Top 10 dog costumes for Halloween

Shirley McMarlin | Tuesday, October 27, 2020 12:15 p.m.

Tribune-Review

What is the well-dressed dog wearing for Halloween? Here, Gemma, an American bulldog owned by LeeAnn Testa of Greensburg, is dressed as a princess for the Humane Society of Westmoreland County’s 2011 Whisker Walk at Twin Lakes Park.

Forget about the kids’ costumes — what is your dog wearing for Halloween?

Costumes for furry friends are big business. According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans spent about $490 million on Halloween costumes for their pets in 2019.

With entertainment options at a minimum during the pandemic, it’s a sure bet that people will be amusing themselves in the same way this year.

What are the spookiest pooches wearing this year? SEMrush, a data trends provider, said these 10 costumes are most popular, based on Google searches:

1. Chucky

2. Spider

The Top Dog Halloween Costumes of 2020 Based on Google Searches https://t.co/5CS52TcVW5

— People (@people) October 26, 2020

3. Baby Yoda

4. Batman

5. Dinosaur

6. Pumpkin

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7. Ewok

8. Star Wars

9. Lion

10. Tiger

Other popular costumes for 2020, according to caninejournal.com, include a hot dog, superhero, bumblebee, ghost, witch, devil and bat, along with culture-driven choices like Notorious RBG and Joe Exotic aka The Tiger King.

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Some of those popular costumes were on display during a Halloween Pet Pawty and Parade on Sunday at Ligonier Paws on Main, a specialty pet supply store.

“We had everything from witches to hot dogs and French fries and spiders,” said owner Angel Tunstall. “We had (Dr. Seuss’s) Thing 1 and Thing 2 with the pet parents as Thing 3 and Thing 4.

“Everyone was different in their own way, and that’s what made it a lot of fun,” she said. “It really stopped traffic, that’s for sure.”

Canine Journal says that about 18% of Americans will dress up their pets, with these states leading the costume parade:

1. South Dakota

2. North Dakota

3. Colorado

4. West Virginia

5. New Hampshire

6. Nebraska

7. Vermont

8. Utah

9. Wyoming

10. New Mexico

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It’s a good idea to test out a costume before the big night, says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Some dogs are happy to be dressed up; others find the experience to be stressful. Consider a colorful bandana or collar with a Halloween theme for those that object to a costume, the ASPCA says.

When choosing a costume, pick one that doesn’t limit movement, sight or ability to breathe or bark. Ill-fitting outfits can get twisted or caught on external objects and lead to injury.

Check the costume carefully for embellishments or pieces that could be chewed off and present a choking hazard.