching his head there, and probably would be to sartorial indignities, if we added that clause to his contract.
Deliciously humorous article. Sets the right tone for Halloween. Loved it. Loved the choice of pictures.
Oh, initial poster — do lighten up! It’s obvious by the looks on many of these dogs’ faces that they either don’t care or are perfectly content to be (temporarily) in these costumes. Same goes for my friends with babies . . . what’s the difference to a baby? And it brings parents, friends, and trick or treaters alike great joy to see a cute little peanut dressed as . . . well, a peanut (or bunny, or lobster, or whatever).
Happy Halloween, everyone!
Jennifer, love the photos! When we went trick or treating last night, I saw three dogs dressed up: two as ladybugs (they were Corgis) and one as a pumpkin (a bulldog). They were every bit as cute as their pint-sized owners.
Finn, the whippet, was so honored to be featured in this post. We always include him in all family holidays and festivities, so Halloween costumes are not out of the question. Given that we like to parade around the neighborhood, even when it is not a special holiday, I think that he feels quite comfortable with dress up and sartorial ‘impersonations’ of two-legged beings. We would never make him wear something that made him uncomfortable, though.
Thanks for this fun and thought-provoking post!
Dear Jenn,
You’ve done a great job with these–it makes me miss NYC. Although I grew uw with dogs, I don’t remember anyone dressing them up–I think I would now ig she were willing–most of the costumes looked quite reasonably comfortable–it’s fun!
with cats over the past 45 years–of course, NO WAY
good work! Ellen