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6 incredible family Halloween costumes that include your dog

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Witches, superheroes, movie stars … do you know what you’ll dress up as for Halloween this year? As you take some time to plan the perfect costume, make sure to include your best furry friend to ensure a fun and safe Halloween for your pet — a family Halloween costume with the dog will be just the thing!

Dog and family Halloween costumes aren’t often found in stores, so you’ll have to get creative. You can buy everyone’s outfits separately or try your hand at making them yourself! Luckily, pet stores offer myriad dog Halloween costumes both in-store and online, so your fur baby will be ready to go when All Hallow’s Eve rolls around. Ready to get spooky?

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The Scooby-Doo gang

Jinkies! Unless you have a brown Great Dane at home, your pup might need a Scooby-Doo costume to match his goofy canine vibe. Or, if you’re looking for something a little more creative, dress up your pup just like everyone’s favorite van: The Mystery Machine.

You and your family can piece together outfits just like the rest of the gang, or you can head to your local Halloween store to purchase costumes that are ready to go. You have so many main and minor characters from the show to choose from, so this could be a great costume for a larger family, too.

Family fruit salad

If you’re feeling more whimsical this Halloween, you and your family can channel your favorite fruits for this year’s costume. Whether your pup prefers to dress up as a pup-tastic pineapple or the cutest banana you’ve ever seen, everyone in your family can have their choice of fruit costume.

The best part? These costumes can be easy to DIY, too! An appropriately colored shirt plus a homemade fruit stem hat is everything you need to complete this costume. It’s as easy or as intricate as you want it to be.

A puppy dressed in a fluffy pumpkin costume
Donald Bowers Photography / Shutterstock

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

For frightfully spooky families who love movies as much as they love Halloween, The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect film to draw costume inspiration from. Your pup, of course, will fill the role of Zero, Jack Skellington’s loyal companion. To make it easy on your dog, all you truly need is a red nose for him to wear — a light-up one if you can find it!

Luckily, Target also carries a Zero costume for dogs, so all you need to do is order one. As for the rest of your family, check out any Halloween store for everything you need. From costumes to wigs and even face paint, there’s plenty out there to make it your nightmare before Christmas.

Baseball family

Although summer has come and gone, your love for the ballpark doesn’t have to end. If your family enjoys baseball, you can get everyone in on this fun group costume. You’ll need baseball players (of course), a hot dog vendor, and — here’s your pup’s costume — a hot dog!

Yep, you read that correctly. The hot dog dog costume is one of the most popular outfits for pups thanks to its resemblance to, well, a dog. Even if you don’t have a dachshund or long-bodied breed, you can let them embrace their inner wienie this Halloween. Hot dog vendor costumes are surprisingly easy to find or DIY, as are baseball uniforms. Feel free to toss in a mascot or umpire, too. The options really are endless.

A Greyhound and a senior woman wearing matching witch hats
Tierney / Shutterstock

The cast of The Wizard of Oz

You certainly aren’t in Kansas anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look the part for Halloween. The hardest thing will be deciding which role your star — your pooch, of course — will play. Small dogs will make the perfect Toto, especially if they don’t mind being carried in a basket, while large pups just need a lion’s mane for dogs to take on the role of the Cowardly Lion. Or … your pup could dress up as Dorothy!

Since The Wizard of Oz is a well-known movie (and popular Halloween costume choice) to this day, you won’t have an issue putting together outfits for everyone else. Don’t worry, your dog will steal the show anyway!

Farmer and animals

If your family decides to dress up as barnyard animals for Halloween this year, your dog may not even need a costume! Old McDonald had a dog, too, right?

For an extra dose of cuteness, though, you’ll want to at least consider a cute animal costume for your dog. If he’s not a fan of wearing clothes, you can also look into getting him a snood for dogs — a sweater-like hood with animal ears of your choice that keep him warm, comfy, and adorable.

If you’re feeling clever, you can even dress up your dog as the farmer while you and your family are the animals. At the very least, you’re sure to get a good laugh.

From well-known characters to fun and spooky classics, there are plenty of family Halloween costumes for dogs, too. Whichever route you and your folks decide to take this year, make sure to keep your dog safe and happy while he’s dressed up. Don’t worry if he doesn’t keep his costume on for long — just grab a picture before it’s too late!

Gabrielle LaFrank
Gabrielle LaFrank
Former Author
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