Train your dog to love costumes and dress up… and guess what? This can teach your dog to love other things like like harness, grooming, nail trimming, wearing a medical(Elizabethan) cone etc! Here’s some tips

• Use the good stuff. Start by using something extra tasty as a reward
• Try with a human t-shirt first (size appropriate, so some dogs might be better with baby clothes and some with larger sizes)
• Don’t go too far too fast. Start with the head hole: see if you can get your dog to figure out that if they choose to put their head in, amazing things happen!
• Keep it short. If your dog has some concerns about costumes, choose a relatively easy goal for the session and don’t train for too long.
• Avoid overstepping. If your dog is stretching to investigate the costume or t-shirt, has tail tucked, panics or runs away, seems stiff or shows their eye whites, stop!
• Comfort is key. The more comfortable and relaxed your dog seems, the more effective your training will be.

Some dogs will do best posing in a spooky scene, or wearing something like a cute holiday-themed sweater. Most of us love a dog in costume, but it’s not worth it at the expense of your relationship.
Happy training!

Malli Hutchings is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer located on the Southern End of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.