Doggone Etiquette —

Putting On The Dog

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

This is a warning. Another “people” event comes around next weekend! If you are old enough, you’ll remember it from last year. It’s when people – even your nice, sensible VIPeople – think it is fun to fool other people by getting dressed up in weird costumes. They even get treats for doing it. Of course, they can’t fool you. One good sniff will tell you who they really are. But watch out! These same people may even think it’s funny, scary or cute (take your pick) to put some of their strange and unusual non-doggy things on you. And, I might add, you will not share their treats!

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:                            

Some dogs are delighted simply by all the attention they get for being dressed up in costumes, whether it’s for Halloween, Christmas or a wedding. They don’t mind being fussed over, admired or even laughed at. But then there are a lot of dogs who definitely do not go along with this kind of nonsense. Instead of a patiently wagging tail, you may see the dog disappearing under a bed, or worse, hear a warning growl. Be sure you know how your dog feels about it. This is one time when the dog’s decision is what counts.

Readers probably know how I feel about it – a dog is a dog is a dog is a dog. But if your dog cooperates, and the kids get a kick out of seeing Rufus in Halloween attire, go for it. 

You may not have considered some of these things, but any one of them could affect your dog’s reaction to being dressed up for your amusement. How the costume is actually put on the dog – over the head, or around the body, or pulled up over the legs – can put even a calm dog on the defensive. (Rufus might connect anything over the head with an E-collar from the vet; or over the legs with a fear of having his nails cut.) The texture of the costume (scratchy, noisy or smelly) is something else to think about from the dog’s viewpoint. A most important consideration is whether the dog’s vision, or movement, will be restricted by the costume you have in mind.

These are just some of the reactions to watch for in dealing with your very own Rufus. Even special canine costumes are not for every dog and the use of force is not the way to handle it. On the other hand, if your dog was perhaps dressed up by the kids when played with as a puppy, Halloween probably won’t bother him. Small dogs that are frequently picked up and handled are likely to accept fancy clothing. A large dog might be content in a “team” t-shirt – a great costume!                    

If you are successful, don’t leave the costumed dog when and where you cannot watch him. Parts of any costume could get tangled or twisted and harm the dog, or bits of it could be chewed and swallowed.

If Rufus doesn’t like “his” door being opened to ghosts, monsters and witches, then lock him in another room where everyone (including Rufus, of course) will be safe.                      

Over the years of working with dogs, and trying to understand how their minds work, there are still loads of things we haven’t been able to clear up. We know how they react, but one of the gray areas is what dogs actually think when confronted with strangely costumed, masked, perhaps screeching monsters. Maybe the sensible dog looks to the sky and says to himself, “There they go again!”               

Until next time – BE GOOD!

Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me! which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award last year.