Treat-worthy: Halloween Dog Costumes
In addition to carving jack-o-lanterns, buying (and sneaking pieces of) our favorite individually wrapped candy, and seeing the creativity of children come through in adorably ingenious costumes, we admit that seeing dressed-up dogs is one of our favorite aspects of Halloween. Assuming the owner has taken care to select an outfit that both suits and is safe for the pet (and monitors the canine in question to make sure that no pieces go missing), a dog in a getup that perfectly matches his personality is absolutely priceless, as proven by TSG co-founder Christy Ford’s Chewie 2, pictured above.
Who can resist Batdog? George, Christy Ford’s beloved bulldog, was ready to carry the weight of Gotham on his broad shoulders, while Henrietta, another Ford pup, embraced her inner fancy lady in a costume courtesy of the Ford girls, Ruby and Tulip. The fact that both dogs appear to be utterly at home in their Halloween accessories makes these images all the more adorable; they are completely owning their alter egos.
Titus, the endlessly photogenic Teckel belonging to Beate Casati, owner of Charlottesville-based custom framing and art establishment La Linea Bella, is no stranger to playing dress-up. He regularly sports smart bow ties, and lately he can be seen striking a pose with his new sister, Pandora (be sure to check out his Facebook page for more wonderful shots!). Eager to capture our own well composed images of canine cuteness, we asked Beate if she’d be willing to share some of here secrets for photographing pets, and she kindly obliged.
How to get a frame-worthy Photograph of your pet
1. Step one, of course, is to work with an expert. Beate enlists Kay Taylor of Sheridan Avenue Studios.
2. Find a confined area. Beate and Kay like to set up on a table so the dogs stay in place.
3. Have a special treat on hand. “We use cheese or something that they only get during photo shoots to entice them to behave and to be excited about the task,” Beate says. Â “And we use noise makers of any kind.”
4. Limit distractions. “It’s best to just have one person helping out to keep the pet focused and to keep them from getting confused as to whom to focus on,” Beate advises.
Even if you decide to skip a canine costume (or choose to simply tie on a festive bandana like Chewie 2), make sure your pet has a fun and safe Halloween by reading our latest TSG Tip!
