Animal Insting

But some dogs put up with it -- at least long enough to get their pictures taken.  And some even go in parades or contests with their costumes on.  Yesterday Mom took me over to the Humane Society, where there was a Pet Reunion and Open House.  I never went to this event before, even though Mom usually goes every year.  Barry has gone to it a couple of times, but after a while, Barry gets really stressed and starts trying to bite people.  So mostly Mom doesn't take him there anymore.

This year Mom decided she would take me, even though I was not adopted from the Humane Society.  But I am a rescue dog, and I am cute, and I don't bite people.  So that's why she took me.  Of course, I would have rather stayed home and taken a nap, but I did not get a choice.  At least Mom did not make me wear a costume, even though there was a costume contest.  But I did have to wear a bandana with pumpkins on it. Mom and I got our picture taken there, and Mom put on a witch's hat for the photo, but she did not look very witchy, in my opinion.  In the photo, I have "alien eyes," as Mom calls them, and she couldn't get them fixed on iPhoto, so I guess I look scary without even having to wear a costume.

I did not like being at the Pet Reunion until I found out there was FOOD there.  Mom gave me some food, and not just dog treats, but she gave me real People Food, which she never gives us dogs at home.  So I got to eat a couple of tortilla chips and some bean dip and a little cake.  But I didn't get any of Mom's brownie because it had chocolate in it, which is Bad for Dogs.

A lot of dogs were in the costume contest, and the dogs that won it were named Hunter and Holly, and they were littermates.  Their moms dressed them up as a doctor and a nurse.  Mom did not take her camera, so I don't have pictures of any of the dogs at the Pet Reunion.

Anyway, I have been collecting some photos of dogs wearing dumb costumes that people seem to think are "funny" or "cute."  Even Mom sometimes thinks these costumes are "cute."  But other times she feels sorry for the poor dogs that have to wear them.

First of all, why do people think it's cute to think of their dog being eaten by a crocodile?

Or by a giant fish?

Or to get stabbed through the head by a knife?  I guess I will never understand humans.

This costume is good if you don't have much time to make a costume for your dog.  Seems like it wouldn't stay on very well, though.

Okay, would you walk around with a balloon between your legs, just so you could look like a cow?

And these poor pug flowers.  Pugs look silly enough without having petals added!

Here's a scuba-diving dog.  You would never get me to wear all that stuff, and I certainly wouldn't get in the water with it on!

These three labs had to dress up as bunnies.  How humiliating is that?

If you are into Wizard of Oz stuff, you can dress your dog like Dorothy.

And if you are a Trekkie, you can make your dog be the Starship Enterprise.  (Poor basenji.  What if they really try to launch him into space?)

Here's Harry Potter with Cerberus, the 3-headed dog from hell.  Or maybe it's the costume from hell!

For a Western theme, you can dress your dog as a cowboy.

And here are two basenjis posing as Mexican vaqueros.  

Anyway, my point is that making your dog wear a costume is probably abuse, and there should be a law against it.  Of course, this is just my opinion, but as you know, my opinion is usually right.  I feel very lucky that my mom doesn't make me or my brothers wear costumes.  In fact, Mom says that this year we are going to be Halloween Scrooges.  I'm not sure what a Scrooge is, but it has something to do with an insect called a humbug.  I will have to do more research on this topic.  But anyway, Mom wants to watch TV tonight without having to go to the door every five minutes to give out candy, so we are going to leave our porch light off and pretend that we are not home.  I think this will be a really fun game to play!