Big thanks to Oriental Trading for partnering with me for another fun Halloween series!

You know we’re pretty enamored with our puppy, Duncan–even if he is channeling his inner monster these days–and you know we’re big Halloween fans, too. So, naturally, we want to dress Duncan up in cute costumes! Oriental Trading was kind enough to hook us up with some pup-sized costumes and over the next few weeks we’ll be showing them off, along with some ideas for companion costumes (and non-costumes) and a few safety tips for pets this time of year.

Behold, the elusive Bumble Basset!

You can’t even imagine how many treats he got when we did these photos.

There; we go, you can see his wings and at least one antenna in this shot.

I know not everyone is down with dogs in costumes, but I figure that if it’s not aggravating them, why not have some fun, right? And since we love dressing up, too, here are some ideas for costumes to coordinate with your cute pooch!

For Disney fans, pairing a Pooh Bear and other 100 Acre Wood characters is a natural fit for a bee-costumed pet. Then there’s the classic bee keeper (Oriental Trading has a great DIY version on their site) and I think it’d be super simple to create a human-sized bee hive costume with some pool noodles cut in half, lengthwise, and banded together. Spray paint it a golden yellow and attach some foam or pompom bees and you’ve got a winner!

But if you think wrangling a costumed pet is hard enough in street clothes, maybe dressing the part without going full-on character is more your speed, a la closet cosplay. Here is a pair of outfits that would look quite fetching (so sorry, that really wasn’t intended) with your bee-bedecked pet.

 

Now, safety is very important when it comes to pets and Halloween. Knowing your pet’s temperament is key to knowing what they can handle. But no matter what, keep the chocolate away from your furry friends to avoid ending the night at the after-hours vet! Instead, carry a bag of pup-approved treats to reward them for walking nicely on the leash and letting strangers taken with their cuteness pet them all evening.

Despite his thoroughly unimpressed expression, above, he was actually pretty chill in his Bumblebe Dog Costume. We have three more costumes to show you over the next 3 weeks, so come back and see Mr. Adorable next Friday!