Top 10 dog costumes for Halloween

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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Jaxon, owned by Lesa Johnson, was a pumpkin for the 2018 Humane Society of Westmoreland County Whisker Walk at Twin Lakes Park.

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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Chloe came as Superman to the Humane Society of Westmoreland County Whisker Walk at Lynch Field in Greensburg. Owned by Jennie Roth of Murrysville, Chloe was walked by Roth’s son, Jeremy Roth of Greensburg.

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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Rogue, a doberman owned by Ashley Shoup, attended the 2017 Humane Society of Westmoreland County Whisker Walk at Twin Lakes Park dressed as a witch.

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.