Halloween Costume Ideas: For People and Pooches Who Travel in Packs

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Whether you’re trick-or-treating with a posse or just your family and pooch, it’s more fun if everyone dresses up.

From your Tabloid Magazine favorites to American Idol Judges, I’ve come up with 12 spectacular group costume ideas, so you can cause a mob scene on Halloween – and bring your dog too!

In case you want to dress to impress with your human companion, read our blog on 5 Classic Couples Halloween Costumes for $100 or Less!

1. Tabloid Magazine

Hop in a limo and travel celebrity style by costuming your group as gossip headliners! Take a long blonde wig, add a little doggie with bows and bling, and you’ve got the makings of a hotel heiress. A dad with a baby doll, and you’re the recently dumped spouse of a star, embroiled in a custody battle. Have a couple of folks play the paparazzi role, complete with flashing cameras.

2. American Idol Judges

This is a saucy idea for the right bunch! Randy Jackson has already paved the way for your canine to join the group with his repeated use of the word “dog”. And, who better for your dog to portray than Simon – just pick up a black doggie T-shirt and you’re done! Randy has a bit of a rap star vibe in his dress and accessories, plus the thick rim glasses. Paula has a gorgeous head of hair and is a total fashionista.

3. Deal or No Deal Host and Hotties

Slap a bald cap on the funny guy in your group, and dress a line-up of sexy ladies in identical outfits for a Deal or No Deal costume theme. How do they make those models of varying heights look so uniform? The wardrobe department hems all the dresses to the same height from the floor to the bottom edge of the dress. Hand the girls silver numbered suitcases and your ready to work it. Your dog can be the banker, dressed in a stylish purple Big Daddy Dog costume!

Check out great Halloween party supplies, costumes, decorations and more from Birthday in a Box! 

4. Magicians Night Out

Travel around on Halloween as a marauding group of famous magicians, such as Penn & Teller or Criss Angel “Mind Freak”. Penn & Teller are all about height ratio, and that little pigtail Penn wears. Topping 6’5” would be a plus for the Penn character, but you can create the “illusion” of this team’s height difference, by wearing a Teller costume with fake legs. The Teller character wears a suit on top, and for the bottom, stuff a pair of kid’s pants and attach fancy shoes. Then use a belt around your waist to attach the fake legs, so they dangle in front of you. Finish off the look by wearing a long black skirt or floor-length apron as a backdrop for the fake legs. Criss Angel is “goth”, David Blaine is “street”, and David Copperfield…well, is David Copperfield, with his jet-black, windblown hair, and open satin shirts. You could also include the Masked Magician, who does the TV specials on Fox and tells everyone the secrets. Your dog could don a tux and go as a classic magician.

5. Bob Dylans

My bet is that Halloween trendsetters will go out as a group “Bob Dylans”, given all the press that Cate Blanchette has received for portraying one of the seven “Bob” roles in the upcoming movie about Dylan’s life, I’m Not There. Just as the movie features seven different actors portraying Dylan during different periods in his life, your group can do the same. Click here to see a gallery of Bobs from the movie and take your pick. Some of the other Dylan actors are Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Christian Bale. Your dog can put on a black leather jacket and he’ll fit in just fine.

6. Hairspray Movie Cast

You can buy many costumes for the characters from this campy movie on line! From Tracy’s wig to a male Edna Turnblad outfit (played by John Travolta in the film), this is a fun idea for a raucous group. Your pampered pooch could slip on a luxury robe, and play the part of Motormouth Maybelle.

7. Las Vegas

Let your “hound dog” lead the pack dressed as Elvis, and the rest is easy. You can buy costumes for just about anything you’d find in a casino including dealers, a roulette wheel, playing cards, an ATM and a slot machine. And, Cinema Secrets has a kit to turn a trio of friends into the Blue Man Group.

8. Star Wars Dogs

The #1 dog costume last year was Yoda, and I bet it will top the charts again. You can also dress your pet as Princess Leia and Darth Vader. When you run out of 4-legged creatures, you can choose from Oriental Trading’s Star Wars selection for the peeps.

9. Justice League Unleashed

Super Hero dogs will make a mighty team indeed! Doggy-style Justice League costumes include Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. Don’t forget about the humans in your group, who get to play heroes too. Perhaps you can be Robin to your furry friend’s Batman.

10. Pirates of The Caribbean

Once again, costumes from this popular movie will reign on Halloween night. In addition to Captain Jack Sparrow, Davey Jones, and sexy buccaneer ladies, you can dress your dog as a pirate.

11. Pick-Up Artists

This is one for the thrift-shoppers! Pick-up artists come in many forms. There’s the lounge lizard in a polyester suit, who thinks he has a way with women. A couple of guys could pick up the trash as sanitation engineers in coveralls or community service workers in orange jumpsuits. A dog walker in your group could accessorize with a scooper used for picking-up Fido’s “presents,” and your dog can go “as is.”

12. A Hot Dog Cart

My favorite canine costume is the hot dog. Complete this theme with ketchup, mustard, and pickle costumes for a fast food entourage on Halloween.

We definitely want to see photos of this one, so log in to the Celebrations Community and send them our way!

Other Resources

Our friends at PupLife Dog Blog have even more great dog costume ideas, in case you're not feeling inspired by my suggestions. Next Day Pets and TerrificPets.com are two other great resources for dog costume ideas, as well as everything else you need to care for Fido.