Interested in winning a Halloween costume contest with your pooch? There are tons of different ways you can potentially win a costume contest. While nothing is certain, there are some ways that you can increase your chance of winning the competition.

The 9 Best Tips for Winning a Dog Halloween Costume Contest

1. Come Up with a Great Concept

You need to develop a great concept before you can have a great costume. Of course, while this may seem very straightforward, it can be harder than you may think. There are many “generic” costume ideas that we recommend skipping, like the hotdog or superhero. Instead, you should come up with something unique and clever. That’s often easier said than done, of course.

Often, you can come up with many great ideas by looking at current events or pop culture. The best costumes are those that many people will know, though. Don’t choose something from a particular niche.

You may also want to consider the type of dog you have. For instance, if you have a tiny dog, consider dressing them up as something that is stereotypically large. You can also dress large dogs as something small, which can be pretty hilarious when pulled off correctly.

2. Consider Crafting

There are many dog costumes available for purchase online. However, these aren’t unique, and you’ll never know when your competition will also choose these costumes. Therefore, it’s often best to craft your own, especially if you’re handy. If you aren’t, you may want to find a friend or family member who is.

You can make dog costumes out of any material that is pet-friendly. Felt, cardboard, and other household items are a solid choice. Just be sure that the item is safe for dogs, and you’ll want to supervise your dog whenever they wear the costume.

Find inspiration online, where you’ll find tons of different tutorials. While these tutorials are a solid choice for inspiration, feel free to edit them as necessary for a creative spin. Alternatively, you can purchase a pre-made costume and edit it. Customizing is often easier on pre-made costumes, but the downside is that they won’t be truly unique.

Consider adding accessories like a hat or prop to take your dog’s costume to the next level. Often, it’s that little oomph that can push your dog over the finish line.

3. Comfort is Key

You need to ensure that the costume fits your dog well. Even if it is the best costume around, if it doesn’t fit well, it probably won’t look good. The costume shouldn’t restrict your dog’s movement. If your dog has to change their gait to adjust to the costume, it isn’t suitable. It can cause joint pain and make your dog sore.

You should also consider the weather. In most cases, dogs are insulated enough against average winter temperatures, so they don’t need their costume to be very hot. However, if your dog does need a jacket, consider weaving that into their costume.

Let your dog wear their costume at home to practice. You don’t want the first time your dog wears it to be at the event. This practice run will also help you find out if the costume will hold up and fit well. You don’t want a malfunction during the event, after all.

When your dog is at the event, be sure to bring plenty of water to keep your puppy hydrated. We also recommend treats, especially if your dog knows a few tricks. Your dog’s personality is also a winning factor, and they will express this best when they are happy.

4. Consider Presentation

You also need to consider how you’ll present your dog. It’s important to be confident, for instance. You don’t want to be distracted and shy. Walk your dog proudly and interact with the judges and audience. As we said above, your dog’s personality is also important. Many people will vote for a costume just because they like the dog that is wearing it!

Consider rehearsing a trick or two to add something extra to your dog’s performance. People often like dogs that are well-behaved and happy. If your dog likes performing tricks, we highly recommend incorporating those into your routine.

Don’t forget you, either. Smile and be enthusiastic about your dog and their costume. Hopefully, this enthusiasm will rub off on the judges, increasing your odds of winning.

5. Check the Rules

Many contests will have certain rules and restrictions. Your costume may have to follow certain rules, for instance. Some contests require that the costume be DIY, while others don’t. There may also be rules about entries. You may have to sign up by a certain date or come early for a costume “check” before the rest of the contest begins.

Luckily, most of these rules are pretty straightforward. There may be rules surrounding the safety of the costume, for instance.

6. Team Up

While you may be considering winning by yourself, you may want to consider teaming up with other dogs to increase your chances of winning. Of course, you’ll need to check the rules of the competition, as we stated above. However, many often allow for team entries. There are tons of different costume teams to consider. You can find tons of different ideas online.

A great benefit to teaming up is also because it lets you draw ideas from others, too. You don’t have to worry about coming up with all the ideas on your own if you team up with other competitors.

7. Keep Your Dog’s ID On

While it may be tempting to remove your dog’s typical collar and identification tag to stay true to their costume, this isn’t the best idea. You never know when your dog will run off or become lost. Therefore, it’s important to keep their identification on them at all times. Otherwise, you may risk them becoming lost without any identification.

Judges won’t hold leaving your dog’s collar on against you, so there is little reason to take it off. Some competitions may even require leaving your dog’s collar on for safety purposes. Of course, if your dog doesn’t have an ID, now is the time to get one. You shouldn’t take your dog out and about without an easy way for others to identify them.

Your ID tag should have your name and phone number on it, at the very least. Many people also put their dog’s name on the tag, but this isn’t required. If someone is close enough to read the tag, they won’t need to call your dog.

8. Supervise Closely

Dogs weren’t made to wear clothes. All costumes should be safe for your canine. However, you never know when something may malfunction and suddenly be unsafe. Therefore, you should supervise your dog closely whenever your dog is in their costume.

When at the competition, you also have to be careful with other dogs, too. Even if your dog is usually friendly, dogs have a harder time understanding each other when they have costumes on. Dogs rely largely on body language. Therefore, when their body language is covered up by the costumes, they can have more misunderstandings.

Dogs can also become stressed from wearing their costumes. Even a very safe, comfortable costume can be anxiety-inducing after your dog wears it for a few hours. Stressed dogs are much more likely to lash out at each other, so plan accordingly.

Of course, your dog should be well-socialized before heading to a dog costume contest, as there will be plenty of other dogs there. However, don’t assume your dog (or the other dogs there) are 100% safe while wearing their costumes.

9. Capture the Fun

Even if you don’t win, capture photos and videos of your dog’s innovative costume so that you can remember them in the future. Share them online with friends and family members so that everyone can enjoy your dog’s cute costume. Even if you don’t win, you’ll have fun looking back on these costumes later on.

Conclusion

Winning a dog costume contest isn’t easy. It’s impossible to judge how good everyone else’s costume will be, and you can’t get inside the judge’s mind. Some costumes may simply land better than others despite the others being very well-made. Winning is often a mix of skill, luck, and timing.

That said, following these tips can help make winning more likely. You don’t necessarily have to do all of them. However, the more you do it, the better chance your dog will have of winning. It’s often that last step that pushes your dog to the win.

Featured Image Credit: Kashaeva Irina, Shutterstock